I admit it. The folk
music of Switzerland is something that
I know little about. To me the Swiss
are good bankers, watch makers, cheese
makers and chocolatiers. Before exposure
to this CD, I cannot with any certainty
say that I had ever heard of a Swiss
folk song. I believe that I had a vague
idea that there might be an alphorn
involved somewhere, and perhaps a lederhosen-clad
accordion player with his best buddy
playing a tuba and someone they picked
up along the way with a clarinet. That
was the closest I would have been able
to guess.
The Schweizer Oktett
(literally, the Swiss Octet) set about
the process of not only educating me,
but demonstrating the excellent quality
of Swiss folk music and making me a
fan with vigor and professionalism.
They are a group of musicians of the
highest caliber, representing the best
of Swiss musicianship. Each member studied
in a Swiss conservatory, and now plays
in the most renowned of Swiss orchestras.
They selected traditional Swiss melodies,
notated by the preeminent Swiss musicologist
of the last century, Hanny Christen.
The arrangements are all by members
of the Schweizer Oktett. Even the album
title Heimwäarts,
which means "Homeward bound",
points to this Swiss-centricity. Thus
if there were ever to be a genuine Swiss
album to introduce me to the merits
of Swiss music, this would be the ideal
setup.
The music is reserved,
danceable and absolutely charming. The
musicianship is exquisite. There are
a variety of selections in what I am
told are the most representative kinds
of music represented by the great weight
of Swiss folk music. The most familiar
of these tunes is the Schottisch "Em
Antonion sine", which was quoted
in works by both Vivaldi and Franz Schubert.
The latter used the traditional melody
as a central theme in his widely known
Octet in F major (D803). Aside from
the "Scottish dances", there
are a myriad of waltzes and a smattering
of mazurkas as well as a polka and a
march. The works are exquisitely arranged
and performed.
Generally each tune
is performed at the highest level. The
players are virtuosos, and each performance
is flawless. It is easy to imagine a
high court ball with these eight men
providing the nobility their entertainment
for the evening. If this is an album
of folk tunes in their traditional form,
the Swiss must, musically speaking,
truly have had the most well trained
working class in the history of mankind.
However, if this is to be an example
of the apex of Swiss music, this succeeds.
The arrangements sound very reminiscent
of the works of Haydn, Mozart, Schubert
or Strauss, and they are performed flawlessly.
This album is simply
a wonderful rendering of quaint folk
songs. There is nothing experimental
that the casual listener or anyone untrained
in music would find the least bit offensive.
In fact, if this album has a fault at
all, it would be in its lack of experimentalism.
However, considering that this is intended
to be an album showcasing the very highest
quality of Swiss folk music, there is
little that could be said other than
it has indeed hit its mark. It is a
delightful album.
Patrick Gary
Recorded at Evang. Kirche, Reutlingen-Gönningen
on 4-6 March, 2002 DDD