At the outset, I should make it known that Timothy Salter was my
composition Professor at the Royal College of Music in the late 1990s.
Salter is a kind and unassuming man, with a deservedly successful
career and distinctive compositional voice.
His works demonstrate a concentrated economy of means and overall
cohesion. There is never a sense of a note too many or an overused
idea. His instincts for structure mean that the listener has a clear
sense of the trajectory of a piece throughout. Salter’s works
are crafted with care and attention to detail, and his harmonic language
is coherent and well defined.
His titles reveal the overall character of each movement. In the flute
quartet Aerial each movement - agitated, calm and exuberant
- does exactly as these titles suggest. The first is a flowing
piece which shares interweaving melodic lines in a form of instrumental
conversation. The flute is sometimes treated as a soloist and at other
times joins the strings in a sense of overall unity. The instrumental
timbres offset each other well, and the scoring demonstrates an excellent
understanding of orchestration. The balancing of the string chords
in the second movement gives a rich sonority which the flute soars
above with space and elegance. The final movement has echoes of the
first, but with more aggressive accents and a stronger rhythmic drive.
This is an extremely enjoyable piece which deserves a place in the
repertoire. I for one would be very happy to find an opportunity to
perform it.
This recording features the excellent Nephele Ensemble, who commissioned
the work. Although the overall balance is very slightly bass-heavy,
the ensemble playing is first rate, and the performers approach the
music with a commendable sense of energy and understanding. Salter’s
work is well communicated, and I was thoroughly convinced throughout.
The Piano Quartet was composed in 2006, and the strong, dissonant
opening demands attention. The second movement is much more gentle
in character, with some beautifully eerie harmonies and a developing
sense of tension. The finale reflects its title “with nervous
energy”, with the use of short fragments of agile material passed
between the ensemble, interspersed with strong accents and moving
textures. The end is almost as abrupt as the work’s opening,
and elicits a smile. The work is expertly performed here by another
talented young ensemble, this time Ensemble na Mara, which was formed
in 2003 and champions contemporary music alongside the established
repertoire.
The final work on this disc is Salter’s Second String Quartet,
written in 1983 and recorded in 1985 by the Auriol Quartet. It is
interesting to hear one of Salter’s earlier works alongside
two more recent pieces. There are clear parallels, most notably in
the use of the instruments and the harmonic language. The textures
are also similar, although the earlier work feels a little heavier
overall and one can hear Salter’s refinement of language over
time. That is not to detract from the quartet however. In a single
movement form, this piece demonstrates, as the composer describes
in the sleeve-notes, ‘a single continuous argument, controlled
by the accumulation and release of tension’. This is handled
extremely well, and the melodic ideas that arise and appear throughout
help to provide a sense of this developing trajectory. The mood-changes
are effective and at times exhilarating. Salter seems to have an instinct
for the pacing of mood which keeps the music fresh and engaging throughout.
Although the piece is nearly 11 minutes long, it felt much shorter,
and I could very happily have heard more. The Auriol provide a highly
convincing performance.
This snapshot of Salter’s compositional output demonstrates
his ability to write convincing and highly effective works for the
main chamber music instrumental combinations. All of these works deserve
their place on the concert platform. The performances here are put
together with the same care and attention to detail as the compositions
themselves, and communicate Salter’s music effectively and with
competence.
Carla Rees
Previous review (piano quartet): Jonathan Woolf
