In Motion
United Strings of Europe
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Quartettsatz in C minor, D703 [8:34]
Matthew HINDSON (b.1968)
Maralinga [13:29]
Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805)
Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid [11:02]
Arturo CORRALES (b.1973)
Seņores, les voy a contra… [5:05]
Gareth FARR (b.1968)
Mondo Rondo [11:36]
Amalia Hall (violin)
Julian Azkoul (Schubert, Boccherini & Farr); Franck Fontcouberte (Hindson
& Corrales)
rec. March 2020, Church of St Silas the Martyr, Kentish Town, London
BIS BIS-2529 SACD [50:44]
Making its debut on disc, the United Strings of Europe is a London-based ensemble with 13 players listed as having participated in this recording, under the artistic direction of Julian Azkoul. On this recording Anglo-Lebanese Azkoul directs the ensemble from the violin in the works by Schubert, Boccherini and the New Zealand composer Gareth Farr (all three of which he himself has arranged), while French conductor Franck Fontcouberte directs performances of works (both, coincidentally, composed around 2010) by the Australian Matthew Hindson and the Salvadoran/Swiss Arturo Corrales. In Hindson’s work, they are joined by New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall. So, at the very least, this recording stretches far beyond the borders of Europe to become something very international indeed (perhaps enhanced by the fact that I am writing this review in Singapore and sending it to an editor in New Zealand – but we are not called MusicWeb International for nothing!).
All that aside, this is a powerful and forceful ensemble, playing with great panache, huge vitality and intoxicating virtuosity, and very clearly enjoying every single moment of this highly eclectic programme. Azkoul suggests that the programme, drawn from “three continents and four different centuries” reflects “the players’ wide-ranging interests and multi-national heritage”, but one thing is certain; they all share a passion for playing with jazz-infused rhythmic impetus and breathless energy. It would be tiring to us passive listeners were it to stretch any beyond the 50 minute playing time, so perhaps this particular SACD is not such short measure as it might at first sight appear. I, for one, feel absolutely exhausted after less than an hour’s exposure to such high-octane music-making. The overall title for the recording – “In Motion” – seems entirely apt.
Azkoul’s arrangement of the Schubert Quartettsatz seems a little bloated and overwrought, transforming essentially intimate music into a dramatic orchestral showpiece, but it does set the scene for a programme of musical extremes. The first of these comes with Matthew Hindson’s Maralinga, in which the strings are put through a veritable panoply of playing devices as they support a remarkably complex solo part, full of frenetic energy and often ascending to stratospheric heights, played with passion and remarkable sure-footedness by Amalia Hall. Hindson suggests in a note strong on anti-British, anti-nuclear sentiment, that while the title might “sound quite beautiful to people outside of Australia”, his music conveys the sinister connotations the word has for those who recall the nuclear tests conducted in the South Australian desert between 1953 and 1963. There is certainly a sinister feel to this music, but there is seething anger too, and in its explosive outbursts and fragmentations of texture there are obvious parallels with the destructive force of nuclear weapons. A small string orchestra and solo violin might not seem the ideal weapons with which to depict such monumental forces musically; but that is to reckon without Hindson’s vivid musical imagination and the extraordinarily powerful playing of the United Strings of Europe.
The technical challenges for the string players may be less daunting with Azkoul’s self-confessed “re-imaging” of Boccherini’s musical depiction of the night life in the streets of Madrid, but there are still challenges a-plenty, both in the diverse musical effects incorporated within the music and the mind-boggling juxtaposition of musical styles. Hints of country dancing, strumming guitars, clanging bells and folk singing alongside more soporific nocturnal sounds emerge from the original, but Azkoul adds touches of his own, including some pretty outrageous jazz effects and near-contemporary pop-styles, and an extraordinary solo improvisation (presumably played by Azkoul himself) employing devices and modes from traditional Arabic music. While it might not be to everybody’s taste, it is a gloriously ebullient exhibition of the sheer virtuosity displayed at every corner by this impressive band of players.
Also drawing on the folk and popular music of a distinct geographical location – in this case El Salvador – Arturo Corrales describes his Seņores, les voy a contra… as an “antique store” drawing on the traditions of a people who see their ancient traditions “in vivid colour, not sepia, forever young and true”. He adds “my music today is for the woman of yesterday”, which might be a little obscure to most of us, but has clearly struck a sympathetic chord with Fontcouberte, who weaves a vividly colourful and highly atmospheric path through this often eerie musical labyrinth.
Gareth Farr’s Mondo Rondo is an altogether less obscure and much more open-hearted piece, full of fun, both in the music and the movement titles (“Mondo Rondo”, “Mumbo Jumbo”, “Mambo Rambo”). It dances around, changing steps with unpredictable suddenness and giving the players a real test of flexibility and dexterity. Azkoul has added a few touches of his own, aimed at expanding the sound (the piece was originally conceived as a string quartet) but also showcasing the dazzling virtuosity of this superb band of string players.
Marc Rochester
