Mandolinist Daniel Ahlert and guitarist Birgit Schwab are a
superb duo who have been playing together for twenty years.
Many of the works included on this recording were written for
this partnership. Their level of technique and musicianship
is highly assured throughout this recital devoted to American
contemporary music. The music is only contemporary in that the
majority of the programme was composed this century. There’s
nothing contemporary about the actual musical style of any of
the pieces - it’s all tonal and quite attractive but there’s
nothing thorny or, to be frank, ground-breaking and innovative.
In reality the style is more popular than contemporary so don’t
expect any Webern or Boulez.
Personally this is the sort of CD that I would only dip into
occasionally. I find it all rather tiring on the ear for two
reasons. First of all there is very little dynamic contrast
to be heard. Secondly, the timbre of the instruments and the
absence of a sustained singing tone get monotonous after a while.
This is a criticism of the instrumentation and not of the musicianship.
I’m sure that mandolin and guitar aficionados will be
bowled over by the standard of performance achieved here.
Tom Febonio’s Water Ballads is a suite of five
short movements with a charming, almost childlike simplicity.
This is pleasant, tuneful music and it’s very easy on
the ear. The Fates and Strange Attractor are well
crafted with interesting rhythmic antiphonal effects between
the instruments. The stereo separation on the excellent Naxos
recording allows this interplay to come over with good effect.
Mercurials is a set of four short studies with contrasting
moods but with a somewhat thin and limited musical content.
It sounds fun to play but not particularly interesting to listen
to. The Sonata by Mark Delpriora is in two contrasting
movements, one slow and melancholic, the other lively and -
to quote the composer - giddy, inspired as it was by lizards
hopping from rock to rock in Italy. Giddy it may be but it certainly
has a good forward momentum to it and it is, after Water
Ballads, probably the best work on the disc. Daimonelix
was inspired by rock formations found in a remote region of
Nebraska. The music is a gentle, hushed rumination. The work
captures the hushed serenity of the landscape and on that basis
it can be deemed a successful nature portrait. Maybe it outstays
its welcome, running as it does for eight minutes. It would
be interesting to hear an orchestral transcription. The instrumentation
is, as with many of the pieces in the recital, a handicap with
the inherent lack of contrast and dynamic. Indigo Trails
covers much the same ground as Daimonelix
despite the claims of the composer that the music is inspired
by popular electronic rock and Middle Eastern music. As with
everything else on the disc it is brilliantly played.
John Whitmore
Daniel Ahlert (mandolin)