Australian composer Koehne's four Tivoli Dances float
with facility and felicity between Bernstein-brash, Glen Miller
swing, nostalgic tenderly impressionist atmospherics, woozy salvationist
hymnal, pointed delicacy and Milhaud-Satie vaudeville. I especially
enjoyed the empty-ballroom Ravelian nostalgia of Forgotten
Waltz.
The three Shaker Dances reflect
the composer's affectionate respect for the Shakers and their
dignity, culture and beliefs. The music is less brash and more
nuanced. The strings’ interplay is exciting, serene, sturdy
and redolent of Roy Harris in both hoe-down and pastoral idyll
modes. There’s also an echo of Vaughan Williams and somewhat
of Hovhaness in the Whirling Dance.
The six dances that make up the Palm
Court Suite start with a lovely soulful monologue: Nocturne
for cello. This is tender and sincerely affecting and is
akin to the second movement of Shaker Dances (Precept
and Line). That same affectionate-sentimental quality can
also be heard in the long final section. The Valse Noble
casts lingering looks at Ravel's La Valse and Barber's
Souvenirs. Berceuse has that mysterious prairie-nocturne
feel to it as encountered in Copland's Tender Land, Barber's
Knoxville and in various Roy Harris works. The … et
sentimentale recalls in its pearly piano part the middle
movement of Beethoven's Emperor.
To His Servant Bach takes us to the strong confluent style of Finzi’s Farewell
to Arms. The piece was inspired by Spitta's account of Bach
who, the day before his death, regained his long-lost sight
to see the Morning Star. In the circumstances my Finzi parallel
should perhaps have referred to the first of the two Milton
Sonnets.
This disc is, as usual, well annotated
and allowing for a little more shrillness in the strings than
I have heard in others of the series this is well worth adding
to your shelves of Australian composer CDs.
Lighter music, accomplished, melodic,
dance-related, nostalgic, sentimental and sincere.
Australia's composers
offer a richly-stocked conspectus which yet strives to reach
out and communicate with listeners. That’s certainly the case
with Koehne as you can also hear on his Naxos
anthology.
Rob Barnett
Tasmanian
Symphony Orchestra/Richard Mills
