Gerard Schurmann (1924–2020)
Man in the Sky (Concert Overture) (1957/1994/2020)
Piano Concerto (1973)
Romancing the Strings (2015)
Gaudiana (2001)
Xiayin Wang, piano
BBC Philharmonic/Ben Gurdon
rec. 2023, MediaCityUK, Salford, Manchester, UK
Chandos CHAN 20341 [65]
My first encounter with the music of Gerard Schurmann was not through his concert works, but with his score to the gory 1959 film, Horrors of the Black Museum. How exactly I came across this cinematic shocker now escapes me (I think it was played on an episode of Svengoolie a couple of years ago), but its music impressed me enough to make a note of the composer’s name.
Schurmann’s idiom may best be described as eclectically neo-Romantic. He makes free use of dissonance and broad gestures to make his expressive points. That former quality has taken on for some listeners an uncouth connotation akin to that of a four-letter word, but only the most obstinate of reactionaries would be capable of resisting this music.
The Piano Concerto from 1973, composed for John Ogdon, is an attractive introduction to Schurmann’s art. Its two virtuosic movements, untethered to any tonal center, flow with a sweep and power that could almost be described as Rachmaninov meets Bartók. Even the comparative austerity of the second movement, marked “Molto adagio”, has a sumptuousness rare in 20th-century music, even when unknown creepy crawlies burst through to wreak havoc in the central “night music” passage. Pianist Xiayin Wang, who has excelled in previous Chandos releases of Late Romantic repertoire, plays the concerto to the hilt with plenty of charisma and flamboyance; she makes a passionate case for its inclusion in the mainstream repertoire.
More straightforward is the brief theme and variations from 2015, Romancing the Strings. Occasionally, ominous clouds drift by, such as in the fifth variation, but overall it is an unabashedly enjoyable piece of music that professes love as much to string instruments as to Romanticism. Listeners curious to discover a 21st-century equivalent to Elgar’s Serenade for Strings or Holst’s St. Paul Suite ought to give Romancing the Strings a listen.
Occupying a middle ground between the concerto’s brashness and the sobriety of Romancing the Strings is Gaudiana, composed in 2001. As its name suggests, Schurmann wrote this six-movement work in homage to the Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudí; it was premiered in Barcelona under the direction of another Chandos stalwart, Rumon Gamba. Whether or not one is aware of the architecture that is this score’s inspirational source, its brilliant colours—spangled with touches of Spanish folk music—and sureness of craft are appealing.
The brief overture extracted from the 1957 film Man in the Sky opens this disc. After the initial statement of its expansive theme, the music launches into a chugging ostinato, with a syncopated motif on horns punctuated by timpani and sizzle cymbals; the work soon concludes in blazing triumph.
Schurmann’s music is performed in this recording with sympathy and skill by the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Ben Gurnon. Chandos’ opulent production—conveying plenty of depth, immediacy of impact, and detail—is ideal for this phonogenic music. Ideal, too, are Paul Conway’s thorough liner notes; essential for music unfamiliar to many, but which in this release is certain to win new converts.
Néstor Castiglione
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