Borderland Melodies gathers three recent compositions by Jürg Frey, each rendered with attentive clarity by Apartment House. The title piece opens with a carefully structured pairing of viola and percussion, forming the ground for an unfolding architecture. Throughout, individual tones and pairs of notes surface slowly, suspended in time, and allowed to linger just long enough for their resonance and harmonic shadow to fully register. Frey’s method is resolutely unhurried, blurring the boundaries between foreground and background, action and stillness.

The album also presents “L’état de simplicité,” a work born from prolonged reflection. Originally conceived as an opportunity for Frey to perform alongside regular Apartment House clarinetist Heather Roche, the project transformed after the composer’s illness prompted him to step back from performing. The resulting delay afforded Frey time to return to and clarify the material, refining its structure in thoughtful increments. The piece, heard in several short movements, embodies this patient, stepwise process, pairing gentle motion with melodic economy.

Closing the collection is “Movement, Ground, Fragility,” which continues Frey’s exploration of form through the juxtaposition of stability and change. Long, overlapping tones emerge and recede, colored by the subtle interplay of piano, strings, and clarinets. Like sunlight through clouds, the music’s atmospheres shift by degrees, drawing strength from restraint and the careful placement of every sound. What unites these works is an unwavering trust in the potential of simple materials, meticulously arranged. Rather than aiming for expressive climax or overt emotional effect, Frey and Apartment House allow musical meaning to emerge gradually, in the interplay of quietness, duration, and attentive musicianship. The effect is both tranquil and quietly profound - a testament to the sustained power of chamber music that listens intently to its own borderlands.