Zayt Gezunterheyt: The Folk Soul of the Eastern Clarinet
Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)
Reverie Orientale (1886)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1952)
Overture on Hebrew Themes, op. 34 (1919)
Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)
Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano (1932)
Rezső Kokai (1906-62)
Quartettino (1952)
Jan Van der Roost (b. 1956)
Euterpe (2023)
Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble
rec. 2023, Kleine Zaal of Muziekgebouw Frits Philip, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Antarctica Records AR054CD [54]
Sometimes a disc comes along which is a complete shock in terms of the quality of the music and performances. This is just such a disc. I am not sure why I asked to review it, but I am glad I did, as it has left me stunned.
The disc showcases composers whose works all demonstrate a fusion of Eastern and Western musical elements. The unifying musical material is that of Roma and Klezmer folk traditions; the unifying instrument the clarinet, which of course figures large in both of those traditions.
I am not sure how often the Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble plays together but it sounds like every second of every day. There is outstanding homogeneity and richness of the sound they make together. It is as though they are thinking as one perfectly formed organism.
We are drawn into the disc by the solo clarinet of Roeland Hendrikx playing a Klezmer-inspired scalic melody. Soon joined by the strings, it creates a world of early morning mist over a shtetl. Bearing in mind how appallingly Jews were treated in 19th century Russia, Glazunov is respectful of the material. This melancholy morning song provides the perfect introduction to the disc.
The most famous work here is undoubtedly Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes for the inspired combination of clarinet, piano and string quartet. Written in 1919 for the clarinettist Simeon Bellison, it is based on Jewish melodies Bellison gave to the composer. Or were they? Recent research by musicologist David Nice (2003) has questioned whether they were real folk melodies or composed by Bellison in a folk style. In any event, they sound authentic, and Prokofiev skilfully weaves a satisfying sound-world of lively and pensive moments. Prokofiev played the piano at the premiere in 1920 but was rather dismissive of the work, feeling that its four-square nature was boring. He was, of course, wrong. In the hands of these performers it is a polished gem. The spiky opening melody is beautifully phrased with carefully observed dynamics. Mr Hendrikx manages some wonderful pianissimo high notes that blend perfectly with the string tone.
Khachaturian’s music is, apart from a very few popular works, seldom played. Those big orchestral scores such as the concertos for violin and piano or the ballet scores tell only a part of his story. There is much besides, and his chamber and instrumental music is well worth investigating. This trio, written when he was 29 and still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, is a masterwork of form and content. Born in Armenia though raised in Georgia, Khachaturian wrote music imbued with the folk tunes of those regions. The scalic patterns he frequently employed gave his music a decidedly non-western feeling, even if he was writing in a western classical idiom.
The first movement has an improvisatory Roma feeling to the melody which is constantly passed between the clarinet and violin. Elaborate flourishes add to the drama, and the players are allowed to shine in mini-cadenzas. Once again, the phrasing is extraordinary, and there is exemplary control of dynamics and balance between the three players. The second movement is a play between two melodies, one fast and vigorous and the other slow and meditative. Khachaturian’s genius is in combing the two and leaving us guessing where he will take the music next. The piano gets a chance to shine here with some lushly romantic harmonies. The finale is a set of variations on a folk-like theme introduced by the clarinet. The Roma tradition is explored in some fast passages which colour slower melodic fragments. After a frantic village dance, the players disappear exhausted into the distance. The different cultural influences are wonderfully controlled by the student composer, who takes us listeners on a cohesive and well-integrated musical journey.
Hungarian composer Rezső Kókai died far too young if this little quartet is anything to go by. This perfectly proportioned work never outstays its welcome, and certainly has left this listener wanting more. The work for clarinet and string trio inhabits the folk world of Bartók and Kodály. In the slow canzonetta, the clarinet captures the Roma style of the music. The sprightly foot-stamping last movement is pure joy.
The final work, Euterpe by Flemish composer James Vander Roost, brings us to the present day. The ensemble commissioned this work – using Eastern folk-type material – from the only composer on the disc not from Eastern Europe. He has given us an exciting three-movement picture-postcard of a holiday in the Balkans. There are skirling Klezmer-inspired melodies and stamping rhythms in the outer movements, while the central slow section draws us into contemplative landscape.
The disc is presented in a beautifully designed and very tactile cardboard triptych fold-out format. The images show a happy bunch of musicians striding though what looks like Amsterdam Centraal Station – and why wouldn’t they look happy? This disc is a triumph.
Paul RW Jackson
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