Thomas ADÈS (b. 1971)
America: A Prophecy Op. 19 for mezzo and orchestra (1999) [15.39]
Susan Bickley (mezzo)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Thomas Adès
The Fayrfax carol (1997) [4.02]
Fool's Rhymes Op. 5 (1992) [4.14]
January Writ (1999) [6.14]
Polyphony/Stephen Layton
The Lover in Winter (1989) [5.40]
Robin Blaze (counter-tenor); Huw Watkins (piano)
Cardiac Arrest (1995) [2.39]
Les Baricades mistérieuses (1995) [2.43]
Life Story Op. 8 (1993)* [7.56]
*Claron McFadden (soprano)
The Composer’s Ensemble/Adés
Brahms Op.21 (2001) [5.40]
Christopher Maltman (baritone)
rec. no details supplied
EMI CLASSICS 0272012 [59.38]
If you have not yet picked up on the music of Thomas Adès then this compilation
is a good place from which to start. It affords you a contrasting cross-section
of his work demonstrating what the back of the disc describes as his “unquiet
brilliance and uncompromising vigour”.
The CD has small-scale pieces as well as the vast America: A Prophecy which
I shall discuss now as it takes up the first two tracks. The text, in English
and Spanish, which sadly is not printed in the booklet, is from the Chilam
Balam and from an ensalada, La Guerra, composed by the 16th
century Spanish composer Mateo Flecha. It falls into two sections and was
written for Kurt Masur to mark the Millennium. The Maya Indians were savagely
brought into the western world by the violence of the conquistadors just at
the time Flecha was composing for the Spanish court. The sound-world is typically
original, using at first just a few rotating notes, sometimes, for example
when the choir enter it is tonal even modal as Paul Griffiths’ booklet notes
sensibly mention. Elsewhere it is freely polytonal and rich in its eclecticism.
The overall impact is profound. There is a strong message and the music makes
a tough impression taking no prisoners.
It is followed by the gently limping lullaby which constitutes the Fayrfax
carol commissioned by Kings for their carol service in 1997. Actually
the text comes from the Fayrfax manuscript ‘Ah my deir son’. It’s a deceptively
simple piece with ambiguous but beautiful harmony.
Fool’s Rhymes falls into two brief movements with some early English
texts and part of a sermon by John Donne. The voices are accompanied by percussion,
harp, piano and organ. Its tantalising skittishness is all over in less than
five minutes. Britten would have approved of this. Quite clearly Adés likes
setting words and he is able to find some startling ones. I can only repeat
that with no texts provided this must go against the spirit of the composer’s
wishes, but I will keep going. January Writ reminds me of James MacMillan;
the words too. They are from Ecclesiastes. This was another Millennium celebration
commission this time from the Inner Temple. Polyphony are superb here especially
the basses in there bottom register. The slow rotating harmony I am now recognising
as an Adés fingerprint.
The other choral work is the brief ‘O Thou, who didst with pitfall and
with gin’ a good example of Adés’ choice of extraordinarily unusual texts
and of original melodic sense.
An early work from 1989 and without opus number is the haunting ‘The Lover
in Winter’ beautifully sung by Robin Blaze accompanied with much sensitivity
by Huw Watkins. This comprises four aphoristic Latin rhymes alluding to renaissance
music and lied but with a character all its own. Quite a feat for an eighteen
year old.
The Composer’s Ensemble commissioned two arrangements from Adés, and quite
contrasting they are too. Cardiac Arrest was a rock classic of c.1982
by Chris Foreman and Cathal Smyth for the band Madness. In Adés’ arrangement
it is even more manic whereas the Couperin arrangement of Les Baricades
mistérieuses is sober and elegant and cleverly fades out like a 60s pop
EP.
I first came across Life Story - also in this form written for Composer’s
Ensemble - in a version for soprano and piano back in 1997 when it emerged
on CD sung by Mary Carewe (EMI Debut CDZ 69699 2) and thought it a masterpiece.
The present variant for two bass clarinets and double-bass is even more sleazy
and bluesy. The song has marvellous words by Tennessee Williams. It can be
thought of as a post-coital pillow chat with a night’s casual pick-up, which
possibly ends in a hotel room fire; one is left wondering. I prefer the sexy
and suggestive Carewe who really gets inside the text. On the other hand I
really like the slimy clarinets, so you should track down both versions.
Bearing in mind Adés’ love of setting quirky texts try the last track, Brahms
commissioned for Alfred Brendel’s 70th birthday and setting a text in German
which Brendel had produced. What it’s all
about I can’t tell you but the music manages almost, but not quite to quote
Brahms while at the same time managing to sound like a missing piece of Wozzeck.
Quite clever and fascinating.
At the end of the CD I still felt like shouting out “Will the real Thomas
Adés please stand up?”
Gary Higginson
At the end of the CD I felt like shouting out “Will the real Thomas Adés please stand up?”