Symphonic Works: Volume 7
Sinfonia di Sfere (Symphony of the Spheres) - Symphony No. 5 (1974/75) [32:43] Bassoon Concerto for small orchestra (1985) [20:39]
Love Song for mezzo-soprano and string orchestra (1976, arr. 1991) [4:24]
Landscape for string orchestra (1962, rev. 1965) [8:50]
Michael von Schönermark (bassoon); Sarah van der Kemp (mezzo)
Konzerthausorchester Berlin/Łukasz Borowicz; Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Łukasz Borowicz (Landscape)
rec. 26-28 October, 21 December 2010, Konzerthaus, Berlin, Germany; 26 June 2009, Lutosławski Concert Studio, Polish Radio, Warsaw, Poland (Landscape)
CPO 777 686-2 [67:13]
Following this outstanding Andrzej Panufnik series of Symphonic
Works on CPO has provided real rewards. Gratifyingly in 2014,
the centenary year of Panufnik, I can report that this seventh
volume has maintained the elevated quality achieved in the earlier
volumes - see below.
Of all the composers active in the late-twentieth century, for
my money, Panufnik was one of the finest and certainly one of
the most enduringly fascinating. From him flowed a stream of original
and wonderfully absorbing and accessible music that both stimulates
the head and delights the heart.
In the last couple of years I have had the good fortune to attend
concerts by the marvellous Konzerthausorchester at the beautiful
Konzerthaus with its striking interior design and splendid acoustics.
Three of the four scores here recorded there. For Landscape
Borowicz took his baton to Warsaw to partner the Polish Radio
Symphony Orchestra at the studios of Polish Radio.
The opening work is the Sinfonia di Sfere (Symphony of
the Spheres) - Symphony No.5 written in 1974-75. It was
premiered in 1976 by the London Symphony Orchestra under David
Atherton at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Panufnik described
it as “an abstract work, a musical structure influenced
by the beauty and mystery of geometry.” He stressed that
the work had nothing to do with “the philosophy of Pythagoras
nor with astrology”. It was the theory of spheres that gave
him a double stimulus “first the most essential, spheres
of contemplative thoughts and emotions; and the secondary aspect,
a group of spheres as a geometric figure which acts as a framework
enclosing meticulously organised musical material.” Yes,
it all sounds rather off-puttingly technical and theoretical but
don’t be alarmed this is music that can certainly be enjoyed
without bothering too much about compositional structures. Indexed
here in nine sections the symphony establishes a generally austere
landscape. This is relieved by divergent energetic and hammeringly
percussive rhythms often brassy with suggestions of a jazzy flavour.
There are some magical episodes and these have real and memorable
appeal.
Over his long career Panufnik wrote a number of works for solo
instruments and orchestra including concertos each for piano,
cello and violin. Composed in 1985 the five movement Concerto
for bassoon and small orchestra was introduced in 1986 in
Milwaukee, USA with soloist Robert Thompson and the Milwaukee
Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer. Panufnik commenced
work on the score around the time of the news from his Polish
homeland of the torture and murder of Catholic priest Father Jerzy
Popieluszko by the secret police. Panufnik considered the Bassoon
Concerto as a memorial to the martyrdom of Father Popieluszko.
Designed in five sections with a twelve minute long fourth section
titled Aria the swiftly shifting and starkly contrasting
moods are typical of the composer. The bassoon soloist Michael
von Schönermark relishes the Panufnik’s challenges
playing throughout with impressive control and agility.
From 1976, a time when the composer was reading a lot of poetry,
he was inspired to write the short ‘Love Song’
for mezzo-soprano and piano, a setting of text from ‘Just
Exchange’ a witty 16th century love poem by Sir Philip
Sidney (1554-1586). In 1919 during the last days of his life Panufnik
arranged this for mezzo-soprano and strings. This version was
introduced the next year by the British mezzo Meriel Dickinson
with the chamber orchestra London Musici directed by Mark Stephenson
at the Wellington Museum, London.
The final work is ‘Landscape’ for string
orchestra. Panufnik composed this in 1962 and revised it
later in 1965. It was Panufnik who conducted the English Chamber
Orchestra at the first performance in 1965 at Twickenham Parish
Church, London. Described by the composer as an “atmospheric
interlude” for string orchestra it could be classed as a
companion to the contemporaneous Autumn Music.
The playing throughout is fresh, attractive and well prepared.
The booklet notes are up to the CPO’s usual high standard.
Excellent sound quality too, clear and especially well balanced.
Michael Cookson
Reviews of other releases in this series
| Volumes 1-3 | Volume 4 | Volume 5 | Volume 6 |
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