Stacy GARROP (b.1969)
Silver Dagger, for violin, cello and piano (2009) [5:28]
In Eleanor's Words, for mezzo and piano (2006) [27:58]
String Quartet no.3 'Gaia' (2008) [33:49]
Lincoln Trio; Buffy Baggott (mezzo); Kuang-Hao Huang (piano); Biava Quartet
rec. Fay and Daniel Levin Performance Studio, WFMT, Chicago, 30 November 2009
(trio); 4-6 December 2009 (Eleanor); 3-5 February 2010 (Quartet). DDD
CEDILLE CDR 90000 122 [67:30]
This is the first CD dedicated entirely to the works of American composer
Stacy Garrop, who is Associate Professor of Composition at the Roosevelt University
in Chicago.
The disc opens aptly with an aperitif: Silver Dagger, for violin, cello and
piano, incorporates three variants of an Appalachian folksong, from which
comes the title. A simple, straightforward work, but sultry too in its way,
and played with poised passion by the Lincoln Trio, for whom Garrop wrote
the piece.
The other two works are far more substantial. Garrop's Third String Quartet
is subtitled 'Gaia', after the Greek goddess of the earth - the second 'eco-quartet'
released this year, as it happens, following Ronald Corp's more modest String
Quartet no.1 'The Bustard' on Naxos (see review).
Each of the generally programmatic five movements depicts a different aspect
of the mythology, from the turmoil become pristine beauty of 'Creation of
Mother Earth' to the earthy rhythms of 'Dance of the Earth', and from the
weeping and SOSes of 'Lamentation', depicting humanity's relentless abuse
of the planet, to the extended finale, '... et in terra pax', in which a positive
outcome to humankind's so-called custody of Earth is wished for, in appropriately
ambiguous music - though the final bars sound a lot like the planet's rainforest
lungs finally giving out. Written for and expressively played by the Biava
Quartet.
The final work lends its name to the CD, and gave rise to the curious jazz-style
CD cover. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin D, is the lady in question,
and an appropriate choice, given Garrop's academic residency! In Eleanor's
Words takes some of the former First Lady's words from her syndicated newspaper
columns, arranged chronologically from 1936 to 1961, giving a brief but interesting
personal view of unfolding pre- and post-war history. The texts are prose,
not poetry, and Garrop sets them using a mixture of declamation, sprechstimme,
sprechgesang and orthodox singing. How convincing the results are will
depend a lot on individual sensibilities: American audiences will probably
find the cycle considerably more appealing than most Europeans, because it
sometimes shades into sophisticated-Sondheim-musical territory, whose appreciative
audiences in the Old World are not most obviously found among aficionados
of art music.
Nevertheless, Garrop's writing is undeniably imaginative, even innovative.
Californian mezzo-soprano Buffy Baggott's voice is in some ways ideal for
the job - for one thing, she does sound eerily like a politician in the spoken
parts! She recorded Garrop's Ars Poetica, a setting of Billy Collins, with
the Lincoln Trio for another Cedille CD released in 2009, reviewed here.
This time she gives a better performance than reported there in what is sometimes
very difficult music, but her operatic voice, breath control and idiosyncratic
phrasing will not be to everyone's taste. Kuang-Hao Huang, on the other hand,
provides a thoroughly polished accompaniment throughout - the piano music
sometimes calls for super-human feats of concentration and virtuosity.
The disc is beautifully recorded, and the CD booklet is exactly how CD booklets
should always be, thoughtfully and clearly laid out, with as much information
as the average listener needs, no more or less. There are also a few unobtrusive
photos for good measure, everything printed on high quality paper - although,
given the message of Garrop's String Quartet, it is surprising that no indication
is given as to the eco-friendliness of the source of that paper!
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
Garrop's writing is undeniably imaginative, even innovative.