Centaur is one of the
oldest and largest independent classical
labels in the USA and they delight in
providing recordings of contemporary
music. For this release Centaur have
travelled to the Czech Republic to record
four of Leo Kraft’s orchestral scores.
Kraft was born in Brooklyn,
New York in 1922 and as well as composing
is active as an educator, writer on
musical topics, and author. Kraft holds
degrees from Queen’s College CUNY and
Princeton University. Karol Rathaus,
Randall Thompson and Nadia Boulanger
were his mentors in composition.
While the larger part
of Kraft's work is chamber music, he
has also written orchestral, piano,
vocal, band and electronic music. His
varied compositions have been performed
and recorded in the USA and abroad.
His Symphony in One Movement
was performed by the American Composers’
Orchestra in Carnegie Hall in 1995.
Kraft is currently
editorial advisor and writer for the
New Music Connoisseur and is past President
of the American Music Center and Professor
Emeritus of the Aaron Copland School
of Music at Queens College CUNY. Kraft
was also Distinguished-Composer-in-Residence
at New York University (1989-1992).
Kraft's music is published by Seesaw
Music and Carl Fischer and has been
recorded on the CRI, Capstone, Albany
and Centaur labels. He is affiliated
with the American Society of Composers,
Authors, and Publishers.
Kraft's recent works
include The Vision of Isaiah
for chorus and orchestra, commissioned
by Jo Ann Rice and Florilegium Chamber
Choir, Jacob Wrestles with the Angel
for large orchestra, Melodies from
the South for solo bassoon, written
for Carrie Smelser, Piano Fantasy,
commissioned by the Maldeb Foundation
(Queen’s College) for the pianist Mimi
Stern-Wolfe, The Five Winds for
wind quintet, commissioned by the Dorian
Quintet and Flute Variations
for solo flute commissioned by Laurel
Ann Maurer.
The opening work on
this Centaur release is the Clarinet
Concerto reworked in 2003 with this
recording in mind. The concerto is for
a virtuoso clarinettist and a medium-sized
orchestra. It is an assertive work in
three movements, all of which have a
strong rhythmic propulsion and none
of which is very slow. Kraft describes
how, in writing the piece, he allowed
his fondness for American popular music
to rise to the surface. He wrote the
score for the Brooklyn Philharmonic's
Meet the Moderns concert series
under conductor Lukas Foss. It was described
in the New York Times: "...combined
idiomatic solo writing with a dense
accompanimental web of orchestral sound.
The concerto is a work of scope and
dignity which did not preclude a jaunty
central scherzo and a concluding wail
that seemed to have escaped from the
Klezmer repertory." New York-born
clarinettist and long-time Vienna citizen
Roger Salander is an expert performer
and displays a lovely tone throughout
this fascinating score. The
orchestra perform with control and precision.
Composed in 1985, Kraft's
Symphony in One Movement is a
major concert work in four large continuous
sections: an exposition, a scherzo,
a slow part and a recapitulation. The
first performance was given by the American
Composers Orchestra in Carnegie Hall
and conducted by Paul Dunkel. The Village
Voice described the score as, "...often
hard-driving, orchestrated with a shrewd
balancing of orchestral sections and
with a proud expectation of virtuosity
and Sessions-esque eloquence." Suben
secures committed and responsive playing.
There were occasions I feel when a touch
more vigour would have improved their
interpretation.
The score Jacob
Wrestles with the Angel is a dramatic
tone poem for large orchestra. Kraft
composed the work in 2000 inspired by
the story of the patriarch Jacob in
the Genesis. The tone poem
reflects the tense struggle and
agitation of the main figure. It begins
with a chord that includes all twelve
notes and concludes with the same chord.
This recording offers excellent playing
in a compelling account of this fine
orchestral score.
The concluding work
is Pacific Bridges.. Kraft wrote
this for the Geigen String Orchestra
of Tokyo and clarinettist Edward Gilmore.
It is cast in six diverse sections
making subtle use of a Japanese scale.
The clarinet role is partly soloistic,
but also, at times, blended with the
strings. The title of the score suggests
its significance. Kraft explains how
the music is meant as a connection between
the people of Japan and the USA. The
composer sincerely hopes that Pacific
Bridges will contribute to mutual
understanding between the Japanese and
the American people. In this performance
Jerzy Kosek secures a powerful and purposeful
performance. Talented Czech clarinettist
Zbigniew Kaleta displays considerable
artistry with a pleasing timbre.
Using a Czech Republic
recording venue the engineers have provided
splendid sound quality. The booklet
notes written by the composer are reasonably
interesting and informative.
Impressive and accessible
contemporary scores that are given fine
performances.
Michael Cookson
Roger Salander (clarinet)*
for
details
