Martin: Petite symphonie concertante; In Terra Pax

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Music reviews of Martin: Petite symphonie concertante; In Terra Pax

Music Review: Martin's Best Works on One CD
Rating: 5 Stars

Martin is a fascinating amalgam of influences. On the surface his music seems perched between the French neoclassicists and the Viennese School. The melos of the works is steeped in a densely chromatic style with considerable debt to 12 tone music, and yet the harmonic world is often triadic, and almost always tonal. And Martin has an ear for sonority that is distinctly French. But under these surface influences lies a much deeper connection with Bach, Haydn and Mozart. Martin is perhaps one of the most classic of neo-classicists. And he wears his influence proudly without ever sounding tired or derivative.

The Concerto for Seven Instruments, Percussion and Strings is a modern take on the concerto grosso and as such shows its baroque roots rather well. The first movement is tense, the second sustained and lyrical and the work builds to an exciting conclusion. The string etudes are equally fine, though not particularly deeply moving. The Petite Symphonie Concertante is the stunner of this group. Written for strings with a continuo of piano, harp and harpsichord, the piece sounds like a modernization of the Fifth Brandenburg. Martin's orchestral ear is marvelous in the piece. Particularly stunning is the deeply felt slow movement. Melodies are exposed by each of the continuo instruments while being accompanied by strummed triads on one of the other instruments. The movement builds beautifully and finds ultimate release in the driving finale.

The Violin concerto is a wonderful work as well. It features a dark and lugubrious first movement, another shining slow movement, and a virtuoso finale. The final work on the disc, In Terra Pax, was written to celebrate the secession of hostilities after the Second World War. The texts consist of prophetic passages from the Old Testament which transition to uplifting, hopeful New Testament passages. It is a wonderful choral work and deserves a place in the repertoire.

Performance and sound on this CD is excellent. Ansermet was the composer's chief support and champion so the interpretations have the ring of authority. And at a twofer price, this should be a no-brain decision. Martin's music is modern and rigorous, but without tears. A highly recommended disc.

General CDs

• Styles > Classical
• Featured Composers, A-Z > ( M ) > Martin, Frank
• Forms & Genres > Concertos > General
• Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General Modern
• Instruments > Strings > Violin
• Opera & Vocal > General
• Oratorios
• Vocal Non-Opera > Oratorios