20th Century Masterpieces for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Vol 2

 20^th Century Masterpieces for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Vol 2. Pierre Max Dubois: Concerto Italien for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Roy Harris: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Arthur Benjamin: North American Square Dance Suite for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Walter Piston: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Quincy Porter: Concerto Concertante for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Morton Gould: Dance Variations for Two Pianos and Orchestra. With Kirk Trevor/Slovak Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra; David Amos/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonic Society of Moravia  MS 1652 (2 CDs)

by Bill Heck

Huh? There are 20^th century works for two pianos and orchestra? (Never mind whether they all are masterpieces.) Who knew? Well, it seems that Joshua Pierce and Dorothy Jonas knew, as they had previously released a Volume 1 and now have moved on to Volume 2, reviewed here.

The brief but interesting program notes accompanying this 2-CD set nicely describe the confluence of factors that moved contemporary composers to write for the combination of dual pianos and orchestra at all, the factors being interest in the neo-Baroque and the revival of piano duos. The notes also hint that some of these works had to be rescued from obscurity by Jonas and Pierce (and others) – and given this sample, we can be happy that they did.

Of course, there’s little point in trying to compare the recordings here to previous efforts because there are no previous efforts, or at least none readily available in the catalogs. Fortunately the playing that I heard through the two CDs was technically secure and sympathetic to the music itself, both from the pianists and the orchestras. (In other words, don’t let the lesser known names dissuade you from listening.) Let me run through capsule summaries of these works to see what might pique your interest.

The first work on the first disc is by Pierre-Max Dubois: Concerto Italien for Two Pianos and Orchestra, and I found it an excellent place to begin: imaginative and highly listenable. The first movement is a sprightly drive (do I hear a reference to car-like physical mechanisms?) with a bit of an edge. The accompaniment from the orchestra provides a musically interesting setting for a nervous workout for the two pianos. The second movement is quite a contrast, a slow movement with an occasionally dissonant single piano, eventually joined by its colleague, all against a softly moving orchestral background. There are perhaps echoes of traditional spirituals, although the overall effect is anything but that. The third movement offers contrast again, speeding back up with occasional bursts of syncopation, all ending with a resounding major chord.

Description is tougher for the second work on the disc, the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra by Roy Harris. Sort of Celtic music meets 20th century dissonance? Harris uses the pianos in very percussive ways throughout the work, with strong rhythms abounding. A strident first movement yields to a slower, yet disturbed-sounding second. The third, faster again, contains passages that genuinely remind me of Scottish reels.

Next we have Arthur Benjamin's North American Square Dance Suite for Two Pianos and Orchestra. This work comprises a series of eight short vignettes, each, one supposes, depicting an episode at the county square dance. The titles of the movements, such as “The Old Plunk” and “The Bundle of Straw”, are in keeping with the square dance theme, but not really informative about the content of the music. Never mind that: in several of the movements, it's easy to imagine the dancers romping across the room, while others seem to focus on quieter moments that might represent the interactions of couples who will soon be whirling across the floor again. All in all, quite enjoyable.

The second disc starts with the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra by Walter Piston, this time with orchestral support from the Royal Philharmonic.  The piece opens with a couple of calls in the brasses and a jazzy riff from the pianos – and within a few measures shifts gears entirely. The strident brasses return, the pianos talk back, all with a good bit of dissonance and a sense of random direction. Interestingly, the orchestral parts are, for the most part, fairly traditional, in some cases perhaps neo-Romantic in feel. The pianos mostly play off with more dissonance against the former, resulting in some interesting contrasts; this is especially evident in the slow second movement. The third movement opens with a whack on a bass drum and proceeds energetically indeed from there along the same general lines, but the dissonances are resolved and the entire work ends with a triumphant major key flourish. If I had to choose just one word to describe this work, I think it would be “restless”. The music is searching, especially the pianos; fortunately, it gets where it needs to be in the final burst. By the way, at least for much of this composition, if I were told that the piece was written by a pupil of Shostakovich, I would be inclined to believe it.

Dorothy Jonas and Joshua Pierce

Next up is Quincy Porter’s Concerto Concertante for Two Pianos and Orchestra, this time with the Philharmonic Society of Moravia Orchestra doing the honors behind the pianos. Here I must admit that description fails me: although this composition is in the same vein as the others in this collection, I simply don't have a handle on a particular characterization that might mean anything to anyone else.

The last work on disc two is Dance Variations for Two Pianos and Orchestra by Morton Gould. Here the Royal Scottish Orchestra plays a slightly larger role and integrates with the pianos perhaps a bit better than in the other works, both musically and sonically. The first variation has a slight Mexican flavor in a cockeyed way; occasional bursts of dissonance remind us that this is indeed 20th century music, although generally it is quite tonal. The second variation continues the frivolity with a less Latin feel. In the third variation, the pianos trade notes back and forth in a slow, almost wistful picture, while the orchestra fades in and out with complimentary parts. The final variation has a nervous, high strung energy, nicely depicted especially in the orchestral parts. Of all the works on this disk, this in some ways sounds the most 20th century-ish in that certain passages sound almost random -- but somehow they aren't and we soon pull back to comfortable tonality. For me, the journey felt interesting and well worth the time and attention to follow it along.

While all of these works clearly belong to the 20th century, none tips over into any of the schools that many listeners would find obnoxious. No, you will not hear the sorts of melodic lines that you would hum in the shower, but the music is easily appreciated by even a novice classical listener.

Meanwhile, the MSR recording team has done a fine job. My minor complaint is that the pianos mostly are a little bit too forward to be quite realistic, but that’s a matter of degree, not one of those old DG jobs in which the orchestra appears about 30 feet behind the piano. Otherwise, details both soft and loud are clear and well-placed.

So where does this set fit in? I was happy to hear such novel (to me) music so well played and recorded, and I suspect that many readers of Classical Candor will be as well. Are these works, or any of them, masterpieces? We can leave that to the judgement of history: I have my favorites (and I’m not going to say which they are lest I bias your reactions), but it’s fun to have such variety. Take a listen and see what you think. Me? I’m heading off to check out Volume 1.

American Melting Pot (CD review)

Music of Alter, Barilari, Gould, Levinson, and Vazquez. David Yonan, violin; Christopher Ferrer, cello; Susan Merdinger, piano. Sheridan Music Studio.

By John J. Puccio

Concert pianist and Steinway Artist Susan Merdinger explains her rationale for the current album, “American Melting Pot,” in this way: “My goal performing, recording and compiling this ‘American Melting Pot’ CD of my live concert performances of music by American composers is to demonstrate not only my deep commitment to supporting the work of living composers of my own time, but also to demonstrate the rich and varied legacies of musical traditions that are embodied in composers who were both born in the USA as well as those who were immigrated to the USA and now call America ‘home.’ It is my hope that the true American spirit of welcoming immigrants and their assimilation into a large society which embraces diversity, inclusivity and the dissemination of ideas, both musical and otherwise, will be celebrated and exemplified in the works I have chosen for this compendium of American music.

“In these works we can hear the influences of musical styles emanating from or originating in China, Eastern and Western Europe, South America, and the USA. Indeed, American music is a fusion and integration of musical styles as our American society is indeed a ‘melting pot’ of which I am very proud to be a part. It has been my great privilege and honor to work with each of these talented and distinguished composers.”

What Ms. Merdinger doesn’t mention is that she also premiered each of the pieces presented here, and that most of the live selections on the album are those very première performances.

First up on the program is a six-movement work called Pieces of China (1985) by Pulitzer prizewinning composer Morton Gould (1913-1996). Ms. Merdinger premiered it in 1990 with the composer present, so we have to regard it as authoritative. My wife thought it sounded “like a Picasso painting,” which seems apt given the slightly askew musical portraits of Asia that Gould paints. Ms. Merdinger approaches them with her usual poise and grace, allowing her natural virtuosic talents to serve the music rather than vice versa.

Susan Merdinger

Next is the Ballade in F-sharp minor (2012) by Argentinean-born composer Fernando Vazquez (b. 1962). Although the Ballade may be a short piece (a little over six minutes), it includes a pleasing variety of textures and tunes, which Ms. Merdinger captures with her equally pleasing, sensitive, and affecting style.

After that, we have the Piano Sonata “My New Beginning” Part 1 (2018) by Aaron Alter (b. 1955), a piece the composer dedicated to Ms. Merdinger. Alter says that his inspiration for the piece was the first movement of Beethoven’s “Walstein” Sonata, Op. 53. You may recognize bits of the Beethoven, and you may also enjoy the jazz and even rock variations that Alter places on them. Ms. Merdinger easily keeps pace with the music, providing it with a poise that other interpretations may miss.

Then, there is the two-part Toccata Gaucha (2008) by Uruguayan-born composer Elbio Barilari (b. 1952). Barilari is both a classical composer and a jazz musician, and one can hear elements of both idioms in the work. It is certainly the jazziest music Ms. Merdinger plays on the program, and if she’d like to pursue a parallel career I’m sure the jazz world would welcome her.

The final piece on the agenda is Shtetl Scenes by Russian-born composer Ilya Levinson (b. 1958). It recounts scenes in a small Jewish village in pre-World War II Eastern Europe. Here, Ms. Merdinger performs the trio version of the work, accompanied by David Yonan, violin, and Christopher Ferrer, cello. The music is melancholic, dramatic, joyful, introspective, energetic, and haunting by turns. The piece itself and the trio’s realization of it afforded some of my favorite moments in the album.

Various sound engineers worked with producer Susan Merdinger at various different venues. For the Morton Gould recording it was Tim Martyn at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City in 1990. For the Fernando Vasquez piece it was Hudson Fair at the Chicago Latin Music Festival, 2013. For the Aaron Alter work it was David Hill and Svetlana Belsky at Harrison Oaks Studio, Fair Oaks, CA in 2018. For the Elbio Barilari music it was Hudson Fair again at the Pianoforte Salon in Chicago, 2013. And for the Ilya Levinson recording, it was Edward Ingold at the Northbrook Public Library, Illinois, in 2016. Various degrees of applause follow each selection.

There is a remarkable similarity of sound on the album, considering that the selections were recorded over a twenty-six year timespan. There is some evidence of possible noise reduction in the sound, resulting in a slight dimming of the highest frequencies. Nevertheless, the engineers miked things closely enough to reveal good detail yet not so close as to overpower one’s listening room. More important, the sound appears rich and mildly resonant, much as a live piano might sound.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:

Gould: American Ballads (CD review)

Also, Foster Gallery; American Salute. Theodore Kuchar, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Naxos 8.559005.

The surprise here, and a delightful one, is not that American composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist Morton Gould (1913-1996) successfully orchestrated so many fine, old American folk tunes; most people who are familiar with twentieth-century American music already know and appreciate the man and his work. No, the surprise is that a Ukrainian orchestra and a Ukrainian-American conductor could bring them off so idiomatically and with such enthusiasm and charm.

The program begins with a series of short tunes (1976) called American Ballads: the "Star-Spangled Overture" an appropriate starting point, through "Amber Waves," "Jubilio," "Memorials," "Saratoga Quickstep," and "Hymnals."

The core of the disc, however, is a collection called Foster Gallery (1939), in which Gould connects some of Stephen Foster's most memorable songs with a few of his lesser-known things in a kind of Pictures From an Exhibition layout, with variations on "Camptown Races" being the thread holding the pieces together. Some of it is achingly beautiful, like "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair"; much of it familiar, like "Swanee River," "Old Black Joe," "My Old Kentucky Home"; and some of it not so familiar, like "Canebreak Jig," "Comrades, Fill No Glass for Me," "Kitty Bell"; with a rousing finale of "Oh, Susanna." The disc concludes with the composer's arrangement of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," which Gould titled American Salute.

Theodore Kuchar

The idea of taking old tunes and renewing them symphonically is not new. People like Dvorak, Ives, Grainger, Vaughan Williams, and dozens of others did it, too. Gould uses banjos along with piccolos, harps, oboes, clarinets, trombones, tubas, percussion, and strings--lots and lots of strings--to accomplish the deed.

What's more, Theodore Kuchar and his Ukrainian players (he was still the orchestra's Principal Conductor at the time of the recording) perform all of this as though it were their own native music. Now, you might say the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine seems an unlikely ensemble to be playing American nationalistic music; but in this case they play with as much passion and spirit as any native orchestra might. Let's say, they adjust well, and there is probably a good reason why the Ukraine ensemble has recorded more music than any other orchestra of the former Soviet Union.

Then, there's the sound from this 2000 Naxos release. It projects a big, bold image to match Gould's big, bold music and Kuchar's big, jazzy music-making. Although one could hardly describe any of it as subtle, it sounds wholly appropriate.

And all for less money than you'd pay for a hamburger at McDonald's. There are few other labels that let one experiment as much as Naxos.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click on the forward arrow:

Marches in Hi-Fi (XRCD review)

Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra. JVC JM-XR24020.

I read once that Arthur Fiedler had sold more classical albums than any conductor who ever lived. I can easily believe that, considering the man lead the Boston Pops Orchestra for something like a half a century. Nevertheless, music critics always seemed to consider Fiedler something of a lightweight when it came to classical conducting, despite his enormous experience and popularity. I suppose it was the nature of the repertoire he worked with, mostly well-loved light classics like this collection of marches for orchestra.

Fiedler recorded the present album in 1958, and it has remained a perennial favorite with music listeners ever since. In fact, among the drawbacks of the JVC audiophile remastering reviewed here is that it costs well over two or three times as much as RCA's regular "Living Stereo" issue, and it does not include an additional four marches that RCA added to their mid-price CD.

Arthur Fiedler

Another drawback is that not all of the performances on the disc seem very persuasive to me. Fiedler seems at times to be rushing through them at anything but a march tempo, as though he were in a hurry to get along with yet another project and be home in time for dinner. Among the interpretations that fared pretty well for me are those of Verdi's "Grand March" from Aida, Victor Herbert's "March of the Toys" from Babes in Toyland, Sousa's "Semper Fidelis," Robert Morse's "Up the Street," and Kenneth Alford's enduring "Colonel Bogey," featured in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai.

The conductor's rather prosaic readings of a few other items, though, didn't charm me as much: "Yankee Doodle Dandy," Meredith Wilson's "76 Trombones" from The Music Man, Morton Gould's "American Salute," and George and Ira Gershwin's "Strike Up the Band," for instance.

The JVC engineers probably brought the sound up to its best possible specs through the meticulous care they lavished in their XRCD remastering process, and when it's at its best the sound is, indeed, pretty good. Bass appears solid, highs extended, and dynamics wide. But, oddly, there doesn't seem to be a lot of depth to the orchestral field, individual instruments sometimes get spotlighted and miked too close up, with a touch of congestion crowding some of the loudest passages.

In all, the whole package--the performances and the sound--comes up a somewhat mixed bag, maybe showing its weaknesses more so than some other recordings from the era.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click on the forward arrow: