New Music Concerts Ensemble - Elliott Carter: 100th Anniversary Release - Mosaic, Dialogues, Enchanted Preludes, Scrivo In Vento (CD + DVD)
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Music Reviews of Elliott Carter: 100th Anniversary Release - Mosaic, Dialogues, Enchanted Preludes, Scrivo In Vento (CD + DVD)
Music Review: Highly variable in quality, but some good moments
Rating: 3 Stars
This Naxos release from 2008 celebrated Elliott Carter's 100th birthday. Early pressings included a DVD, but if you can't get one, then you aren't missing out on much as it includes only a couple of performances in TV-quality video and unimpressive sound. In this review I'll discuss only the audio CD. The pieces here are performed by various American and Canadian musicians and the soloists are Erica Goodman on harp, David Swan on piano, David Hetherington on cello, Robert Aiken on flute, Virgil Blackwell on bass clarinet and Max Christie on clarinet.
The standout pieces are two of Carter's post-millennial concertos, which in contrast to the brash, angry-sounding works of the 1960s generally feature the soloist conversing with successive instruments or duos instead of everyone at once. Although many 20th century composers have written music that seeks to overturn the stereotype of the harp as a Romantic instrument played by gentle ladies, "Mosaic" (2004) may still shock you with the aggressiveness of its solo part. "Dialogues" for piano and ensemble (2003) is a convival work, though the performance here is of such much lesser quality than that by Nicholas Hodges and the London Sinfonietta on a Bridge disc, as Robert Aiken's conducting is so clunky compared to Oliver Knussen.
The remaining pieces on the disc are short works for solo instruments or duos. Carter has written a large number of these pieces, but these are generally unmemorable. "Rhapsodic Musings" (2001) and "Riconoscenza per Goffredo Petrassi" (1984), both for solo violin are some of the rare triumphs. I've always thought this pieces just as strong an exploration of the possibilities of the instrument matched to a fine musical argument as Bach's sonatas for solo violin. Fujiko Imajishi's performance here is quite fine, but I find myself turning more often to that by Thomas Zehetmair on an ECM disc which also includes two other such pieces, Carter having put them together into a suite called "4 Lauds". "Figment" for solo cello (1994) is also quite enjoyable, a devilishly difficult piece to perform that sometimes reaches orchestral dimensions. Hetherington successfully negotiates this devilishly difficult pieces, but this recording is too closely miked for my taste and I prefer the sonics on a Naive disc where Rohan de Saram appears.
The other pieces aren't at the same quality. "Enchanted Preludes" for flute and cello (1988) is a forgettable, rather unloving dialogue. "Steep Steps" for bass clarinet (2001) meanders. "Scrivo in Vento" for flute solo (1991) is a slow piece with sudden changes of register, while "Gra" for clarinet (1994) is fast and whimsical. These all might serve well in a recital where a young performer wants to show off his talents, but they seem pretty lightweight to this home listener. Robert Aiken was the dedicatee of the pieces here for flute, so perhaps this disc might still have some attraction.
All in all, Carter's music has been better or better-performed elsewhere. Still, it's Naxos, so it's an affordable risk.
Music Review: Elliot Carter is celebrating his 100th birthday still actively composing. Naxos has released this CD with companion DVD as part
Rating: 5 Stars
Elliot Carter is celebrating his 100th birthday still actively composing. Naxos has released this CD with companion DVD as part of the celebration. As usual with Naxos the extensive giving a background of the importance of Elliot Cater in the classical music world and notes on the compositions by the composer. These are all chamber compositions. Mosaic is for solo harp and seven different instruments. It is written in the style of short mosaic tiles and is quite joyful. Servito im Vento is based on a poem by Petrarch and is quite sad for solo flute, Gra which means play in polish for solo clarinet was written for Lutoslawski to celebrate his birthday was very well performed. My personal favorite Enchanted Preludes for flute and cello which explores the differences between the two instruments is very beautiful especially at the end where the solo cello part.
Figment no, 1 for solo cello is also quite enchanting based on a single musical idea extended over six minutes. Riconoscenza for violin solo was written for the birthday of a fellow composer and it begins with joyous pizzacatos and ends on a more solemn note. Rhapsodic musings inspired by the violinist who premiered many of his works with the Julliard Quartet is the shortest piece may be the most beautiful and challenging.
Dialogues is a conversation between solo piano and eighteen different instruments is constantly changing having almost orchestral flavor at times
I was glad for the addition of the DVD which shows two pieces in live performance which helped me appreciate the challenging works even more. Elliot Carter is one of my favorite composers; it was nice to see works unfamiliar to me so well played by the New Music Concerts Ensemble. Please excuse typo I have a neuralgic disease.
Music Review: DVD Missing
Rating: 4 Stars
Fortunately the CD contains effective performances and is alone worth the price. I hoped at first it might be a hybrid disk, but no luck. Perhaps the initial release included the separate DVD while later "pressings" do not. Beware if you're buying strictly for the documentary.Music Review: No DVD
Rating: 5 Stars
Well, my cd came with no dvd. The case say`s there is a dvd enclosed, I dont find it. Maybe there is some kind of trick to it...