In an essay which
informs purchasers of this CD not only about the music and composers
on this disc, but also about the artistic climate which led
to a distinct rivalry between France and Spain, Horst A. Scholz
draws attention to the attraction that Spain had for Gallic
composers. Sarcastic tongues grumbled “that the best Spanish
music was being written abroad”, and with French composers at
the vanguard of this trend there are plenty of examples, ranging
from Chabrier’s ‘España’ to Bizet’s ‘Carmen’. Human nature dictates
that the Grass is always Greener on the other side, and so it
was with the mountainous dividing line which creates the natural
border between France and Spain – except that in this case the
traffic seems to have been largely one-way.
Rodrigo did in fact
spend time in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s, but so many
others did that this hardly counts as an exclusive Spanish export.
If his Concierto pastoral doesn’t quite have the same
timeless, catchy memorable quality as the famous Concierto
de Aranjuez, it certainly conjures a similar atmosphere
of wide landscapes, shimmering mirages of sun-baked plains and
vistas. Sounds of nature are introduced in birdsong, and the
6/8 rhythms of the final Rondo: Allegro provide the folk-like
dances through which fragments of Beethoven’s 6th
Symphony occasionally threaten to break.
François Borne is
a composer about which very little is known, but his famous
Fantasie brillante sur des airs de ‘Carmen’ makes up
for this obscurity, and forms the transition between Spain and
France in this programme, recorded here in a version for flute
and orchestra by Giancarlo Chiaramello. A showpiece for the
soloist, there is also a great deal of creative inventiveness
on the go in this work – principally in extensions and variations
on the well-known themes in Bizet’s opera.
Having crossed the
mountain range in a northerly direction, we conclude with Ibert’s
Concerto for flute and orchestra. Jacques Ibert was a
composer whose empathy for the Spanish ‘sound’ was a recognised
feature of his work, and while the Concerto doesn’t overtly
provide a salute in Spain’s direction it does possess a pizzazz
which fits nicely into the colourful and zesty character which
is a feature of many people’s idea of what Spain is about. In
many ways it is the perfect flute concerto, balancing virtuoso
display with sensuous expressiveness, and accompanying the soloist
with a light orchestral touch, featuring plenty of warmth and
dialogue.
It only remains
to comment on the recording and performance. BIS’s usual high
standard is maintained, with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
sounding richly smooth and impeccably disciplined, the balance
between soloist and orchestra natural enough. Sharon Bezaly
effortlessly confirms her position at the top of the tree as
regards current flute professionals. Crystal clear and beautifully
projected, her tone is never hard or forced, vibrato is tempered
and used expressively, phrasing musical and unmannered, technique
flawless – I’ve heard so many mediocre flute recordings in the
last month or so that it comes as quite a relief to have my
faith in the instrument restored. I was interested to hear her
using what sounds like circular breathing in some legato passages
– not a criticism, but something unusual outside the kind of
contemporary music from which many prefer to run away and hide:
listen for short sniffing sounds where the notes in the solo
carry on sounding. If there is any criticism then it
can only be of the relatively short playing time, but with musicianship
of this standard, who’s complaining.
Dominy Clements
Sharon Bezaly (flute)
[56:50]
