Recently, a commentator
pointed out that the vast majority of
complaints referring to the loud grunts
of female tennis players came from English
viewers. As an English (re)viewer, I
may be being oversensitive in pointing
out the embarrassment potential for
silly titles and tweely humorous programme
notes, but having learned the disadvantages
of such gestures in the long run I feel
duty bound to be boringly pedantic on
the subject. Like that tattoo, how will
you feel about it in twenty years from
now?
I have a feeling that
opinion will be sharply divided on the
subject of Rantala’s Concerto. There
will be those who find it great fun,
and others who think that it is very
silly indeed. I’m not wholly convinced
by the work, but tend to fall into the
‘great fun’ camp, if only because Liro
Rantala is a jazz musician by origin,
and as such has greater license for
not only ‘sleeping on both sides of
the blanket’ (as one of my teachers
– Roger Steptoe described my own early
polystylistic ramblings) but shaking
said blanket in every conceivable direction
just to see what falls out. ‘Tuning
up’ noises have already been used ad
nauseam in modern music, and Rantala’s
opening is somewhat redundant and irrelevant
to the rest of the piece. I think I
know what was going on in his mind:
‘Help! Where do I start? Ah, I know…’
and the rest follows from there.
Rantala’s approach
is humorous at all times. The title
is a reference to Victor Borge, so it
could just as easily have been ‘Concerto
in four flats’. The music is almost
invariably in the thrall of some other
composer’s fingerprints. Gershwin and
Rachmaninov are clear favourites, film
music, jazz or musical lovers will have
a field day picking out little influences
and inferences. What is not in doubt
is the energy and joy with which the
piece has been conceived and executed,
and Rantala’s own piano playing is a
technically bravura tour-de-force.
The other pieces on
this disc are Astorale, which
may appeal to fans of the late great
Michel Petrucciani, although I can hear
Michel’s voice; ‘what is your left hand
doing?’ The works’ rhapsodic nature
extends its duration without enriching
its content. Tangonator like
Astorale was written for Rantala’s
ensemble Tango Kings who flourished
in the 1990s, and with the addition
of some excellent violin playing from
Jaakko Kuusisto has some serious tango
flavour and energy.
Liro Rantala is best
known internationally as the founder
and pianist of Trio Töykeät,
and Final Fantasy is an arrangement
of one of their core repertoire pieces.
Like a Piazzolla composition I can imagine
this working well in almost any instrumental
combination, and I tip my hat respectfully
in Rantala’s direction for coming up
with some compellingly composed jazz/tango
crossover.
Finland is a unique
cultural greenhouse which seems to cultivate
seriously talented artists in order
to make up for a lack of cheap fresh
fruit. I can only say that Liro Rantala
has already broken far beyond the borders
of his home country and seems determined
to take the musical world by the scruff
of the neck and kick its reactionary
backside until it starts listening to
what he has to say. Time will tell whether
his true musical voice can extend the
borders of jazz beyond the current trend
for short-lived crossover projects,
but he certainly seems to have made
a good start.
If you want a concerto
to fill out your P.D.Q. Bach collection
then this might be the disc for you.
If you are stimulated by excellent piano
playing in any context then there is
much to be enjoyed here. If you have
just finished unpacking your Donaueschinger
Musiktage courtesy rider bag, then you
might want to think twice – but then,
if you really are unpacking your
Donaueschinger Musiktage courtesy rider
bag you will probably need cheering
up more than somewhat. This CD may well
be just the ticket.
Dominy Clements
See also review
by Rob Barnett
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