The Swiss composer Carl Rütti was a new name to me and
certainly there are very few pieces for the combination for harp and piano.
Before turning to this CD I watched a live concert of these two young
players performing
Der Tanz des Gehorsams on You Tube to get an idea
of the music. They certainly play well and if I heard this at a concert I
would enjoy it.
Rütti is mainly known for his choral music. The Bach Choir and
Southern Sinfonia under David Hill recorded his 2007 Requiem in 2009 for
Naxos. This was
reviewed by my colleague and composer Robert Hugill. Mr
Hugill describes the music as achingly beautiful at times. He reports that
it is extremely approachable without talking down to the listener whilst
acknowledging that it does not reach the heights and depths of the greatest
music.
Listening to the present CD is certainly a pleasure and ideal at the
end of a busy day. However I concur that these are not masterpieces although
they certainly have something worthwhile for the listener.
The first piece, intriguingly entitled
In the Belfry of your
Silence was based on a poem by Paul Celan (1920-1970), a Romanian Jew,
imprisoned by the Nazis. Rütti’s inspiration also flowed from
woodcuts by Peter Wulliman. The music is melodic and haunting. Here I must
make mention of the playing and the superb recording. To put the music in
context one could draw parallels with a modern Ravel and Debussy in that the
melodies paint pictures in the mind of the listener. Water-falls and
trickling streams are what come to mind when I listen to these pieces and
the beauty of nature.
Under the Linden tree,
the harp solo, was inspired by a
poem by Walther von der Vogelweide (1170-1230) and has a Spanish guitar
effect. It’s a slight piece, beautifully played. It’s
otherworldly and conveys the secret of two lovers, unknown except to a bird
and the roses.
The Four elements, for solo piano is more substantial with
movements representing wind, water, earth and fire. In these pieces I
detected more of an influence from the Viennese masters than recent
composers. This is especially the case in
Mutter Erde which conveys
death in winter but there’s also a positive dimension flowing from the
blossoms of spring. Listeners put off by much modern music will find this
eminently approachable.
Vater Feuer includes great rumblings on the
piano and immediately brings to mind the volcanoes wo which the earth is
still prone.
The Dance of Obedience sees the two players reunited. This
work was inspired by the poems of the same name by Silja Walter (1919-2011)
written after twenty years living as a nun. It is a sign of her remote world
that she wasn’t allowed internet access until 2010. The poems, which
are in the well-contained and informative booklet, tell of her path to God
through Gomer, who appears in the books of Genesis and Ezekiel. The music is
spiritual and if not earth-shattering its tranquility, conveyed by a
haunting theme on the harp, makes it a listen where one can let ones mind
draw pictures.
To sum up. I greatly enjoyed listening to this music and will return
to it when I want evocations of nature and spirituality. The players and
production team are to be congratulated, as is the composer.
David R Dunsmore
