Karl JENKINS (b.1944)
Adiemus Colores
Canción Amarilla [6:59]
Canción Violeta [6:23]
Canción Negra [5:34]
Canción Rosa [7:13]
Canción Azul [8:12]
Canción Turquesa [4:34]
Canción Naranja [6:55]
Canción Verde [5:17]
Canción Blanca [4:21]
Canción Dorada [6:04]
Canción Plateada [2:41]
Canción Roja [7:46]
Canción Turquesa [4:34]
Pacho Flores (trumpet) (all except Plateada)
Miloš Karadaglić (guitar) (Azul, Verde, Turquesa, Negra)
Rolando Villazón (tenor) (Turquesa)
Cuca Roseta (voice) (Negra)
Adiemus Singers
La Orquesta de Colores
Karl Jenkins (conductor; piano on Plateada)
rec. Finland, London, Paris, October 2012 - February 2013.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4791067 [76:33]
Thus Karl Jenkins, "One of The Most Performed Contemporary Composers", makes
his debut for Deutsche Grammophon, the label that baldly says it "is
Classical Music". With 'Adiemus Colores' Jenkins redefines 'crossover' in
Dantean terms, listeners doomed to flounder in turbid Stygian waters for what
feels like an eternity, as they try desperately to reach the final track.
Ever the philosopher, Jenkins has once more reanimated, from the fifth circle
of Hell, the soul-less corpse of 'Adiemus' to thwart them.
DG have pulled in some of their other big names for this project. Rolando
Villazón brings a few moments of much-needed class to the proceedings,
as does the golden guitar of 'Miloš', whose film-star looks surely have
nothing to do with his fairly needless guest appearance.
How curious to think that Jenkins was a pupil of Alun Hoddinott. Each of his
unlucky thirteen 'Canciones' bears a title colour, yet they could hardly be
blander, even with the grand exoticism of Spanish translations. The very first
item drops the listener into a parallel, Burt-Bacharach-meets-Antônio-Jobim
universe. Yet Jenkins is immediately recognisable, despite the pseudo-Latin
rhythms, for there are the helium-high voices of the Adiemus choir
and those monotonous ostinatos. The voices are straight back for the next
colour, slowed down and softened to prove that it is not simply the same track
slightly tweaked. The next, 'Negra', sees the first appearance of a solo voice,
the not-so-dulcet tones of fada crooner Cuca Roseta, making her sole
contribution. As with Karadaglić, her two colour photos in the booklet
are only loosely connected with her pretty face.
The longer the album goes on - why oh why a full 76 minutes - the weaker the
will to live becomes in any listener with even a modicum of taste or dignity.
Bizarrely, the third track from last is a slushy piano solo, complete with
recorded footsteps of the approaching pianist - none other than Karl Jenkins.
Then straight back to the New-Age-cum-Latin-American pasticcio. The final
track - a "bonus", according to DG - is an imagination-free repetition of
'Canción Turquesa', with Villazón's voice replaced by Pacho
Flores's trumpet.
The fakeness of the whole thing is confirmed in the detail of the booklet
notes: the choir were recorded in Finland, Villazón in Paris and everyone
else at different times and venues in London. Karl Jenkins's wife is listed
as assistant producer, ditto their son. Aiding and abetting! Sound quality
is good, it must be said, and chwarae teg, Jenkins' booklet notes are
informative, the pages themselves much more colourful than the CD.
In short, 'Adiemus Colores' is a travesty of all things truly musical or interesting.
It will surely do well.
Byzantion
Contact at artmusicreviews.co.uk
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