I recently reviewed the Naxos disc, "Chill with
Mozart", and found it a very pleasant and relaxing release. The
"Chill with Satie" disc is not as successful for two reasons.
First, the Mozart release has some exuberant pieces that are appropriate
for a "chill" disc, because much of his exuberant music is
highly fluid with rounded contours. In contrast, Satie’s exuberance
is generally shown through abrupt changes and sharp edges. With this
in mind, you won’t find any exuberant Satie pieces on the program, and
this lack of contrast reduces one’s interest as the disc progresses.
A second problem concerns the specific programming,
and it begins with the first track. Gymnopédie No.1 with strings
is pure mush, and we get more of it later in the program with the same
piece played by the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy. Then,
we hear the 2nd and 3rd Gymnopédies with
strings. There’s even a third rendition of the Gymnopédie No.
1, this time on harp. The level of repetition really is too much when
you consider that Satie wrote a wealth of varied compositions, and Naxos
has rendered this sublime body of music an innocuous brew.
Although not particularly nuanced, the Gnossiennes
pieces are well played and on the correct instrument. However, I am
skeptical that this music has much of a "chill" factor, being
rather mysterious and dark. Actually, most of the music on the disc
is dark and not conducive to unwinding.
"Chill with Satie" ends up being a good example
of the basic problem confronting the mood disc concept. The limitations
imposed on emotional breadth can be debilitating to the composer’s multi-faceted
psychology and also create a gap between the desired mood and what the
composer has to offer. The music of Mozart lines up nicely with the
Naxos "chill" concept. Although it might appear on the surface
that Satie would also be a good match, the disc is ample evidence to
the contrary. His exuberant music can’t be used because of its abrasiveness,
and the majority of the remainder has a serious demeanor not in keeping
with chilling-out. The disc’s repetitive element and dubious value of
strings are additional factors depleting the worthiness of the recording.
Don Satz
Orchestre Symphonique et
Lyrique de Nancy, Jéròme Kaltenbach Ð