Michael J. EVANS (b.1964)
Eidola
The Haunted Palace (2009) [23:14]
Piano Concerto (2008) [26:43]
Nocturne with Sunrise (1993) [7:34]
Dance [2:04]
Karolina Rojahn (piano)
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra/Vit Micka
rec. Olomouc, Czech Republic, July 2010. DDD
NAVONA RECORDS NV5843 [59:35]
This is the second CD from Navona of the music of American composer Michael
J. Evans; the first, released in 2009, was reviewed here.
One immediately apparent issue with this recording is the sound. Usually "Olomouc,
Czech Republic" is sufficient indication of a good quality recording, but
not on this occasion. The Haunted Palace in particular sounds as if
it might have been recorded in Vit Micka's lounge using a couple of old Tandy
microphones. In fact, a photo on the 'enhanced' section of the CD of Evans
with recording producer Vit Muzik "in the studio" does little to dispel this
idea. It is just possible that the effect is deliberate in the final movement,
to add to the general otherworldliness, but really the recording sounds under-resourced
and over-processed. Quality improves in the Piano Concerto and subsequent
pieces, but it never rises above average - there is a feeling of compressed
dimensions throughout.
A second issue is that, though Evans's music is not difficult to play, the
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, usually a reliable ensemble under old hand
Vit Micka, sound frequently under-rehearsed, especially in the string sections.
All of which does no great favours to Evans's music. On the other hand, it
is fair to say that these works are at best on the border between art music
and easy listening. Those in search of innovation, profundity, complexity
or virtuosity have come to the wrong place. Instead there are formulas, predictability
and plainness. The simplicity of Evans's music - or the thinness of his orchestration,
depending on how one looks at it - is evident from the swathes of blank space
in the scores, which are available in the 'enhanced' material.
Which is not to say that there is no value in Evans's music - there is no
denying that he has a remarkable gift for writing atmospheric music full of
easy, attractive melodies that would be ideal for the undemanding mass markets
of television and cinema.
There are also glimpses of greater potential. The Haunted Palace, based
on the poem of the same name by Edgar Allen Poe, comes to life, as it were,
in the final movement, which presumably takes its cue from the last two stanzas
of Poe's poem: "But evil things, in robes of sorrow, Assailed the monarch's
high estate." Suddenly the cloying sounds of the first two movements have
been left behind and the listener is thrust into a phantasmagorical world
of half-remembered glories, childhood toys and freaky fairgrounds. The burst
of noise from nowhere from the electric guitar right at the end is weird but
inspired. And the brief Dance, a taster from Evans's as yet unfinished
ballet Deirdre - she of Irish legend fame - is folk-like in its rhythm
and appropriated melody, but memorable enough to suggest that the rest of
the work may be worth investigation.
For those able to read music who would like a second opinion, Evans has kindly
made several of his full scores available to download free from his website,
including the Nocturne
with Sunrise. The CD-ROM also includes a couple of minute-long videos
of the recording sessions, unfortunately with worse sound than the CD. The
disc case, which is made of card - the booklet has been digitised and put
on the CD-ROM - has a printing error: Polish-born Karolina Rojahn is listed
as pianist for The Haunted Palace, rather than the Piano Concerto.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
Easy, attractive melodies but there are also glimpses of greater potential.