Robert Avalon may be better-known as a performing
artist, as a pianist and the founder of the Avalon Ensemble; but
he is also a composer of no mean achievement. Some of his chamber
works are available on Centaur CRC 2430 which I have not heard
so far. He is heard here "wearing both caps" in his
ambitious and rather substantial Piano Concerto Op.10,
completed in 1986 and first performed by him in March 1986. This
large-scale work playing for nearly three quarters of an hour
is in four movements, the first of which plays for twenty minutes!
True to say that the first movement might have lived its own life
as such, packed with contrasted ideas as it is. As to the music,
it may be said that Robert Avalon is happy to compose in a clear
20th Century mainstream idiom, often calling Prokofiev
and Shostakovich to mind, and none the worse for that, I hasten
to say. The music is superbly crafted, with enough invention to
hold one’s attention throughout this long piece, which – I think
– says much of its qualities. Some, however, may find Avalon’s
Piano Concerto too long, diffuse and/or verbose;
but this is clearly the product of a communicative, honest mind
at work.
The somewhat more recent Concerto for Flute,
Harp and Strings Op.31 is on the whole more concise, which
is why some will probably find it more successful than the Piano
Concerto. It is in one single movement, in three sections roughly
falling into the traditional pattern (fast-slow-fast). The music,
however, is rather more stringent, the scoring for strings imparting
it with a more intimate quality that I found most refreshing and
appealing, but also with some more clarity in the textures. There
are not that many flute-and-harp concertos, so that this beautiful
piece is a most welcome addition to the repertoire, besides the
celebrated, though rather tricky concerto by Mozart. Flute-and-harp
duos would do well to investigate into this fine rarity.
In short, sincere, honest and superbly crafted
music making, in excellent performances and good recording. Well
worth hearing.
Hubert Culot
Robert Avalon (piano)a;
Megan Meisenbach (flute)b; Mary Golden (harp); Foundation for
Modern Music Orchestra; Larry Rachleff