Friedrich Gulda (1930-2000) was born in Vienna and is regarded as one of
the cross-over pioneers of his time. Following an established career in
classical music he turned his attention to the world of jazz and electronic
music. I suppose the nearest modern-day equivalent we have is Nigel Kennedy.
Gulda clearly had no musical boundaries and that is to be applauded. There
is no written musical law that if you enjoy Tippett you shouldn’t really
listen to Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). The problem, however, is that the
target audience for this DVD has to be like-minded. A concert that includes
Mozart sonatas and music more suited to a disco and a jazz club is a strange
affair indeed. Who would buy such a concoction? Certainly many of those
buying the DVD will be staunch Gulda fans. As a memory of a unique musician
at work I suppose what we have here is an undoubted success. For anyone else
maybe one viewing is enough. I found it tough going. The cause isn’t helped
by the lack of English subtitles. If you don’t happen to understand German
you are left high and dry. Gulda talks to his audience in what appears to be
a warm informal manner. His flowery shirt and white trainers are certainly
informal. It’s such a shame that English-only speakers don’t know what he is
saying.
The first 30 minutes of the concert is devoted to Mozart and it is
patently obvious that Gulda was a superb pianist, of that there can be no
doubt. His approach to Mozart will not appeal to everybody. At times he
makes the music sound like Bach with its clear-cut, immaculate passage work
and precise - almost mechanical - ornamentation. The playing is dry and
clean but rather aggressive. It lacks a romantic singing tone and the style
is hard-driven and no-nonsense in its approach. It’s refreshing in its own
way and I’m glad to have heard it but to describe it as beautiful would be
misleading.
We then hear three pieces from the Paradise Trio. Following on from the
creative genius of Mozart is a pretty difficult proposition and
unfortunately the music presented here is thin on ideas and the pieces -
each around ten minutes long - all outstay their welcome. There’s not enough
content to sustain such a length. The combination of electronic organ,
drum-kit and sax soon becomes repetitive and irritating. The actual playing
is very good indeed but nothing catches the ear or catches
this ear
at any rate. It all sounds so dated. It’s the sort of thing you would hear
as background music on an American detective series - long sax solos that go
nowhere, sleazy sound-bites on the organ. Maybe a jazz lover should also
review this DVD to give the other side of the story, if there is one. For me
this Paradise Trio set wasn’t my idea of paradise by any stretch of the
imagination. The audience, however, seemed to love it so each to their own.
Finally, it’s disco time with dancers appearing on stage and Gulda playing a
synthesiser. Even the audience joins in. What on earth is this 22 minutes
all about? I really don’t know what to say.
John Whitmore
