It’s heartening to see that artists are
giving Alexandre Tansman’s music greater representation in the
world of recordings. In the past year, several discs of Tansman’s
music have made appearances and have been reviewed on this site,
from his orchestral
music to works
for flute.
In other works that I’d heard and reviewed,
it was relatively easy to hear Tansman’s affinity for light
music and the popular music of the time — the foxtrot and other
dances, and aspects of his symphonic music reflected the busy
urban bustle of the 20s. In these works here presented, the
influence of Debussy and Ravel - the latter being a direct support
to Tansman’s work — moves to the forefront. Born in Poland,
he spent much of his creative life in Paris, where he died in
1986.
It appears that Tansman had an affinity
for wind instruments. In addition to the works recorded here,
there are various works for flute and piano (a sonatine is available
on Acte Préalable AP0137), there are various works for bassoon.
There are nine symphonies to his credit, as well as eight string
quartets. He also wrote in collaboration with Milhaud, Stravinsky
and Schoenberg.
Most of the works here are rather late
compositions, including the piece that opens up the disc, the
Musique for clarinet and string quartet, which was his
last chamber work. All but the last work on this disc consist
of quick scherzo-like sections framed by slow movements. The
Canzona of the Musique of 1982 settles strangely
like nightfall; the clarinet is the undisputed center of attention,
with a long melodic line under which the string quartet provides
support. The Scherzo middle movement sounds very much
like the work of Bacewicz, another contemporary Polish composer
whose music has seen a resurgence in recordings of late. The
cello’s pizzicati drives the rhythm along while the rest of
the quartet and the clarinet scrabble for a foothold. The movement
seems to find its foothold in a sound that recalls traditional
Polish dances, but seen through the lens of Ravel, then a brief
episode where the material is treated fugally. There is a pause
before the clarinet’s narrative, which launches the ensemble
into an energetic coda. It’s a lot to pack into a four-minute
passage without sounding overloaded and busy, but the piece
shows poise and humour.
It also doffs its figurative hat to the
longer and earlier Musique à Six that follows. Again,
we have a slow, nocturnal opening movement that has a quiet
uneasy sense of suspension that fans of Morton Feldman’s music
would appreciate. Sparse chords from the piano punctuate the
fluid strings that stay in their upper register. The clarinet
again takes the role of narrator. With the first movement titled
Preludio and the following movement an intermezzo, the weight
of emphasis rests, as with the Musique of 1982, on the
fast movement, which has a specific echo in the fast movement
of that later piece. Again, we have a sound that is reminiscent
of Polish folk tunes and Bacewicz’s chamber works. After a
wonderful Notturno movement — of which Feldman fans again
should take note -- the piece moves more overtly into Polish
folk music before ending on a slow postlude that brings back
the nocturnal elements of the prelude. A greatly enjoyable
work.
The harp opens the three pieces latest
composition on this disc, but again, the clarinet takes over
as main mouthpiece for the ensemble. Both of the slow movements
in this piece have a wonderfully uneasy nocturnal beauty. The
ensemble is wonderfully well balanced and the recording aesthetic
is warmly intimate. The last movement begins as a slow movement
to mirror the first, but ends as a rousing quick movement.
To fill out the disc we have the last—and
earliest—work, which the liner notes mention is one of Tansman’s
most often performed works. The Triptyque for string
quartet has less of the unsettled strangeness that permeates
the later pieces and more drive. It begins with a relatively
short Allegro that has snatches of folk music and bustles
along, but, as with the other works on this disc, Tansman’s
focus is on the slow movements. In the andante, the
viola begins with a statement of the thematic material as the
rest of the ensemble makes separate entrances. The closing
finale movement is, as with some of the other quick movements
in the other pieces on this disc, perpetuum mobile, driven
by the lower strings. The Quatuor Elysée plays this piece with
great poise and sensitivity.
Overall, a greatly enjoyable disc, well-recorded
and performed. I certainly am looking forward to further recordings
of works by this composer. For those who enjoy Stravinsky and
Ravel, as well as the work of Milhaud, they certainly wouldn’t
go wrong in giving this disc a listen. More please!
David Blomenberg
Jean-Marc Fessard (clarinet; bass clarinet)
