Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Three Reviews.

Songs of My Affinities - Phillip Schroeder

Phillip Schroeder (b. 1956) currently teaches composition and theory at Henderson State University in Arkansas. He studied composition with Barney Childs, Larry Solomon, Michael Schelle, Thomas Hanson and Frank Wiley. His compositional output includes orchestral, chamber and live electronic works. His Eight Songs on Poems by Ogden Nash is a delightful and witty setting of Nash’s clever animal poems. Schroeder has set the texts for baritone, piano, clarinet, percussion and cello; each movement is a brief, concise and very humorous setting. Spirits of the Dead for baritone and piano is a highly introspective setting of five short texts by Edgar Allan Poe. Spirits is a pensive and brooding piece, (which Schroeder seems to do so well.) Songs of My Affinities is a setting of five texts by Walt Whitman. It may be an unfair comparison but Songs of My Affinities reminds me of an early Elliott Carter setting of Three Poems of Robert Frost. Both works are very straightforward works that are striking and beautiful. The Infinite in Repose is a meditative aria for baritone voice with a gradually evolving synthesizer accompaniment.
The performers: baritone Robert Best, clarinetist Steven Becraft, cellist Stephen Feldman, percussionist Rick Dimond, pianist Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi, and Philip Schroeder on synthesizer. The performances on this recording are first-rate. Check out the music of Phillip Schroeder if you haven’t already.

Works for Cello and Piano - Niels Viggo Bentzon

Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000) is a descendant of two of Denmark’s greatest musical families, Bentzon and Hartmann. He was a tremendously prolific composer with over 650 works to his credit. The three works on this recording span a period of thirty years from post-war 1947 to his later neo-classical period of 1977. The first work, Variations on “The Volga Boatman” is a massive work for solo cello composed in 1977; it is the latest work on the recording. There are moments of wonderful virtuosity but the work runs a little over twenty-two minutes; it seems a bit long winded. Sonata No.3 for Cello and Piano op. 268 (1971) is a delightful neo-classical work. It is an energetic piece that challenges the performers and listening with many different changes in character. Sonata for Cello and Piano op. 43 is a youthful endeavor into writing for this combination. Cellist Niels Ullner and pianist Rosalind Bevan give superb performances and this is a good starting place for listeners unfamiliar with the music of Niels Bentzon.

Complete Symphonies - Humphrey Searle

British serialist composer Humphrey Searle (1915-1982) is not very well known outside of his Britain, which is a shame. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alun Francis, gives performances of His Symphonies 1 - 5 and his Night Music op.2 and Overture to a Drama op.17 on this two-disc set. Searle was mostly a self taught composer although he did study under Anton Webern for a short while. His music seems to owe much more to Berg than Webern. The five symphonies were written within a span of twelve years and are considered to be Searle’s greatest works. The symphonies whether it is the contrapuntally exhilarating First Symphony or the daring Fifth Symphony these works will please the most listener. Night Music op.2 is a wonderful reflective work dedicated to his teacher Anton Webern on the occasion of his 60th birthday. This collection is a brilliant view into the works of a great but little known British composer.

posted by Everette Minchew 4:41 PM