Reviews

American Souvenir

International Record Review

April 2005 Issue

Some of the most satisfying music on this CD was written not by a 'trained composer' but -- gasp -- by a reviewer of classical recordings! Mark Lehman writes for The American Record Guide, and although he is trained in English literature, he is at least a modestly skilful composer. His Three Souvenirs are tributes to Fauré, Prokofiev, and Puccini -- intentionally imperfect in that memory is faulty and selective. No philosophical edifices are erected here, but the American Congress has not outlawed charm and good taste -- yet.

This is a disc of twentieth-century American works for flute (or piccolo) and piano (or clarinet). All of the composers are alive, except for Vincent Persichetti, who died in 1987. Schocker's and Lehman's works were written in 2001-02; the remaining works come from 1944-45 (Lukas Foss's Three American Pieces) and 1981 (Katherine Hoover's Medieval Suite). (The Persichetti date is not given.) Apparently only the Foss and Hoover have been recorded previously; I have not heard earlier recordings.

All these works are in a tonal language that will be accessible to most listeners. The most challenging, oddly enough, is Hoover's Medieval Suite, which is some 22 minutes long. It was inspired by a book about fourteenth-century France, and there are allusions to Guillaume de Machaut and Sumer is icumen in, among other things. Foss's work comes from his first decade in the United States, when he was actively interested in American folk culture. Indeed, this work would not be out of place in Copland's oeuvre. Persichetti's Parable is based on a hymn tune, and the composer takes that single idea and works it, with bird-like twitterings, over the course of three minutes. A Fond Farewell -- Meditations on September 11 is just that, and I was pleased that Gary Schocker eschewed a Big Statement in favour of intimacy, comfort and durability. Airheads is more outgoing. It is not about absent-minded wind players, although they do 'blow air through their heads'.

Jeannine Dennis is next in the line of great American flute virtuosos, right up there with Julius Baker, Paula Robison, and Ransom Wilson. Philip Amalong, who accompanied her on an earlier disc, is solid, as is Dawn Henry, in the humorous Airheads. The sound on the latter piece and on the Persichetti is close; the flute and piano pieces are warmer. Lehman's booklet notes tell you everything you need to know.

Raymond S. Tuttle

American Record Guide

May/June 2005 Issue

This is an engaging collection of modern and contemporary American pieces for flute and piano. Several of these works are homages and pastiches. Mark Lehman's Three Souvenirs, from 2002, include a gentle, lovely 'Minuet in Honor of Gabriel Fauré, a perkier, drier 'Souvenir de Prokofieff', and a lyrical 'Barcarolle on a Theme of Giacomo Puccini.' The latter, the most haunting of the souvenirs, is based on the opening "river" melody in Puccini's Tabarro, but the melodic shape and flute coloring are also reminiscent of the opening motif in Ravel's Introduction and Allegro. All three souvenirs have a bittersweet elegance and poise, invoking the spirit of their dedicatees in a voice of their own. Lehman, who contributed the authoritative annotations for this release, writes for ARG.

Other pieces have a melancholy neo-tonality not unlike Lehman's. Gary Schocker's Fond Farewell: Meditations on September 11, is a quiet, unassuming tribute to those who lost their lives, with no hint of anger or an ideological agenda. The earliest work, Lukas Foss's Three American Pieces, by turn lyrical and spirited, invoke a Coplandesque innocence and openness, with more than a hint of Rodeo. Katherine Hoover's 1981 Medieval Suite, the lengthiest work, has as its centerpiece an elaborately lyrical movement called 'On the Betrothal of Princess Isabelle of France, Aged Six Years', a piece used in the PBS special, "The Artist Was a Woman."

The collection also includes some fast playful pieces: Hoover's 'Demon's Dance', the finale of her suite; Vincent Persichetti's bright 'Parable XII' for piccolo, based on an original hymn tune; and Gary Schocker's comical 'Airheads', a set of bagatelles for flute and clarinet.

Flutist Jeannine Dennis meets the daunting technical demands of these easily and plays the more song-like works with varied tone and limpid reserve. Philip Amalong's pianism is sensitive and nuanced; especially in Lehman's Souvenirs. Rounding out a gratifying picture is a resonant, realistic recording: listen, for example to the brilliant sound at the rousing end of Foss's 'Composer's Holiday'. The Schocker, Persichetti, and Lehman works are premiere recordings, giving this release an added importance.

JACK SULLIVAN

Music for Flute and Piano

American Record Guide, January 2004

Music for Flute and Piano

MARTINU, LIEBERMANN, TAKTAKISHVILI: Flute Sonatas; BARTOK: Suite Paysanne Hongroise

Jeannine Dennis, Philip Amalong

Eroica 3052 65 minutes

The Lowell Liebermann and Bohuslav Martinu sonatas are (deservedly) played and recorded so much these days that they've established themselves as classics in the modern flute-and-piano recital literature along with the works in the same genre by Poulenc, Dutilleux, Prokofieff, Hindemith, Piston, and perhaps two or three more. These are polished and sensitive performances but I doubt that many flute aficionados won't already have several recordings.

It's the less-often-heard items that will make this recital so appealing to most collectors. Suite Paysanne Hongroise is a 13-minute cycle of 14 short folk songs and dances originally set down by Bartok for solo piano and later arranged for flute and piano by Paul Arma, a Hungarian-born French composer who studied with Bartok in the 1920s. It's sometimes easy to forget, especially when listening to his astringent string quartets, how skillful and subtle Bartok's handling of more traditional material could be. As in all master composers the harmonies are endlessly inventive yet unforced and compelling in their logic. The songs are lovely and poignant, the dances sprightly and vivacious; a perfect blend of simplicity and sophistication. My guess is that it's only this suite's lack of virtuosic display that has kept flutists from programming it more often.

Also inspired by indigenous melodies, though neoclassic in spirit and form, is Otar Taktakishvili's 1968 Sonata. This delightful and melodious creation, very much in the tradition of such skillful Soviet-era craftsmen as Kabalevsky and Rakov, has rarely appeared on disc (the only other recording I know of is Jeanne Baxtresser on Cala 512) but merits more attention. Outer allegros are bright and playful, the enchanting central cantabile sweetly touching.

Flutist Jeannine Dennis and her accompanist Philip Amalong display an ideal partnership; they play with assurance, intelligence, and complete sympathy with the music. The recording is clear, strong, and immediate.

MARK LEHMAN

Classical Music Web

From the first haunting moments of the first selection I knew that this was going to be an album that would hold my attention and speak with quiet intensity. I was unfamiliar with the work, composer and players, but even without any foreknowledge the quiet intensity grabbed and held me, demanding attention and rewarding the experience with a gripping musicality.

The album begins with Lowell Liebermann's Sonata for Flute and Piano, a brilliant work in two parts. The work is modern, colorful, and intense. Throughout, it hearkens to The Rite of Spring with the churning piano laying the foundation for the soaring melodies of the flute. The first movement begins with an introspective melody that twice explodes dramatically into a rash of frenetic energy before recapitulating to the original theme at the end. The second movement is short and virtuosic - quickly becoming a staple of the flute literature. That status is certainly deserved, as it is simply a marvelous work, and skillfully executed here.

The next fourteen tracks are selections from Bela Bartók's "Suite Paysanne Hongroise", which was a result of his study of Hungarian folk music. It was originally written for solo piano. Paul Arma later reset these works for flute and piano, and Dennis and Amalong beautifully and skillfully execute his arrangement here. I readily admit my love for Bartók's music, but that can cause me to be very critical of poor renditions of his work. Here the five folk

songs and nine dances presented are tastefully and credibly executed.

Next is Otar Taktakishvili's Sonata for Flute and Piano. The Russian work is in three contrasting movements, and is certainly a wonderful discovery. I was again unfamiliar with both the composer and the work, but the performance here presented has made me want to find more of his work; surely one of the greatest compliments. The second movement is pensive nestled between two relatively energetic selections that allow both musicians to extend themselves. Ms. Dennis and Mr. Amalong carry this off with flair.

In short, this album has been a wonderful voyage of discovery for me. The works I was familiar with were wrapped in new trappings with the flute taking the lead. However, the majority of the pieces were new to me, and this imposed discovery is one that I am particularly grateful for. The musicianship of the performers is unquestionable, and the selections made are impeccable. The money spent on this album is well worth it as any lover of chamber music will quickly find it to be one of their favorites. I cannot recommend this album more highly.

Patrick Gary
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2004/Jan04/Flute_Piano_Amalong.htm

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