Beyond
Thomas Adès (b.1971)
Three-piece Suite from Powder Her Face (1995/2007)
Jonathan Dove (b.1959)
Stargazer (2007)
Matthew Aucoin (b.1990)
Eurydice Suite (2022)
Heath (2023)
Nico Muhly (b.1981)
Liar Suite from Marnie (2018)
Peter Moore (Trombone)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Timothy Redmond
rec. 2024, City Halls, Glasgow, UK
Reviewed from download
All first recordings
Orchid Classics ORC100368 [82]
This CD contains four pieces by contemporary composers – two British and two American – all recorded for the first time. It also features Peter Moore, a world-renowned trombonist, who gained international attention aged twelve when he became the youngest winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2008. Born in Belfast and raised in Greater Manchester, his early involvement in the Brass Band culture in Northern England was crucial to his rapid development. The CD booklet describes the rationale of the disc as follows: “This is a disc inspired by opera, but without singers. Its music is a distillation of the theatrical experience heard through the voice of the orchestra. But it is more than a series of snapshots or musical postcards: each of these works serves as a concentrated introduction to the operatic language of its composer”. The title of the CD Beyond refers to beyond words – beyond the stage.
The first piece is Thomas Adès’ Three-Piece Suite from his modern classic opera Powder Her Face. Ite was commissioned by the Aldeburgh Festival, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra. The libretto was by Philip Hensher, concerning Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll. A society beauty, hugely wealthy and famous throughout the world, she hit the headlines in 1963 when she was divorced by her second husband, the duke. After her divorce, the duchess lived for many years in a London hotel suite, and it is here that the opera’s first and last scenes take place. It has three movements, the first Overture begins in an energetic and exuberant way but quickly has a very raunchy sleezy jazzy feeling that is maintained until the end. The second named Waltz is a less frantic and depicts the preparations for the Duchess’s wedding seen from the perspective of a rather envious waitress. We hear a rather fractured piece, the solo oboe and violin collide with snarling and dismissive brass until the chaotic end. The Finale sees a maid and electrician prepare the duchess’ room for its next inhabitant to the accompaniment of an ever-wilder and ever-more disjointed tango. As the music starts to dissolve towards the end, the maid (trumpet) sternly declares ‘Enough’, to which the electrician (trombone) lewdly responds ‘Or too much!’. All in all, it’s a very entertaining work.
The next piece Stargazer is by Jonathan Dove who is the most performed living opera composer in the UK with over 30 works in the genre. The work was commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1999, Ian Bousfield, who was the soloist for its premiere performance, invited Dove to write a piece lyrical piece for trombone. Dove explains his approach: “The image that started to develop in my mind was of the trombonist as a man with a telescope, a Stargazer, searching the night sky. The orchestra would represent the constellations he observed, and he would respond to what he saw”. It’s in six sections but is one continuous movement.
I. Searching the Night Sky
Stargazer (the trombonist) asks questions of the stars, the soloist’s tune has a mysterious, mystic feeling. At first there is no answer – then, faintly at first, the stars begin to respond.
II. Constellations
Stargazer calls out to different groups of stars (different sections of the orchestra) and they answer. A flurry of fragmented, excited music from the orchestra is the response as it repeats the soloist’s motifs. Finally it all calms again down again and we have an extended trombone solo
III. Arcturus & Canis chasing Ursa Major & Minor with Lyra
The idea of a chase is conveyed via fast, atmospheric music that comes to a dramatic end in this movement. Arcturus – who gave his name to the Arctic – and Canis, the dog chases both bears (Ursa Major and Minor – Polaris, the Pole Star, is in Ursa Minor) across the night sky.
IV. Gemini is dark and mysterious with a lazy slow melody from the soloist once again suggesting sending a message out to the stars, the stars answer with an equally celestial response. Beautifully played by Moore, it’s a delightful piece which slides without a pause into…
V. Orion, Pegasus A series of fanfares are heard as Orion the hunter and Pegasus the winged horse ride majestically through the universe; the music is grand and full of energy.
VI. The Milky Way Seen by many cultures as the pathway along which the dead return to their true home in the immortal stars. Each star is a departed hero or loved one. It contains another lovely melody on the trombone and uplifting music from the orchestra. In my opinion Dove has achieved his initial aim of creating a lyrical piece for trombone with a definite otherworldly and sublime essence. It’s a wonderful work.
Eurydice Suite by American composer Mathew Aucoin was commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra, Winston-Salem Symphony, Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, Aucoin explains in the notes: “The Eurydice Suite is an orchestral condensation of my opera Eurydice, which is based on Sarah Ruhl’s surreal and heartbreaking play.”
I. The Underworld is the first movement, the CD notes explain, “Eurydice, newly arrived in death, hallucinates that she is alone on some unknown train platform, waiting for someone—she can’t quite remember who—to meet her.” It starts with a metallic ping and continues with ominous, relentless music. Watery, flowing percussion sounds begin as the tension builds to boiling point before finally fading away.
II A Letter From Above. The second movement is back in the world above where a solo clarinet – to represent Orpheus – plays a mournful melody. Orpheus drops a letter into the earth, hoping it will reach the underworld; and as the music fades away, we return down below. It’s again ominous, unsettling and mysterious.
III A Room Made Out of String. In the next part of the story, Eurydice’s father patiently builds her a room out of string. The string section embodies the slow weaving of that delicate room with slow gentle music that retains the ominous, mysterious feeling.
IV The Walk The fourth movement is a montage of the opera’s final act, the disastrous walk toward the world above. Urgent threatening music moves into a more gentle and melodic section before the fragmented ominous feel returns. The whole work is atmospheric and imaginative.
A further work by Aucoin Heath is also included on the CD. Aucoin tells us, “The heath, in Shakespeare’s King Lear, is the bare, windswept place, devoid of civilization and human comforts, where Lear, the Fool, and others end up after Lear’s eldest two daughters—to whom he has unwisely bequeathed his kingdom—have systematically stripped him of the last shreds of his authority.” It has four sections played without a break. It begins with bleak, creepy, dramatic, uneasy and tense music. The second section is darting and volatile whilst the third is slow, ponderous and mystic featuring a melody on the bassoon. Finally it speeds up, with greater intensity ending in rather a chaotic style.
Liar Suite from Marnie is a work by another contemporary American composer Nico Muhly. Winston Graham’s 1961 novel is a tense psychological thriller, delving into themes of manipulation, redemption, and the haunting grip of the past. Little wonder perhaps that it drew the attention of Alfred Hitchcock, whose 1964 film adaptation starred Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The work opens with dramatic, restless, wide ranging orchestral textures. It continues to be at times urgent and relentless, yet at other times yearning and melancholic. The moments of calm offer quiet phrases of exquisite repose. The music slows and provides a tender, introspective backdrop over which the oboe floats with fragile beauty. However, these moments of reflection are soon interrupted as the chaos and energy of the orchestra returns. It’s a wonderful, atmospheric work.
The whole album is a great find with really atmospheric, imaginative, yet accessible, music. This is helped by Moore’s virtuosic mastery of his instrument, a great orchestra and conductor as well as first class music quality. The CD notes are excellent and have been a great help to me in writing this review.
Ken Talbot
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