Lukas FOSS (1922-2009)
The Prairie (1943) [53:02]
Elizabeth Weigle (soprano); Gigi Mitchell-Velasco (mezzo); Frank Kelly (tenor);
Aaron Engebreth (baritone)
Providence Singers
Boston Modern Orchestra Project/Andrew Clark
rec. 15 March 2007, Mechanics Hall, Worcester MA, USA. DDD
BMOP/SOUND 1007 [53:02]
The Prairie is a setting of an epic poem by Carl Sandburg, which falls
into seven short movements. The quality of sound in this recording is immediately
striking, as is the quality of the performance, from both soloists and orchestra.
This is one of Foss’s earliest works, and one which had an important
impact on the start of his career. The compositional style is unquestionably
American, capturing the spirit of Copland and combining it with the European
influence of Hindemith and Stravinsky. The orchestration is imaginative and
supports the soloists well. The overall compositional style is full of optimism
and energy.
The piece makes use of repeated melodic figures and a simple, well defined
tonal language, giving a sense of unity between the movements but never becoming
stale. Foss’s approach to instrumental writing is to treat them as voices,
and the resultant effect is a rich texture of melodic lines and colours.
Foss was not originally American, but moved to Philadelphia in 1937 with his
family at the age of 15 in order to escape Nazi Germany. He embraced American
culture and made it his own, creating a distinctive voice for himself as an
American composer. There are certain modernist elements to The Prairie,
which are especially evident in the more dramatic moments, such as in the
last part of the fourth movement, When the Red and the White Men Met.
In these moments, one gets the sense of a young composer emerging from tradition
with innovative ideas and an individual approach.
The opening movement serves as a prologue, setting the scene and describing
the landscape. Frank Kelly’s tenor voice is arresting here, with a beautiful
tone and expressive phrasing. Folk-inspired material takes centre-stage towards
the middle of the work, making use of open harmony based on fourths and fifths.
A prolonged oboe solo evokes shepherds, and sparse orchestration accompanies
the haunting soprano solo, O Prairie Girl. A dramatic orchestral interlude
introduces the final song, which looks towards the future with an optimistic
but at times solemn outlook. The end of the work is punchy and energetic,
with syncopated rhythms, bright instrumentation and driving forward movement.
This forms the main climax of the work, and this recording is both exhilarating
and dramatic.
Sandburg’s text was adapted by Foss to suit his plan for the music,
broken into songs and at times re-ordered from the original. However, the
poem has a strong identity, and there are some beautifully evocative lines.
This is an excellent recording which captures the essence of the work very
well.
Carla Rees
An excellent recording which captures the essence of the work very well.