I have
previously reviewed another of Alexander
Blechinger's discs on the Antes Edition
imprint and what I reported then, that
his music is both entertaining and accessible,
also holds true here.
In its first movement,
the Violin Concerto manages to
combine easy-going Latin American rhythms
with more overtly European melodic material.
This includes some martial and some
more folk-derived pentatonic themes,
although the spirit of the dance lies
at its heart. I was even reminded somewhat
of Jacob Gade's famous Jalousy.
The predominantly slow(ish) second movement
wears its musical heart on its sleeve
and is more clearly related to a late-romantic
Mitteleuropa sensibility than
its predecessor. Whatever, it contrasts
strongly and effectively with the final
Allegro, which cleverly juxtaposes
some quite classically restrained passages,
which put me in mind of Beethoven and
even, occasionally, Bach, and of some
charming and tender dances derived from
more popular and folk sources. The violin
soloist neither outdoes nor is outdone
by the orchestra and the piece really
doesn't come into the "warhorse" category
at all. Blechinger clearly loves and
respects the various historical musical
lineages he draws upon and the craftsmanship
of the music is always self-evident.
One touchstone that seems to be regularly
invoked, alongside the obvious more
local Viennese and Austrian influences,
is that of American 20th
century music (Gershwin, Bernstein and
the Afro-American contingent, rather
than that of Ives or Harris, although
I would include emigré composers
like Korngold too, as possible reference
points, even our own Richard Rodney
Bennett, with his jazz/filmic hat on!).
The Piano Concerto
was recorded ten years before the
Violin Concerto but happily the sound
quality on this disc as a whole is much
more consistent (in the positive sense!)
than that on my previous review item
for this composer. Although at times
more austere than the first piece on
the disc, the Piano Concerto is just
as indebted to jazz and popular inspirations.
It is also more given to displaying
the virtuoso side of the instrument
and instrumentalist but there are many
poignant and quite beautiful moments,
especially the "song-like, lyrical interlude"
in the second movement, with some lovely
oboe work. If the Johns Barry and Rutter
co-wrote the score to a biopic of Gerald
Finzi (wishful thinking, on all counts!),
it might sound something like this.
This movement is quite possibly Blechinger's
finest ten minutes, at least from the
point of view of this listener's limited
exposure. The third movement is then
introduced by a pizzicato double bass
and shuffling percussion and we are
back in deep, composed jazz territory
until the pianist reasserts himself
and reintroduces a melodic content which
is totally typical of this composer
and a great strength of his. I believe
there is something here for anyone who
cares to listen, at the very least a
genuine joy in what is, above all, a
communicative music.
Aficionados of the
recent Brubeck "classical" releases
(on Telarc and Naxos) should definitely
investigate and, in terms of uplifting
modern piano concerti, if you like this
one then why not try the marvellous,
Norwegian folk-based Groven (Simax)
or Pelécis' little neo-classical
gem (Erato/Apex). As Milan Kundera wrote
at length about, in his most famous
novel, a full and fulfilling life is,
by turns, heavy and light - in
the car, in France, this summer, my
two young children, Rebekah and Joel,
have been listening to classical music
but also the Breton bagadoùs,
The Beatles and Kraftwerk - I would
like to think, in fact I am sure, that
Alex Blechinger would approve.
Neil Horner
Elisabeth Jess-Kropfitsch, violin