Flautist Sharon Bezaly’s discography has grown substantially since
she made this recording in 2000. In that time two of the featured
composers – Sir Malcolm Arnold and Luciano Berio – have died and
a third, Kalevi Aho, has gone on to consolidate his reputation
as Finland’s foremost living composer. John Quinn assessed this
disc when it was first released (see review) and
another, similarly eclectic, volume followed in 2001 (see review
by Roy Brewer).
Given that the first
two discs have only advanced as far as Carter and Caldini this
is clearly a long-term project. That said, Bezaly’s success
elsewhere seems to have halted this enterprise, for the time
being at least. The good news, though, is that her playing is
as accomplished as ever, bold, clear and confident. Solo
III, originally a competition piece, is an exercise in quarter
tones that comes across as a sequence of upward and downward
‘slides’ or glissandi. Bezaly’s breath control is extraordinary,
and she produces a seamless thread of sound throughout. There
are contrasts, too, between quieter, breathier passages and
what can best be described as sine-wave-like episodes of great
purity.
After a magically
soft conclusion to the first movement, marked crotchet
= 66, Bezaly launches into the vigorous Presto. Her athleticism
is just as captivating here, the recording sympathetically balanced
so that even the chromium-plated top notes don’t sound over-bright.
Of course it’s not just about the playing; the success of these
collections also depends on good programming. Bezaly is clearly
at home in testing 20th-century repertoire, but as
her recent Barocking Together CD confirms she is equally
attuned to music of the 18th (see Brian Wilson’s
review).
The C.P.E. Bach
Sonata may be in the relatively bright key of A minor
yet its inherent warmth, grace and charm are most welcome after
the extremes of Solo III. The Poco adagio is wonderfully
fluid, the trills despatched with ease yet without any false
sense of virtuosity. That really is the essence of Bezaly’s
playing; it may be highly polished but it always conveys a modicum
of feeling.
If anything the
first Allegro is even more impressive, Bezaly capturing
a real sense of the music’s vaulting architecture. She produces
cascade after cascade of sound and it’s only in the final movement
that one yearns for a less glitter and more invention. No matter,
it’s assured playing that should please most listeners; that
said, some may find Bezaly’s rich, generously proportioned
approach a touch too Romantic for their tastes.
No quibbles about
Arnold’s delightful miniature – it lasts less than five
minutes – with its mixture of introspection and cheerful virtuosity.
Again I was struck by the soloist’s remarkable breath control
and evenness of tone, especially in the flute’s upper reaches
The Dutch composer Jurriaan Andriessen’s Pastorale d'été
is even shorter, yet it’s a thoroughly engaging work, brimming
with Arcadian warmth and geniality.
Although French
composer-conductor Eugène Bozza’s Image pour flûte seul
has a strong improvisatory feel it surely drinks from the same
well as Debussy, recalling the latter’s Images and, especially,
L'Après-midi d'un faune. Its dreamy languor
is certainly a world away from the Baroque symmetry of the Bach
Partita, whose opening Allemande is beautifully
shaped and scaled – in every sense of the word – the Corrente
bright-eyed and fleet of foot. The Sarabande has a touch
of ague, perhaps – but not too much – and while the filigreed
Bourrèe Anglaise isn’t exactly boisterous it darts and
flits around the church to great effect.
The collection ends
with Berio’s Sequenza I, still sounding unremittingly
‘modern’ after 50 years. Bezaly tackles the music’s fragmented
phrases and extremes with customary aplomb. Even those who fight
shy of new music in general –or Berio in particular – will surely
find much to savour here, not least Berio’s wide range of colours
and textures.
Bezaly fans know
what to expect from her, but newbies are in for a treat. I tend
to prefer her as a more substantial main course – she is superb
in Aho’s Flute Concerto – but this collection is as good
an entrée to her art as any.
Dan Morgan
see also Review
by John Quinn
Sharon Bezaly
(flute) 
