In the wake of Thalia
Myers’ fascinating and innovative three
volumes of
Spectrum for piano1&2 Spectrum
3 it was always to be hoped that
the Associated Board would eventually
be in a position to repeat the exercise
for other instruments. The fact that
this has now come to fruition is therefore
to be applauded in every way.
The lucky instrumentalists
to benefit from the latest volume are
cellists. The principle of the Spectrum
project remains the same: namely to
commission composers born or resident
in the United Kingdom to write a brief
piece of around one and a half minutes
duration. The compositions must be true
to each composer’s stylistic instincts
but suitable for performance by young
and amateur musicians. In line with
the Associated Board syllabus the pieces
are conventionally graded from 1-8 and
are designed to be introduced to the
player as and when their abilities allow.
The complete album is simply but effectively
packaged with the compact disc, allowing
players to listen whilst hopefully engaging
their own interpretative instincts.
As with the original
piano volumes the task for the composer
is no mean feat. Coming up with a fully
formed piece intended to be no more
than two sides of A4 is a challenge
in itself. Most of the composers achieve
this with a notable degree of success
although Gavin Bryars runs to over three
and a half minutes. It is interesting
to note that the large majority of pieces
are contemplative or lyrical in style,
a reaction possibly to the difficulty
in creating a satisfying whole within
the restrictions of the permitted time
parameters. The real contrasts however
come in the stylistic mix of the composers
who represent everything from unashamed
tonality and fringe minimalism via atonality
to the borders of experimentation and
extended technique; the latter from
Rebecca Saunders.
Arranged on the album
in order of difficulty, the first work
is by Indian-born Param Vir,
an enigmatic miniature that allows the
instrument to sing before subsiding
to a mysterious ending. Hilary Tann’s
touching Lullaby is one of only
two unaccompanied pieces (the other
being by Nicola Le Fanu) and
is again lyrical, introducing basic
harmonics and pizzicato in the closing
bars. Giles Swayne provides one
of the more imaginative pieces in his
entertaining Spooky Song and
successfully manages to incorporate
a wide range of moods and styles within
one and a half minutes span. John
Metcalf’s attractive Continuous
Study delights in quasi minimalist
syncopations and true to its title does
not allow the soloist one single rest
during its fleeting duration. Sally
Beamish’s Still Life is beautifully
atmospheric, the cellist’s haunting
melodic line set against florid, questioning
semi-quavers in the piano part. The
march of Rhian Samuel’s Tin
Soldier is not quite what it seems,
starting innocently but pitting soloist
against piano in irregular contrast
with some deceptively tricky triplet
rhythms for the cellist mid-way through.
Jonathan Dove’s aptly titled
Prayer-Wheel (to be played "with
quiet fervour") is a hypnotically
beautiful study in shifting quaver rhythmic
patterns. Irishman Philip Flood’s
Friday to Sunday, which the composer
describes as "a hectic rush through
the weekend", is one of the only
pieces that employs a comparatively
brisk tempo, albeit with a contrasting
lyrical passage at its centre. At eighteen
years of age, Alissa Firsova
has the distinction of being the youngest
composer represented although her background
is a notable one, being the daughter
of composers Elena Firsova and Dmitri
Smirnov. The Stonebreaker is
inspired by a painting by the Pre-Raphaelite
Henry Wallis and interestingly portrays
the composer’s Russian lineage in its
profoundly serious atmosphere. Jonathan
Cole’s deeply-felt Elegy
is a clearly personal and moving utterance
and Gavin Bryars is similarly
heartfelt in his With Miriam by the
River, a reminiscence of days
spent with his mother, an amateur cellist
whose house stood alongside the river
Ouse in Yorkshire. Steve Martland
takes the ancient dance form of the
Sarabande and weaves an expressively
singing cello line over stately piano
chords. The other-worldly sounds of
Richard Causton’s imaginative
and striking Lunar are one of
the more immediately contemporary sounding
contributions of any of the composers
represented. Nicola LeFanu’s
unaccompanied Prelude takes its
inspiration from a passage by Emily
Dickinson. Rebecca Saunders’s
deceptively and disarmingly entitled
Song employs clusters in the
piano part as well as a range of effects
for the soloist. In fitting conclusion,
Cantilena by Kenneth Hesketh
is impressively complete in its miniature
structure and beautifully realised,
the impassioned cello line being almost
Bergian in its expression and leaving
a lingering impression.
William Bruce, ably
and appropriately accompanied by Thalia
Myers, gives pleasing performances of
all sixteen works and there can be nothing
but praise for their role in advancing
the Spectrum project still further.
The musical horizons of both young and
older pianists alike must already have
been broadened considerably by the initial
three volumes of piano pieces and it
is only to be hoped that the project
will now continue for other instruments
with all possible momentum.
Christopher Thomas
William Bruce (cello) 