Monday 21 April 2014

CD Review Adam Gorb´s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano

ADAM GORB'S SONATA FOR CLARINET AND PIANO
 
Strange things sometimes happen to radio recordings. They can disappear completely from sight and reappear years later as rather brilliant cd's. At least this is the case with the present recording, a sonata for clarinet and piano by the British composer Adam Gorb.
 
Gorb is one of those composers who do not shy away from experimentalism, but who are also concerned about the accessibility of their music. In fact it is a priority for him to be accessible to his audience. If music can't touch the heart of the listener it misses the point of music altogether, according to Gorb. This is perhaps one of the reasons why his music is so much in demand by amateur music organisations and military show bands, although he also often receives commissions from professional orchestras.
 
Gorb's sonata for clarinet and piano is written in four-movement form: allegro energico, scherzo, largo -- finale. The formal construction of the work may be called classical, containing characteristics which one finds in many pieces. The sonata demands virtuosity from the performers, in terms both of individual technique and also of ensemble playing. It's a real players' work with constant interplay of rhythmic and lyrical elements in the dialogue between the two instruments. An important aspect of the ensemble playing is the concentration of the two instrumentalists, who interrupt each other imitatively, or give each other room to come to the fore soloistically or else come together in unison passages.
 
What makes this composition particularly interesting is however the fact that it is typical of the personal style of the composer Adam Gorb. The second movement scherzo starts off as a continuation of stylistic characteristics of the first movement allegro energico until South American rhythms suddenly appear in the piano part. These are then developed imitatively in both instruments while the clarinet plays music reminiscent of a classical cadenza mixed with elements of jazz. The largo can be seen as a transition to the exuberant finale. The clarinet part is a sort of meditative jazz supported by sostenuto chords in the piano. The finale is the work's apotheosis, a summing up of everything that has been heard in the sonata so far. Here again one is struck by the imitative passages which here develop into Bach-like fugal constructions, worthy of a finale. The sudden changes of scene, surprising personal touches and jazz-like elements give brilliance to this glorious sonata. The work is dedicated to the performers André Kerver and Andrew Wise, who have acquitted themselves outstandingly of their task to make this a noteworthy performance.
 
CD Adam Gorb -- sonata for clarinet and piano (1991), performed by André Kerver, clarinet & Andrew Wise, piano, not available in the shops, for info Andrew Wise and Adam Gorb.
 
© Frans Waltmans

Sunday 20 April 2014

CD Text Booklet Ewelina Nowicka Composer/Violinist



TEXT BOOKLET

EWELINA NOWICKA - COMPOSER/VIOLINIST

Musik for Violin and Piano  (Kreuzberg Records) http://www.ewelinanowicka.com

Assessing a young composer or classifying them within a specific musical genre is no easy task. Eras such as the Baroque, Classical, or Romantic periods, although well-defined, belong to the past and not the present. Young composers nowadays are developing their own unique styles. They may express themselves in various ways within a single work and their pieces are often described as eclectic.

Listening to this recording, one thing becomes clear regarding Ewelina Nowicka and her pieces: We are dealing with not only a virtuoso violinist, but also a virtuosic composer. Nowicka and the pianists bring these passionateworks to life with equally passionate performances. Nowicka engages the listener by inviting them into her personal life and arousing their emotions. Her music is frequently inspired by her own family history, which has a rich heritage closely tied to Jewish culture, and also the characteristics of experimental contemporary music, which can be found in just about all her works. Let us take a closer look at her compositions.
Obsession – a violin concerto in three movements. Written in 1999, this was Nowicka’s first composition for orchestra. The piece was first written for violin, xylophone and chamber orchestra. Later, in 2010, it was transcribed for violin and piano. The composer’s interests and rhythmic aspects are conveyed particularly well in this piece and became a seed for later compositional developments.

Atonali – for solo violin was inspired by Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood). This work evolves and contains both old and new violin playing techniques, requiring great virtuosity from the soloist.

Kaddish 1944 – A letter from Nowicka’s aunt served as the inspiration for this piece. The letter describes her aunt’s life in the Lodz ghetto and goes on to describe her journey on a cattle train to Auschwitz. It was during this journey where she became separated from her mother on the ramp. The melody appears at the very beginning of the piece and can be likened to a fragile and delicate small plant. The melody then goes through many developments rather than flourish, but gets its chance to do so at the end. This is how the impressions, influences, and musical structure are linked together.

Concerto Ebraico – Nowicka’s second violin concerto, for which she received an award for in 2008, from the Bremen Composers Competition in Germany. Many musical elements come together in this piece and it consists of three parts entitled Sabbat, Katharsis, and Purim. It contains an energetic, lively dialogue between the piano and violin, and reminds the listener of late Romantic and folk elements from the early 20th century. Furthermore, it combines technical savvy with emotional depth, thereby engaging the audience right from the beginning to the very end.

Conventus – for solo piano, is similar to creating a sculpture. The listener should imagine scraps flying through the air, as a musical space is created by carving out a low, middle, and high register on a piano. This imagery is achieved through modern playing techniques such as clusters and faint minimalistic characteristics. Natural and spatial elements are further emphasized by sustaining high tones through the pedals. This emotional, expressive, powerful work is full of imagination.

Saltatio Mortis – was originally for violin, harpsichord, and chamber orchestra. This recording features the violin and piano transcription. This danse macabre is distinctive because of its atonal elements and especially for its ostinato pattern.

Strawinskana – is a solo violin work. The composer quotes 20th century music and reveals her influences, such as pieces by Igor Stravinsky in particular, a master of rhythm. There is a clear reference to Stravinsky’s violin concerto within the first two measures. Nowicka uses this as a point of departure in order to create her own ideas, leading to an expressive, rhythmically structured composition.

“You have to play from the heart” is a well known quote from C.P.E. Bach. A parallel can be drawn from these words: Ewelina Nowicka is a musician who plays and composes from her heart.

© Frans Waltmans
English translation: Norom Bou