George Crumb (1929-2022)
Complete Crumb Edition Volume 21
Processional, two versions (1983)
Kronos-Kryptos (2020)
Sonata for solo cello (1955)
Gilbert Kalish (piano), Marcantonio Barone (piano), Timothy Eddy (cello)
Curtis Institute of Music, Ensemble 20/21
rec. 2006-22, recording details after review
Bridge Records 9592 [61]
This is the last installment of Bridge’s Complete Crumb Edition, an important project documenting all of George Crumb’s compositional output. I’m afraid to admit that this disc had been sitting on my review pile for some time, but it certainly did not deserve that neglect. It is a fascinating traversal of Crumb’s work, from the early Sonata for solo cello to Kronos-Kryptos, completed just four years ago, in 2020. The work for piano solo, Processional, of which we get two performances, lies somewhere in the middle in 1983.
Processional, in a performance by the work’s dedicatee, opens the disc and immediately reveals the impressionistic aspect of Crumb’s writing. There is a great beauty to his sense of sonority, with gentle, Debussian harmonies contrasted with richer and more dissonant material. The work is somewhat static, but the enjoyment comes from Gilbert Kalish’s meticulous attention to touch and colour, skillfully employing the use of the pedals to further the effect.
Kronos-Kryptos is a more varied work and proves quite captivating. Crumb’s command of the percussion ensemble is complete and his creativity and attention to timbral specifics, evidently undimmed by age, are put to good use. The clanging bells in the first section, Easter Dawning, create an atmosphere of joyous spirituality which is at once exuberant and mysterious. This gives way to a Poco Adagio, written as a Barcarolle that captivatingly employs water-effects and various other colourful contributions. It is really very beautiful. The following Drummers of the Apocalypse is a short but exciting piece that does pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the title. Exciting and wild drumming provides a vivid contrast between the preceding and succeeding movements. The last section, Appalachian Echoes, is a gentle and moving memoriam to his daughter, Ann. The percussion ensemble from The Curtis Institute of Music are impressively detailed in their reading, revealing every aspect of the score’s intensely colourful makeup. Even the smallest details are well caught, as much an endorsement of the sonics as of the ensemble. Also impressive is their abandon and force in the brief Drummer of the Apocalypse section which does sound truly apocalyptic.
The Sonata for solo cello does not sound quite like the Crumb we know today, but it does demonstrate his penchant for timbral play and he makes use of the cello’s possibilities in a mature and interesting fashion. The only thing missing here is the unique and immediately identifiable voice that came later. Timothy Eddy plays with verve and impressive virtuosity.
The second recording of the Processional is quicker and includes some additional extended techniques in another excellent performance. A fitting conclusion to the disc.
All of the works here are well worth hearing, especially for enthusiasts of Crumb’s music. They are eminently approachable and exhibit none of the oft-mentioned academic coldness of contemporary music. They are vibrant and alive as works of art. The recorded sound is simply spectacular, extremely realistic, detailed, and perfectly balanced, the recording of Kronos-Kryptos being especially impressive, giving you a sense of sitting in the room with the ensemble.
Morgan Burroughs
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Recording details
20 April 2006 (Sonata), 21 May 2019 (Processional – Kalish), American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY; 11 June 2021, Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA (Processional – Barone); 26 March 2022, Curtis Institute of Music, Gould Rehearsal Hall, Philadelphia, PA (Kronos-Kryptos)
