There are myriad examples in music of composers using natural
phenomena to inspire their compositions. There are storms at sea, rocky
coves, sunrises, nightfall, misty mornings, lightning strikes, the mystery
of mountains, volcanic eruptions, dense forests and deserted land not to
mention calm seas … with and without prosperous voyages. However, this
disc is the first time I have ever come across a representation of the
Northern Lights (
Aurora Borealis). Penned by American composer Paul
Moravec it is a brilliant musical depiction of this most spectacular natural
occurrence. What a wonderful thing it would be to hear it while watching
this shimmering light display unfold before you. Moravec explains in the
accompanying booklet that he is often inspired by places or events. This
piece was prompted by watching the phenomenon which was silently playing
itself when he was in New Hampshire. The only sound was a seeming
accompaniment from a buzzing streetlamp that seemed to suggest to him
“perhaps a union of the ethereal and the earthly”; hence the
addition of the word
electric to the title. As the booklet note
writer Denise Von Glahn puts it “The music that resulted suggests
neither the silence of the light show nor the buzz of a streetlight
per
se, but the composer’s thorough wonderment at being present amidst
such a dazzling and magnificent event”. Having once been fortunate
enough to see it myself I can confirm that this music is a perfect musical
picture of the Lights. It is, as the composer recognises, all the more
powerful following his orchestration of the piece which was originally
intended as a chamber work for a small number of players. I find that
American composers have an uncanny ability to express nature; particularly
the grandeur of vast open spaces from the Grand Canyon to the plains. This
music perfectly creates a feeling of the light show being played across an
endless night sky. It skilfully creates a sense of majesty as the phenomenon
unfolds. Moravec has the music swerve and swirl as the lights shimmer and
weave across the sky like a constantly altering illuminated curtain of
subtly changing shades of colour. The piece ends with a chorale-like passage
that sums up the quasi-religious experience that some will find in watching
this most magnificent and awe-inspiring natural event; that and the simple
wonder that it engenders in everyone who witnesses it. This is a powerfully
and beautifully expressed work. The pleasure of listening to it will
I’m sure only increase at each hearing.
David Krakauer, for whom Moravec wrote his clarinet concerto,
suggested he make it ‘explicitly klezmer, but I demurred. I said that
as an Episcopalian I didn’t feel qualified, to which he replied,
“You’re Slavic. Close enough” ’. I know what he
means but Moravec has cleverly managed to steer between the
‘klezmatic’ and the purely classical though with plenty of jazzy
interludes along the way. The clarinet is played with the klezmer edge very
much to the fore and with that special quality that klezmer clarinettists
have of making their instrument moan and wail. While the first movement is
upbeat and joyous with a dance-like theme the second is contemplative, sad
and wistful. It is up to the third and final movement to change the mood
again in a triumphant return to hope over anguish. It is very successful and
satisfying and a valuable addition to the clarinet repertoire. This concerto
should have no problem entering the lists of works that soloists will surely
want to add to their own store.
Sempre Diritto! is a cleverly wrought piece that takes as its point
of departure the oft-heard response to the question posed to Italians
when asked directions. It means ‘straight ahead’ but since
this was prompted by a visit to Venice that advice is problematic to
say the least as anyone who’s visited that endlessly fascinating
city will know. With hundreds of little winding streets cross-cut by
dozens of canals there are few destinations further than a few hundred
yards that can be reached by following that advice. Therefore this short
work is concerned with overcoming that fact with its representation
of the twists and turns necessary finally to arrive at the required
destination and the obvious celebration in reaching it despite the lack
of precise directions being given. Moravec writes that it is the nearest
approximation of minimalism that he’s written which he explains
may have been partly due to his listening to Steve Reich’s
Music
for 18 Musicians at the time he wrote it. It doesn’t sound
very much like minimalism to me except there is a similarity to the
strongly pulsating spirit expressed in John Adams’
Short Ride
in a Fast Machine. In any event it is exciting with its almost exclusive
use of a small string orchestra. It is what he explains is his most
neo-classical piece with its Haydnesque orchestration.
The final work is Moravec’s Cello Concerto which is his
tribute to Pablo Casals. It also pays homage to to Montserrat, the monastery
at the top of the mountain outside Barcelona which became like a second home
to the celebrated cellist. This single movement concerto is absolutely
beautiful and fully exploits the instrument’s ability to sing. Taking
inspiration from the fact that outside the monastery there is a centenary
statue of Casals playing his beloved cello surrounded by the majesty of the
mountains Moravec has managed to convey a sense of awe at the man, the
landscape and the abilities of the cello to reflect so many deep felt
emotions. The music soars, hovers and dives in the most glorious ways
drawing the listener into a rapturous rhapsodic tone poem of a piece in
which bells appear at certain moments to remind us where we are. As
mentioned before the clarinettist Krakauer observed to Moravec
“You’re Slavic”. This concerto underlines that as I was
often reminded of Martinů. I’d never have guessed that it was
composed by an American. It was interesting to read Von Glahn’s
observation that Moravec seemed to be reluctant to let the music go. There
are several backward glances before finally releasing the music and I must
say I felt the same. I hope he writes more works for cello and soon.
As an introduction to the music of Paul Moravec one couldn’t
ask for anything better but I’ll certainly be exploring the rest of
his output as soon as I finish this review. The 100 plus members of this
fine orchestra under their conductor Gil Rose play superbly as do both
soloists David Krakauer and Matt Haimovitz. This is an altogether
wonderfully satisfying disc of glorious music from a really interesting,
thought-provoking and highly inventive composer.
Steve Arloff
