Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for review. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019

Latest Posts

Ernst Pepping and Allan Pettersson: Moral Dilemmas in Symphonic Music
"The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and... "
Tell the Birds
Soundtrack to an Apocalypse
Feast Your Ears: New Music for Piano
Gone For Foreign
Fred Lerdahl: Time After Time
Nothing Sacred
Two From Wayne Horvitz
Two Fresh Cantaloupes

Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for our Editor's Pick's of the month. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019


Archives
Saturday, December 18, 2004 Saturday, December 25, 2004 Friday, December 31, 2004 Wednesday, January 05, 2005 Monday, January 10, 2005 Thursday, January 13, 2005 Thursday, January 20, 2005 Sunday, January 23, 2005 Monday, January 24, 2005 Saturday, January 29, 2005 Wednesday, February 02, 2005 Thursday, February 03, 2005 Monday, February 07, 2005 Tuesday, February 08, 2005 Friday, February 11, 2005 Monday, February 14, 2005 Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Monday, February 28, 2005 Sunday, March 06, 2005 Monday, March 07, 2005 Wednesday, March 09, 2005 Sunday, March 13, 2005 Friday, March 18, 2005 Monday, March 28, 2005 Saturday, April 02, 2005 Monday, April 11, 2005 Sunday, April 17, 2005 Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Monday, April 25, 2005 Monday, May 02, 2005 Monday, May 09, 2005 Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Tuesday, May 31, 2005 Monday, June 06, 2005 Thursday, June 16, 2005 Sunday, June 19, 2005 Sunday, July 10, 2005 Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Sunday, July 24, 2005 Friday, July 29, 2005 Monday, August 08, 2005 Monday, August 22, 2005 Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Friday, September 16, 2005 Sunday, September 25, 2005 Tuesday, October 04, 2005 Tuesday, October 18, 2005 Monday, October 24, 2005 Tuesday, November 01, 2005 Monday, November 07, 2005 Saturday, November 12, 2005 Wednesday, November 16, 2005 Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Friday, December 16, 2005 Monday, January 09, 2006 Thursday, January 12, 2006 Thursday, January 19, 2006 Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Thursday, February 02, 2006 Monday, February 13, 2006 Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Wednesday, March 01, 2006 Sunday, March 19, 2006 Sunday, March 26, 2006 Friday, March 31, 2006 Sunday, April 09, 2006 Monday, April 10, 2006 Thursday, April 20, 2006 Friday, April 21, 2006 Thursday, May 11, 2006 Thursday, May 18, 2006 Saturday, May 20, 2006 Friday, June 02, 2006 Tuesday, June 06, 2006 Friday, June 16, 2006 Monday, June 19, 2006 Sunday, June 25, 2006 Monday, June 26, 2006 Monday, July 10, 2006 Thursday, July 13, 2006 Thursday, July 20, 2006 Friday, July 21, 2006 Sunday, July 23, 2006 Thursday, August 03, 2006 Wednesday, August 09, 2006


Powered by Blogger

Sunday, March 06, 2005
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Wing on Wing
Esa-Pekka Salonen has of late been stepping out of his own shadow of world-class conductor of the LA Philharmonic and guest conductor of orchestras around the world and emerging as Esa-Pekka Salonen, the composer. By his account, Salonen’s conducting came as a by- product of his composing – a tool with which to conduct his own works (a means to better their chances of performance) – but he excelled at conducting and it gradually subsumed his time to compose and became, up until recently, the skill most people have associated with his name. This is a paradigm that is in the process of changing. Salonen has recorded two volumes of orchestral works in the last three years or so, one for Sony and one for Deutsche Grammophon. The works therein present a knowledge, maturity and creativity of orchestration and composition that is capturing the attention and imagination of a growing audience.

This latest collection of Salonen’s work is entitled "Wing On Wing and features three formidable, extended orchestral pieces; "Foreign Bodies", "Wing on Wing" and "Insomnia," recorded by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Salonen conducting. The CD opens with “Foreign Bodies” a work in three segments. In the first segment, “Body Language”, a powerful motive, one that could burst through concrete, is introduced in the opening measures. Its force mellows into springy descending sequences. Kinetic energy and the movement of bodies join; here and there, a tip of the hat to Stravinsky and even a fleeting gesture of Petrouchka. But Salonen’s syncopation and swing, even sensibilities of rock and fusion are of an evolved extended language. He uses the orchestral palate in vast depth, dynamics and detail. Body Language amazingly dissolves and resolves into the second part, “Language”, a shimmering and pulsating adagio current. A dream of images and imagination. The final part is “Dance”.

"Wing on Wing," the title track written in 2004 as a homage to the new Walt Disney concert hall home now to the LA Philharmonic and Salonen and its architect, Frank O. Gehry, opens with a beautiful post-impressionist chord sequence; a primordial undulation in which two Siren voices, sopranos Anu and Piia Kommsi, emerge with rapturous melody and harmony. The piece is a journey back in time; "...go to the beginning," a voice says. There are some incredibly alluring and sensual passages in this piece. The only complaint I have with the whole of the CD comes at the expense of (the end of) Wing on Wing. It starts and evolves so organically, weaving together voice and orchestral timbres, then builds and evolves and captures us but it’s unrelenting percussion and brass crescendos at the end are a questionable reward for our attentiveness for over 25 minutes. I felt that to give us a little less would have gotten the point across just as well, possibly better. It’s a small complaint though for what is overall a beautiful journey.

I don’t want to say too much about Insomnia. It is yours to experience. I have listened to it several times and each time it’s a new revelation.

Esa-Pekka Salonen is a composer forging an exciting language and direction, accessible to all listeners. It’s nice to hear contemporary orchestral music with so much color, depth and texture. But it’s also the compositional focus joined with his performance skills that gives this music its verve and makes it truly, uniquely Salonen’s.

Also See Jerry Zinzer’s review of Esa-Pekka Salonen "Last Night in LA" Saturday, February 26, 2005

 



Search WWWSearch www.sequenza21.com