Philip GLASS (b. 1937)
Violin Concerto No. 2 “American Four Seasons” (2009) [42:29]
Sonata for Violin and Piano (2008) [19:49]
Piotr Pławner (violin)
Annika Guy (synthesizer), Gerardo Vila (piano)
Berner Kammerorchester/Philippe Bach
rec. 2018, Yehudi Menuhin Forum, Bern, Switzerland
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559865 [62:27]
Philip Glass’s 2009 Second Violin Concerto is nearly twice as long as his 1987 First (42:29 here compared with 24:43 listed on the Naxos version with Adele Anthony as soloist). One can clearly say that Glass has thus taken on a more epic vision in his second effort in the genre, for not only is the length nearly double, but the emotional and expressive scope has deepened.
The work, scored for violin, strings and synthesizer, has eight different sections, each tracked separately on this CD. There are four main movements, each preceded by a brief violin solo. The first solo is called “Prologue”, and the other three are named “Song” and numbered in order. Frank K. DeWald’s album notes are most informative. They tell us that the work was suggested to the composer by violinist Robert McDuffie, who proposed the idea of an “American Four Seasons”, a counterpart to Vivaldi’s famous four concertos from his Op. 8 set of twelve. DeWald goes on to point out various similarities in the concerto to Baroque music, and thus to the Four Seasons – its scoring, structure, and harpsichord-like sound of the synthesizer – but he says: “there is no mistaking Glass for Vivaldi”.
Upon first hearing I did notice Baroque features in the violin solo movements but, except for the synthesizer writing, not to any notable extent in the four main movements, which struck me mostly as pure Glass. Thus, I could not make a strong association with either Vivaldi or the seasons of the year. As I listened further, I suppose I might hear the four main movements of Glass’s concerto as depictions of the seasons or at least of the moods which their weather conjures. Ultimately, though, I still hear this music as a more objective expression, akin to the nebulous kind of feelings, ideas or impressions that other concert music can invoke. In the album notes, mention is made that while Vivaldi specifies which season is being depicted by accompanying each of the four works with a poem, Glass offers no such help, but suggests that listeners will have to make identification themselves.
The first movement is lively, driven, very busy and mostly optimistic. The haunting second movement, the longest of the four, exhibits a profound and unsettling dark manner. Its flowing lyrical theme has a mixture of sometimes contradictory emotional and psychological qualities: sadness, obsessiveness, anxiety, tension, regret and serenity. I could cite more properties that come to mind, but suffice it to say that the result is great music – music of passion and feeling, music that stands out. The third movement is anxious and tempestuous, sometimes wild in its manic energy and motoric drive, only running out of steam near the very end. The finale is barely more contained, for while it also begins in a stormy and driven manner, its music is more emphatic and weightier. Midway through, it divulges moments of reflection before the drive takes back over and steers the music toward a thrilling and energetic conclusion. The four solos for violin preceding each movement are well conceived, often elegant pieces that may be regarded as cadenzas but of a measured, thoughtful character. Overall, this is a fine concerto, and the second movement is particularly outstanding.
Piotr Pławner, first-prize winner of several important competitions, including the 1995 Munich-based ARD Competition, performs brilliantly throughout. He seems to lack nothing in his impressive arsenal of violinistic skills, meeting every demand of this very challenging concerto with apparent ease. He is abetted most admirably by the Berner Kammerorchester under the leadership of Philippe Bach. Annika Guy turns in splendid work on the keyboard as well, and thus rounds out this vital and spirited performance. I have not heard the only other available recording of this work, which is on the Orange Mountain label, featuring Robert McDuffie with Marin Alsop leading the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It is on a full-priced CD and features only the concerto. Moreover, it may be difficult to find. All this makes the choice for Glass mavens in this concerto simple, since I can find no aspect of the performance on this Naxos CD less than excellent, including the well-balanced and vivid sound reproduction.
The 2008 Sonata for violin and piano is a somewhat more conservative piece, and the album notes make a point of this characteristic. Mention is even made of the influence of Fauré in the second movement. True, harmonies divulge more than a whiff of post-Romantic-era styles in that middle of the three movements. Still, Glass’s identity in the outer panels is never really in doubt as his rhythmic and melodic fingerprints are clearly present. The first movement has a blustery and anxious character, ultimately coming across as somewhat dark. It is followed by a dreamy and warmly lyrical second panel, which – while looking backward – shows that composers often mellow with age, as evidenced by Prokofiev and Bartók, among others. The finale is a brilliant and colorful display piece, quite challenging for the performers, and quite breathlessly paced.
Again, Pławner turns in a superb performance. His tempi, dynamics and accenting display his subtle interpretive instincts and technical finesse. Pianist Gerardo Vila accompanies him quite admirably in the challenging piano part. The Naxos sound reproduction is again fine, though you may want to turn the volume down a bit, as the performers are aggressively miked. While there are two other recordings of this work available, which I have not heard, it would be hard to imagine either would be significantly better. Moreover, they both contain a mixture of works by other composers. So, for Glass enthusiasts and those interested in music from the 21st century, this is a high-priority disc of masterly and quite appealing music.
Robert Cummings
