David LAMPEL (b.1959)
String Quartet (2002) [10:31]
Piano Sonata [6:24]
String Sextet (2002) [10:01]
Violin Sonata (2005) [9:24]
Prelude and Chaconne, Homage to Bach (2005) [8:19]
Parissi Quartet (Arnaud Vallin, Jean-Michel Berette (violin), Dominique Lobet
(viola) and Jean-Philippe Martignioni (cello)), Sébastien Risler (piano),
Uppsala Chamber Soloists, Régis Pasquier (violin), Emmanuel Strosser
(piano), Henri Demarquette (cello)
rec. October 2005, Ivry Auditorium (Quartet), December 2005 and March 2006,
Studio de Meudon (Violin Sonata and Piano Sonata), December 2004, Giresta Church
Sweden (Sextet), February 2006, L'église du bon secours, Paris (Prelude
and Chaconne). DDD
NAXOS 8.572106 [47:56]
David Lampel is a young Swedish composer who writes in a straightforward, tonal
style, which encompasses tunes and accepted harmonic progressions. And there,
in one sentence, is the whole problem with the music on this disk. There is
nothing here to set Lake Mälaren on fire.
It is only fair that I explain. This music is lovely, in the same way that
Ravel’s music is lovely, for it contains luscious harmonies, satisfactory
and satisfying chord progressions and tunes which are quite memorable. However,
it is not in the same class as Ravel’s music and, when put side by side
with such an influence, I am sorry to say that Lampel’s music is found
wanting. The String Quartet starts most arrestingly, but almost totally
derivatively, and it fills its ten minutes quite nicely, even if there isn’t
sufficient material to really engage ones attention for the alloted timespan.
The Piano Sonata, however, is a different matter, for it is, according
to the composer, “… a game of hide and seek with the classical
form, a game which I play in all the works on the disc”. Playing games
with forms, and thus with our perceptions of form, is all well and good, but
a musical composition stands or falls, initially, by its material not by what
the composer does with it. Therefore, this somewhat grey and overly sombre
affair does not work due to the material being too easily forgettable and there
being little of substance to hold the interest.
The String Sextet pays homage to Verklärte Nacht and, again,
has a corrupted classical form. Here the voice is of fin de siècle Vienna,
and, in a blindfold test, you’d be hard pushed to guess that this work
wasn’t an original from that period rather than something which feels
rather like a pastiche from a century later. Certainly Lampel has the right
feel for this language, but not for convincing material nor the working out
of it.
The Violin Sonata has much more in its favour for it is a gritty and
powerful work, demanding much from both player and listener. It is pleasantly
devoid of overt outside influence. It reminds me of a couple of pieces but
I doubt that Lampel would ever have heard the works I have in mind - Douglas
Lilburn’s superb Violin Sonata, for instance. Most impressive
is the march which accounts for much of the development in the piece. The ending
is magnificently surprising.
The Prelude and Chaconne, Homage to Bach for solo cello, is surprisingly
well written and has much to commend it. This is an intelligently conceived
and cogently argued, solo line which never outstays its welcome - an easy thing
to do when writing for a solo stringed instrument. It actually leaves one wanting
more.
All the performances are, I am sure, of the highest quality, for there is a
feeling of strong advocacy in the playing. The recordings, which derive from
several different sources, are uniformly clear and bright. If only I could
say that all the music here was worth the effort but I really don’t feel
that it is. The last two pieces are well worth investigating. The first three
seem negligible for the composer is playing games and not composing music.
But you pays your money and you takes your chance. I’d hate you to miss
the Violin Sonata but is it worth paying the full price just for this
one work? With my hand on my heart I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this disk
for the reasons cited.
Bob Briggs