This is a beautifully played and recorded disc
featuring material that make it a must for devotees of Bloch,
Jewish music in general and the viola alike. Anyone who has bought
and cherished Miriam Kramer's and Simon Over's Bloch disc for
Naxos and their recital of Achron etc. on ASV should add this
one to their collection. I also detect a strong kinship with,
say, equivalent works of Vaughan Williams. For example, try the
pentatonic and modal themes of the opening Rhapsody by
Weprik. Here, even if you think you have never heard any Jewish
music in your life, you may find the beatific hushed intensity
of its second movement almost uncannily familiar. The faster sections
of most of the pieces will also remind many of Bartók.
I am probably letting my own musical personal preferences get
the better of me here but this disc, as well as satisfying entirely
on its own terms, draws together several loose ends and makes
crystal clear the connection between various apparently disparate
musics.
Krejn's Ornaments are rather more languorous
than Weprik's music but still pack an emotional punch. Gnesin's
Minstrel's Song bleeds gorgeous but haunted melodies in
its two-minute time slot. Weprik returns with his Songs of
the Dead, a harrowing, shape-shifting piece which uses the
viola's spectral timbre to great effect. Even the following Kaddisch,
in contrast to works of the same inspiration by Ravel, Diamond
and others, remains in pretty dark territory, as befits its real
meaning (prayer for the dead!). Relief is at hand with Gamburg's
still predominantly introspective but less doom-laden Solomon
inspirations. Bloch's half-hour long suite closes the disc and,
like almost everything I have ever heard by him, from Baal
Shem to America, comes across as a masterpiece. Like
Hindemith, he seems to have had a relatively bad press, but here,
as usual, the music speaks for itself. As in all the pieces on
this disc, the writing for the viola evinces consummate skill,
resulting in music which does full justice to the instrument’s
capabilities. Whether deep in lament or initiating a Jewish "hoe-down",
the musicians perform with both devotion and inspiration. The
final Molto vivo of the Bloch is as life-affirming a piece
of chamber music I can think of, full of vigour and tunes alongside
wistful meditations. A great disc and not just for specialists!
Neil Horner
Tabea Zimmermann, viola