David DEL TREDICI (b. 1937)
Gotham Glory (2004) [34.55]
Aeolian Ballade (2008) [13.05]
Ballad in lavender (2004) [14.05]
Ballad in yellow (1997) [5.18]
S/M Ballade (2006) [12.13]
Marc Peloquin (piano)
rec. L Browning Recording, New York, 6-7 November, 14 November and 11 December
2009
NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559680 [79.36]
David Del Tredici is probably best-known for his series of works based on
Lewis Carroll. In recent years he has moved away from this neo-romantic style
- of which he was one of the pioneers - into the more controversial field
- in America, at least - of gay rights. His earlier works often overwhelmed
the listener with the sheer joy of the sound he conjured from a large romantic
orchestra. One wondered how his style would adapt to the smaller medium of
the solo piano. This disc is billed as the first in a series of three which
will cover the whole of the composer’s piano music.
The answer is, excellently. Del Tredici continues to write in a bold
romantic
style, and his sense of humour has not deserted him. There is nothing here
as
overwhelmingly beautiful as the Acrostic Song which brought
Final
Alice - not the final piece in his Alice cycle by any means, as
it
happens - to such a powerful conclusion. There is plenty of red meat for
the
performer and the listener to sink their teeth into. The S/M Ballad
is
described by del Tredici as a “pianistic terror”, and it is
indeed
clearly extremely difficult to perform; but the pianist is no sadist, and
the
listener does not need to be a masochist either.
The earliest piece here is the Ballad in yellow, which is actually
a
transcription of a song setting of Garcia Lorca. It flows along nicely,
with
plenty of idiomatic piano figuration, and the tune of the song is lovely.
The
Ballad in lavender is a more extrovert piece in which the composer
quotes
both from Schumann’s Kreisleriana - which he acknowledges in
his
booklet note. He also draws on his own beautiful Carroll setting In
memory
of a summer day - which he does not acknowledge. The reminiscence may
be
unconscious on del Tredici’s part, but it fits nicely with the
Schumann.
The Aeolian Ballad is a beautiful modal piece with more than a
suspicion
of Vaughan Williams in the opening section. This develops into a
fully-fledged
prelude and fugue of much more chromatic character. It opens the disc most
enticingly.
The main work on this collection consists of the ‘four scenes of New
York
City’ entitled Gotham glory. The first three movements
comprise
an atmospheric prelude entitled West Village morning, a fugue
entitled
Museum piece and a ‘perpetual canon’ entitled
Missing
towers. The latter is a lament for the terrorist attack on the New
York
Trade Center on 11 September 2001. The latter is a brief movement - only
just
over four minutes long - but it packs a lot of feeling into its short
duration.
It is also the only piece here which uses avant garde techniques on
the
piano. At the end the pianist is instructed to play directly on the
strings
inside the piano itself. This is a not a new invention, but only once
before
- in Ronald Stevenson’s Peter Grimes Fantasia - have I heard
it
used so effectively. The result does not sound at all like a gimmick, but
produces
an impression of distance which is most atmospheric.
The final movement of Gotham glory is longer than the other three
movements
put together, a ‘grand fantasy’ on the Skater’s
waltz
by Waldteufel entitled Wollman rink. Here del Tredici poses a
direct
challenge to Liszt’s fantasias on the music of his day, with all the
bravura
virtuosity that his model implies. He brings it off, nearly. There is
plenty
of variety, plenty of light and shade, and plenty of invention; but in the
end
one feels that he spoils the effect by carrying on rather too long. In the
concert
hall the sheer enjoyment might carry off the continual development of the
theme,
but on disc one finds the attention wandering after ten minutes or so. The
sheer
exuberance of del Tredici’s music is part of its charm, and one
accepts
a certain prolixity as part of the mix.
Marc Peloquin sounds understandably taxed by the sheer virtuosity of the
piano
writing, but he rises to the challenge and gives a series of towering
performances.
One looks forward with anticipation to later volumes in this series, which
will
presumably also include Virtuoso Alice, which is a stunning
improvisation
around the main theme of del Tredici’s own Acrostic
Song.In
the meantime this first instalment is thoroughly enjoyable. Even if you
don’t
think you like modern music, try this: you will be amazed.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
A series of towering performances.