Peter Drew
Symphony No. 1 “Reminiscence”
Zagreb Symphony Orchestra/Ivan Josip Skender
rec. 2022, Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Zagreb, Croatia
NAVONA RECORDS NV6441 [31]
As far as I can discover, this is only to be released digitally (though I was sent a disc copy). I read recently a justification for the relatively high price of short-duration discs. It is expensive to assemble an orchestra, pay them, pay for rehearsal and recording venues, and so on. The costs are not dissimilar to those for longer recordings. It is a valid argument. Still, one may feel short-changed by what lasts a smidgeon over 30 minutes – and hope the music is worth the investment. Thankfully it is very much the case here.
Peter Drew is active in both classical and jazz composition. He writes on the single-page insert that the symphony was inspired by the various musical influences from his life. He calls it a pastiche, and lists the specific influences. He attributes the first movement, Journey, to the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos via The Little Train of the Caipira, and to the haunting strains of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France (presumably in Canteloube’s version). One can actually hear echoes of that little train which gradually picks up speed as it wends it way along its route, and a musical painting of the Brazilian countryside. Suddenly we do indeed seem transported to France and to long vistas of wild-flower meadows and uplands, where cows calmly chew. The reminders of the Brazil, interwoven into the French canvas, make for an interesting combination of folk sounds.
The feeling is grand as we come to the second movement. Pictures in an Album refer to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. In another interesting juxtaposition, traces of Aaron Copland’s American sound, via echoes of Rodeo, impinge on the promenade.
Bach to Bach, the third movement, includes Miklós Rózsa’s liking for strident brass against a background of Bach’s fugues. The Bach references are clear but I was not so aware of Rózsa’s influence, even if I am a great fan of his music. The Return, the fourth movement, takes us back to the original theme. A propulsive and persistent recapitulation of Southern France and Brazil rounds off a fascinating excursion through the composer’s musical influences.
All in all, there is a sweep that brings to mind a great deal of film music, though there is more of a concert feel. I am sure the composer would be the first to admit it is not ‘great’ music, but it is a very satisfying listen. There are moments of grandeur that do his influences good service.
Steve Arloff
