Luis de PABLO
Une couleur…
Daniel Kientzy (saxophones)
Orchestre National de Roumania/Remus Georescu
Nova Musica NMCD 5108
[22.16]
NMCD, Nova Musica, Reina Portuondo, 9, Boulevard Mortier, 75020 PARIS,
France,
tel: +33-1-43615591, fax: +33-1-43619500,
novamusica@infonie.fr www.infonie.fr/public_html/novamusica/
Une couleur…for contrabass, baritone, tenor, soprano and sopranino
saxophones with large orchestra was composed for Daniel Kientzy and
first performed in 1989 under Arturo Tamayo. It is a tour de force for this
famous exponent of contemporary music for the saxophone family of instruments.
He is seen with the composer and his contrabass saxophone. The orchestra
includes harp, piano and celesta with 'an ample percussion section'. This
most literary of composers took lines from a poem by Larrea as his inspiration
for the five linked movements, which might be paraphrased:
-
a night sadder than blotting paper
-
silence imperceptibly turns into birdsong
-
ants carry our tears from East to West
-
he disappeared through invisibility
-
- - his sadness perched on the edge of the sky like a fat angel
The music is bold and lyrical by turns and characteristic of Pablo's orchestral
writing of the period - an exciting score that makes a powerful and immediate
impression. The saxophone is one of the best solo instruments for displaying
its expressive range in an orchestral setting, and this work should be taken
up by some of the growing number of virtuoso saxophonists of the younger
generation (John Harle, too, please note!). The recording is fine, though
I would have preferred the soloist just a shade less forward.
It is good to have this important work of a decade ago at the time when Luis
de Pablo is being celebrated after his 70th birthday and celebrating
by continuing to compose prolifically. He appears to be at the height of
his powers and with undiminished energy. (Unfortunately he has been far too
busy to organise a website!) His fourth opera La Señorita
Cristina is to be premiered in Madrid on 10 February.
(See also
a
report on de Pablo's 70th Birthday celebrations in Spain
and a selected
discography.)
Peter Grahame Woolf
