The Etcetera label now has a healthy selection of choices for
Simeon Ten Holt’s elegantly minimalist Canto Ostinato.
The best known is probably the four
piano version recorded by Gerard Bouwhuis, Gene Carl, Arielle
Vernède, Cees van Zeeland, which made a big impact on
the Dutch classical charts in the late 1980s. There is also a two
piano version which I haven’t heard, but I can seriously
recommend the version included on a usefully comprehensive Brilliant
Classics 11 CD box, Cat. 7795, with the ‘Complete Multiple
Piano Works’ played by Irene Russo, Fred Oldenburg, and
Sandra and Jeroen van Veen.
As has been commented elsewhere, the disadvantage of many of
these recordings is that they are spread over more than one disc,
so the continuity of the music is invariably disturbed at some
point. With Assia Cunego we get a ‘free rendering’ of
the piece which fits neatly onto one CD. The score consists of
relatively few bars of music which are repeated and layered,
creating shifting harmonic and rhythmic patterns and relationships
over the Ostinato of the title. This means that, with
fewer repetitions and taking away the transitions which shift
material between instruments, the music is more compact, though
by no means compressed. The mesmeric qualities of the music transfer
beautifully to a single harp, enhancing the lyrical nature of
the basic material, giving it a softer feel, while at the same
time preserving the sense of overlap through the natural sustain
of the strings of the harp and its own inner resonance. While
this music invites a generally gentle playing style on the piano,
there is no denying he essentially percussive nature of the instrument.
One of the strengths of the harp in this regard is that the sound
can grow out of silence. I wondered if my CD player or amplifier
was on the blink at the start of the disc. The dynamics on this
recording range through really quiet playing on to quite
powerful sounds - all however still with that fine, rounded resonance
which always preserves a feeling of ethereal wonder in the essential
nature of the harp. The wide dynamic undulations which provide
a sense of contrast through the recording generate that sense
of climax and repose which is a part of the piece, and the movement
though the ranges of the instrument - low to high, rich to sparkling,
tease the ear with a constant flow of dreamy delicacy. There
are some moments of real magic, and to my ears these often come
from the mild dissonances and extended moments of almost-not
quite-almost-there resolution. Track 5, Sections 56-73 up to
about the 6th minute is a case in point: the interval
of a minor second being introduced and taking on a constantly
changing power and significance as the harmonies rise to meet
its minor key cadence. The final sections of that particular
track could be numerous guitars, as the harmonies take on a deeper,
distinctly Andalucian feel. Having thus had our aural hormones
set vibrating, track 6 finally introduces the melodic theme around
which the entire piece ultimately orbits. If you hadn’t
fallen in love with the piece already then you are guaranteed
to melt like a sorbet in sunshine.
The Etcetera label is a reliable source of high quality recordings,
and this is a very nice sounding disc indeed. The resonance of
the church acoustic is just right for the music and the sound
of the harp. Anyone fascinated by the music but finding the sound
of multiple pianos hard on the ears after a while should give
this alternative a try. I have no doubt that this canny production
will soon be finding its way onto soulful and nostalgic moments
on numerous films and documentaries. With Assia Cunego’s
superbly sensitive playing it deserves any such success 100%.
Dominy Clements
Assia Cunego (harp) 
