compositional gambits make me wonderwhether he wasn’t a bit cynical, providingwhat was expected of a European artist.Unoriginal post-colonial kitsch, if you will.A reduction for similar forces (minusclarinet two) opens the proceedings with aversion of Prelude à l’après-midi d’un faune.Steele’s arrangement gives pride of place tothe flute voice, played with enchanting lyricismby Ji Weon Ryu. Loeffler’s dabs of wholetonescale colour indicates he respected theFrenchman’s music enough to borrow someof it for his own piece.*(An aside: Brahms’ didn’t publish hisnonet; it was rescued by his editor, withBrahms’ consent. Brahms showed the originalchamber piece to Clara Schumann, whoprompted him to rework it for orchestra.Eager to please, he abandoned his notionof answering the Beethoven Septet, andSchubert Octet. Using the same content hewrote his first orchestral serenade. Thankgoodness for that editor, it’s a truly lovelychamber work.)Max ChristieSchoenberg – Verklärte Nacht; Strauss –Eine AlpensinfonieVienna Philhamonic; Christian ThielemannCmajor DVD 766908 (naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=766908)! Both of thesecelebrated tonepoems were initiallyconceived in thefinal year of the 19thcentury. Schoenbergcomposed hisstring sextet in amere three weeks;it took Strausssixteen years andseveral false startsto complete his far more massive work.Curiously, both works begin with a similarslowly descending scale pattern.Schoenberg’s work is presented here inhis 1946 version for string orchestra, whichis itself a minor revision of an earlier editionfrom 1917. A performance with a full stringsection (including eight double basses) alwayscarries with it a risk of bloviation, but fortunatelyChristian Thielemann, with the sensitiveassistance of concertmaster RainerHoneck, manages to preserve the intimacy ofthe original chamber setting while providingmoments of high passion when appropriate.Altogether, it’s a beautiful performanceindeed.The stage is packed to the gills in themassively scored Strauss tone poem, whichrequires the services of 125 players includingsuch niceties as 12 off-stage horns, heckelphone,four-manual organ, two timpanistsand quadruple winds. No other orchestra inthe world has quite the same luscious soundas the Wiener Philharmoniker. This is due inlarge part to the unique construction of thetrumpets, horns, clarinets and oboes thatthrive only in Vienna. One might call this an“historically informed” performance, exceptthat it has changed so little in the 154 years ofthe orchestra’s existence.Thielemann’s conducting of this flawlessStrauss performance is largely non-interventionistcompared to his occasional passionategestures in the Schoenberg. In fact, it’s quitereminiscent of videos I have seen of Strauss’own seemingly uninvolved conducting. Theyboth lead with minimal gestures, but believeme, they have their eyes on you. Technically,I greatly appreciated the titles provided inthe DVD identifying the 22 programmaticepisodes of the work. The video quality itselfis on the garish side, suitable for televisiontransmission, and the camera work is excellentoverall.The fearsome Vienna Philharmonic is,notoriously, an orchestra without a permanentconductor that has their own way ofdoing things. I was reminded of the time theyperformed in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hallwhere, sitting in the choral balcony, I couldn’thelp but notice how they consistentlyresponded a microsecond behind the beatof the conductor, Franz Welser-Möst. Later,in the company of Robert Aitken, we met upwith the flute section at a local pub whereBob asked them what they thought of theirconductor for the evening. After some initialhesitation, one player volunteered, “We likehim. He doesn’t get in the way!” That shouldtell you all you need to know.Daniel FoleySchoenberg – Pelleas und Melisande &Verklärte NachtOrchestre symphonique de Montréal;Rafael PayarePentatone PTC5187218 (osm.ca/en/news/pelleas-und-melisande-et-verklarte-nachtby-schoenberg)! Mostly toinfuriate thevarious factionalmusic theorists, Ihold that ArnoldSchoenberg failedmagnificently toescape tonality. Helived before “hardwired”entered the lexicon, but it seems heproved as well as anybody could that weno more invented “tonality” than we did“rhythm,” we unmasked our propensity toenjoy and exchange our thoughts with othersthrough them.Both the works on this glorious disc displayhis thoughts in tone poems that are wellknownif only partially loved. I belong to thegroup who is partial to all of Schoenberg’sthoughts; let the gorgeous playing of theMSO led by Rafael Payare, tell you the story(repeated in every age) of the young loverswho usurp the marriage of the woman to anolder more powerful man, with tragic resultsfor all. Pelleas und Melisande in the hands ofa German, more expressionist than impressionist,goes right there, all turbulent weatherand sultry evenings. This is a tone poem,it’s music at the ultimate point of ripening,and these musicians are equal to the job ofplucking its fruitful bounty.In a more modern take, Verklärte Nacht(from the poem of the same name) setsa scene where a lover tells his doubtingbeloved that the child she carries, thoughnot “his,” will be his to love. I wish you couldhear the strings right now as you read this.Compared to the other, larger work, this isalmost restrained, but once the motifs start tooverlap, one is delightfully lost between tonicand dominant.Liner notes are fascinating and informative.Buy two and give one away!Max ChristieStravinsky – Chamber WorksBarbara Hannigan; Royal Academy ofMusic; Juilliard School EnsembleLINN CKD722 (outhere-music.com/en/albums/stravinsky-chamber-works)! In the idealPlatonic State,where dramatists,singers,instrumentalists,dancers, paintersand poets dwell,Barbara Hanniganmight occupy aplace in its upper echelons. She is a formidableartist, whose dramaturgy brings humanendeavour vividly to life. As a singer hersoprano is luminous; nonpareil and informedby sublime, leaping and swooping lyricism.Her art may interpretate – not imitate – life,as a sage Plato would have it. But poeticsthat reach the Divine? And who could fault adirector of celebrated orchestras who virtuallywrites her own script? Surely not evenPlato who, in a moment of madness, may beseduced as well.With Stravinsky: Chamber Works,Hannigan and Stravinsky seem perfectlymatched. Both are shapeshifting musicalomnivores who can become the music theyperform. If you haven’t already been mesmerizedby Hannigan’s Messiaen, Berg, Gershwinand Zorn, her Stravinsky will have youcompletely in her power.Hannigan reveals Stravinsky’s elementsof “objectivist architecture” in the Octet andSeptet with panache redolent of the master’sneo-classical genius. The spirited DumbartonOaks belies the subtle influence of Bach. Theshorter works – poems and songs – are scintillating,revealing the musical chameleonin Stravinsky. The Juilliard School Ensembleand Royal Academy of Music perform withidiomatic grace under Hannigan’s baton,and Alexandra Heath’s soprano is spinetingling. Also notable is Charlotte Corduroywhose conducting elevates the Concertina,52 | December 2024 & January 2025 thewholenote.com
but it is Hannigan and Stravinsky who standshoulder-to-shoulder in Plato’s State.Raul da GamaBéla Bartók - The Piano ConcertosTzimon Barto; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Christoph EschenbachCapriccio C5537 (naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=C5537)! If your previousimpressions ofBartók’s three pianoconcertos havebeen of predominantlypercussivemusic, hammeredat aggressively,this new recordingwill have you hearing the music afresh. Inthe promotional material for the album,pianist Tzimon Barto states, “Even Bartókneeds a supple touch. If you bang away at it,without rhythmical buoyancy, of course itwill become tedious.” Here, Barto is joined inthe concertos by the Deutches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by ChristophEschenbach.For an example of the dividends thisapproach pays, listen to the beginning of thefirst concerto. In place of the usual martellatorepeated A’s, the opening grows graduallyand is remarkably atmospheric. Full advantageis taken of any calm moments here andin the second concerto, creating passagesof rapt stillness which in other performancesgo by unnoticed. There is a notable softeningof the edges as a result of this “supple”and “buoyant” approach. Perhaps due tothe recording balance, in which the piano isrecessed into the orchestra, Bartók’s carefullyindicated and often sudden dynamic contrastscan, however, seem downplayed. True fortissimosare rare, even in the biggest climaxes.As another notable instance of Barto’sapproach, take the opening of the thirdconcerto, by far the most frequentlyperformed of the three. The piano’s openingmelody is played so freely and flexibly thatit seems to float magically above the gentlestring accompaniment. On the other hand,Bartók’s rhythms are nevertheless notatedprecisely, and reflect the folksongs and danceswhich are such an important ingredient inhis musical language. Additionally, the firstmovement’s tempo is so slow (two minuteslonger than in many other recordings) thatthe music risks losing forward momentum.These performances may shun percussiveaggression, but they also downplay therhythmic drive and precision that makeBartók’s music so unique. The orchestra, withsome particularly fine contributions from thewinds, sounds uneasy with the liberties oftempo and rubato, and ensemble suffers inseveral sections.Barto is to be commended for remindingus of the lyricism and delicacy inherent inBartók’s music (listen to the composer’sown recordings of his piano works to hearthis), but the extremes to which Barto goesto emphasize these elements may not be toeveryone’s taste.Stephen RungeMODERN AND CONTEMPORARYEnvols – Canadian Works for English HornMélanie Harel; Valérie DallaireCentrediscs CMCCD33523 (cmccanada.org/shop/cmccd-33523)! Mélanie Harel’sEnvols presents acaptivating explorationof Canadianworks for theEnglish horn, showcasingthe instrument’sexpressiverange and lyricalbeauty. Recordedduring the pandemic, this album is both apersonal journey for Harel and a vital contributionto a relatively unexplored repertoire.The album opens with Ian McDougall’sNostalgica, where Harel’s rich, mellow toneshines alongside pianist Valérie Dallaire’ssensitive accompaniment. The interplaybetween the English horn and piano is seamless,setting a reflective mood that invites thelistener into Harel’s world.Christopher Tyler Nickel’s Sonata forEnglish Horn and Piano takes a darker turn,beginning with an eerie melody that evolvesthrough contemplative passages to a spiritedfinale. Emily Doolittle’s contributions arehighlights of the album. Suppose I Was aMarigold is an introspective piece that allowsHarel to delve into the instrument’s softer,more contemplative side. In contrast, SocialSounds from Whales at Night brilliantlyshowcases her skill in mimicking whalecalls. Harel’s use of multiphonics and notebending, combined with the ethereal percussionand tape elements, creates a vivid underwatersoundscape that is nothing short ofmesmerizing.Brian Cherney’s Epitaph for Solo EnglishHorn provides a powerful showcase ofHarel’s technical prowess, exploring a wideemotional range and highlighting the instrument’supper register. This is followed byselections from Stewart Grant’s Études, whereHarel demonstrates her control and agility,revealing the instrument’s capabilities in avariety of musical contexts. Tawnie Olson’sPlainsong and Paul Marshall Douglas’ Luquetfurther accentuate Harel’s lyrical abilities,blending expansive musical lines with theEnglish horn’s unique timbre.The album concludes with François-HuguesLeclair’s Le vol de l’épervier, where playfulnote bends and the sounds of chirping birdscreate a delightful auditory experience,leaving the listener with a sense of joy andexploration. Overall, Envols is a cohesive andengaging collection that not only highlightsHarel’s exceptional talent but also elevatesthe English horn’s role within contemporarymusic.Melissa ScottJon Siddall – Little Monster DreamsJon SiddallIndependent (jonsiddall.com)! BC-basedcomposer, guitaristand music producerJon Siddall’s careerhas for decadesbravely straddledthe not-alwaysamicableworldsof vernacular andcontemporary classical music. I first metSiddall at York University in the mid-1970swhen we were both students of composersJames Tenney and David Rosenboom, amongothers. He continued his graduate compositionstudies in California with Terry Rileyand was introduced to gamelan degungperformance by Lou Harrison. Returningto Toronto, Siddall was inspired to combinethose disparate musical streams and formedEvergreen Club Gamelan in 1983.While Siddall’s been tapping into his garageband roots in recent years with his countrifiedStraightup Seven Hills band, in 2020 healso released Belvedere a self-described “slowmusic” instrumental album. His current EPLittle Monster Dreams follows in the latterexperimental ambient vein with two substantialinstrumentals aesthetically harkeningback to his earliest minimalist compositions.The three-part Little Monster Dreams ofFloating was performed by the composerplaying heavily processed guitar, bells andother percussion, including gamelan gongs.The title is a tribute to his French bulldog,the “little monster” who was particularlyfond of this music. Siddall describeshis musical goal as “amplifying stillness bysimplifying memory … the gentle meanderingof the sounds relieving the need to keeptrack of time.”The other work, With the Tides, consistsof a dense chord slowly disintegrating overits duration, separated by silences of varyinglength. In additional to tidal cycles, the workalso explores “what the Japanese call ‘ma’:the space in between things.” This sumptuous-sounding,formally terse, track wasconstructed solely using multi trackedblown bottles.Perceived form here is elusive, subverted,never quite materialising – a concern which“ultimately becomes unimportant” says thecomposer since, “we’re just with the sound. Isit music for meditation? Can be.”Andrew Timarthewholenote.com December 2024 & January 2025 | 53
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