Paul Moravec: Tempest Fantasy; Mood Swings; B.A.S.S. Variations; Scherzo

Paul Moravec: Tempest Fantasy; Mood Swings; B.A.S.S. Variations; Scherzo | Alexis Pia Gerlach, David Krakauer, ... | this was ok

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Paul Moravec: Temp...

	Paul Moravec: Tempest Fantasy; Mood Swings; B.A.S.S. Variations; Scherzo Alexis Pia Gerlach, David Krakauer, ... Naxos American, 2007 average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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No flavor of the month, just great music

I probably wouldn't have purchased this cd if I hadn't read Terry Teachout's arts blog, on which he recommends it highly. (He also wrote the liner notes for it; they're mostly informative and insightful, although I was annoyed by his efforts to remind us (a) that he himself was one of the few who recognized Paul Moravec's genius long ago, (b) that Moravec is his neighbor and friend.)

The point is, that in spite of having won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in music, Paul Moravec is not exactly a household name, even among many classical-music buffs. He doesn't have the "flavor of the month" status of, say, Osvaldo Golijov. Unlike a number of more prominent living Americans, he doesn't sample folk, commercial, or ethnic styles to create a sense of contemporaneity. That's all right. He doesn't need to. His music is really, really good without dropping any sonic footnotes to flamenco or James Brown or Tex-Mex or whatever.

What he does do is to create tonal, complex, engaging pieces with palpably expressive content. Wow, what a concept: well-crafted music that refers largely to itself, to its own gestures, to build a narrative framework, and which draws powerfully and without shame upon the great languages of our Western cultivated traditions -- Romanticism, Neo-classicism.

"Tempest Fantasy" is Moravec's meditation on elements from Shakespeare's play. But you don't need to know that. The music will draw you in without your having to bone up on the drama -- it's not programmatic in any reductive or literal way. Composed for piano trio (violin, cello, piano) and clarinet. Opens with a rhythmically energized, texturally rich toccata of sorts, and then proceeds to more varied sketches loosely inspired by Prospero, Caliban, etc. etc. Performed by the wonderful Trio Solisti (Maria Bachmann, vln; Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello; Jon Klibonoff, pno) and clarinetist David Krakauer, for which group it was apparently written. In any case, one cannot imagine a better performance. Krakauer, better known for his crossover klezmer-antics, adds just the right touch of fresh timbre and fluidity; he also contributes some bass-clarinet licks at one point -- immensely enjoyable. But everyone plays beautifully.

"Mood Swings" is my other favorite on this cd. It is dedicated to Trio Solisti. Moravec says the title refers "to the comprehensive range of moods and psychological states" in the music, which attempts to make audible "the workings of the central nervous system." (Rene Descartes would be proud.) Again, you don't need to know any of that to get wrapped up in this fabulous music.

A special kudo to Adam Abeshouse, who produced, engineered, and edited this recording (originally released by Arabesque in 2004). The balances, ambiance, and timbres are exquisite! It's such a pleasure to listen.

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this was ok

I first heard Tempest Fantasy performed by the 20th Century Consort in D.C. The piece intrigued me enough to buy a CD copy to listen to again. The one thing I would say is that the 20th Century Consort's performance was exceptional. I think the performance here is quite good, but not inspiring. Though it is hard for a cd to compete with a live performance so that may be unfair. I really did not like the other pieces on the cd. To be fair I've never much cared for Neo-Romanticism much. This music does skirt those boundaries stylistically, but to its credit it I would say it incorporates many other styles and ideas. This is very well written music, but not risky in any sense of the word. It is just not my cup of tea.

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