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Zbigniew PREISNER (b.
1955) Silence, Night and Dreams (2006) [56:46]
(Perchance [1:13]; Silence, Night and Dreams [6:59]; To Speak
[9:31]; To Dream [1:24]; To Find [12:14]; To Know [4:38]; To
Die [7:04]; Be Faithful, Go [9:00]; To Love [4:39])
Teresa Salgueiro
(voice); Tom Cully (treble); Alasdair Malloy (glass harmonica);
Josef Skrzek (Hammond organ); Anna Sikorzak-Olek
(harp); Konrad Mastylo (piano); Bernard Maseli (vibraphone);
Lars Danielson (electric cello, electric bass); Jacek Ostaszewski
(recorder); Michal Poltorak (violin); John Paricelli (Mitch
Dalton (guitars); Andy Pask (electric bass); unnamed orchestra
and chorus
rec. Abbey Road Studios, London; composer’s private studio,
Krakow, December 2006 and January 2007. DDD EMI CLASSICS
3939992 [56:46]
This new extended
song cycle by Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner gives the reviewer
the unique opportunity simply to listen to the music, digest
the texts and draw his own conclusions. There are no program
notes or booklet essays, just the texts to the songs and some
appropriately mood-setting photographs. Preisner is best known
as a film composer, having written scores for The Double
Life of Veronique and Three Colors Blue. This music,
heavily produced in the recording studio and full of dreamy,
almost erotic soundscapes, is reminiscent of the work of Eleni
Karaindrou.
With texts taken
from modern poets, the Book of Job and the Gospel of Matthew,
the composer takes a spiritual journey through some pretty
dark territories in what appears to be a lament on the condition
of the poor and socially downtrodden. His mournful musical
language is beautifully expressed in the voices of Teresa Salgueiro
and the boy treble, Tom Cully. The contrast of temperaments
between the mature Salgueiro and the innocent Cully is at once
striking and comforting, simultaneously conveying both tragedy
and hope.
Preisner is well
capable of a good tune, and his melodies are rich and sweeping.
His choice of obbligato instruments is fascinating, although
they do hark back to Andreas Vollenweider’s work from the 1980s.
Purists are most likely to think this more cross-over material
than “classical” but no matter. The important thing here is
that Preisner has created some very beautiful sounds and his
text settings - mostly in Latin, some in English - are effective
and even at times deeply moving. Indeed the emotions that he
expresses are sincere, and the music is neither contrived nor
clichéd. One might have wished for a comment or two from the
composer in the booklet. On the other hand, his having left
it all to the listener makes for a rather exciting bit of discovery
and adventure.
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