MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

 

CD REVIEW

 

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

 

 

Buy through MusicWeb for £14.60 postage paid.
You may prefer to pay by Sterling cheque or Euro notes to avoid PayPal. Contactfor details

Purchase button

 

 

Friedrich Gulda and Joe Zawinul – Music for Two Pianos
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Variations on a theme of Joseph Haydn Op.56b [20:14]
Friedrich GULDA (1930-2000)
Variations for two pianos and band (1966) [16:34]*
Joe ZAWINUL (b.1932)
Volcano for Hire [4:25]
Friedrich Gulda, Joe Zawinul (pianos)
WDR Big Band Cologne/Jerry van Rooyen *
rec. Philharmonie, Cologne, 20-21 May 1988.
CAPRICCIO 67175 [42:15]


Gulda and Zawinul were born in Vienna two years apart. Gulda had, for classical purists, unacceptably maverick tendencies, interesting himself in smoky clubs and stretching out for long jazz sessions. Zawinul, sideman with Miles Davis and a long-time founder member of Weather Report, had known Gulda for many years when they collaborated in these Cologne concerts in May 1988.
 
The concerts began with a two piano version of the Brahms Haydn variations and then took in a long-ish piece by Gulda and a much shorter one from Zawinul. It’s odd to hear Zawinul being introduced to the audience in typically Teutonic fashion as Josef; maybe he’s still known in German-speaking lands as Josef or maybe Joe is insufficiently serious a name – too frivolously Anglophone – for twenty minutes of Brahms. The Brahms opens unexpectedly with a rather freely impressionist introduction before we move to a broadly trouble free reading. A demerit is the sound of the pianos; rather unforgivingly harsh in the middle range. Still, the two men build up a head of steam by the end.
 
Gulda’s Variations centre around a ruminative waltz – naturally the Viennese theme is played up given the origins of both men. The band then enters with crisp rhythm backing the variations proper underpinned by the comprehensively swinging drumming of Mel Lewis who anchored the NDR at this time. The variations oscillate between piano reflections and band brassiness. It’s impossible to tell which pianist plays what and when but someone certainly – probably Gulda – pays homage to Oscar Peterson at one point. The variations take in hints of popular song but there’s too much decorative, if not rococo note spinning and the alliance between classically derived inspirations and straight ahead big band jazz, fails - as it almost always does - to produce anything truly viable.
 
Zawinul’s own Volcano for Hire is only four minutes long. It indulges a Stride-like roll and also embraces some kitsch moments as well. Can’t say it sent me, as we used to say.
 
Gulda’s been dead some years now and his shade still attracts and intrigues. Zawinul’s experimentation continues. Their Cologne meeting was an invigorating affair. But I don’t think it quite qualifies for the “gold plaque” rubric on the jewel case – “Des Kult-Konzerts.”
 
Jonathan Woolf
 





Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

Return to Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.