Classical Explorations — October 2024

Bohuslav Martinů
The Symphony No. 1, H. 289 – iv. Allegro non troppo
From his birth in the tower of St Jakob’s Church in Poliŭka, Bohemia, Martinů is one of contemporary music’s more eccentric personalities. Recognising his unusual talent the townspeople paid for him to study at the Prague Conservatory decamping to the capital in 1906. Encouraged to focus on composition by none other than Joseph Suk he remained indifferent to his instrumental studies. Despite being expelled from the music conservatory for "incorrigible negligence", he went on to work as a second violinist in the Czech Philharmonic. Here he was exposed to the works of Debussy, who became a huge influence on him. The creative tension between Martinů's profound Czechness and more cosmopolitan influences continued throughout his life, and provides a key to his wonderfully quirky musical language. His symphonies are an alchemic mix of ostinato and a rich harmonic language all bound together with a wonderful sense of phrasing and direction. The finale from his first symphony is full of unusual twists and turns, always angular but always with a firm grip on the musical narrative. This is a sparkling recording on the historic Supraphon label. If you wanted a more modern recording, I’d recommend the BBC Symphony Orchestra recording conducted by Jiri Belohlavek but there is something special about this 1989 recording with the Czech Philharmonic.

John Field
Nocturne No.10 in E Minor
John Field was an influential Irish composer and pianist, who has been credited as the creator of the nocturne as a distinct musical form. Although he wrote music of his era, Field was the first to use the term ‘Nocturne’ for a lyrical melody with arpeggiated and expressive harmonies. Field's early performances garnered acclaim, leading him to settle in Russia, where he became a prominent teacher and performer. This Nocturne in E Minor has the purity of Mozart but with the playfulness of later masters. It is therefore no surprise that Chopin acknowledged inspiration from these works.

Pavel Haas
Wind Quintet, Op.10 – ii. Preghiera
From November 1941, the Czech town of Terezín was used as a concentration camp by the Nazi regime. The number of people deported to this small garrison town increased rapidly. Among them there were numerous artists, some of whom tried to continue writing or performing in the camp. Some of Europe’s most gifted musicians were among those deported to Terezín – pupils and assistants of the great composers of the age, such as Janácek, Zemlinsky, Schönberg and Haba. The promising careers of these composers and conductors were brutally cut short by Nazi barbarism. Nevertheless some of their works have survived until today – including this rather wonderful Wind Quintet by Pavel Haas, a student of Janácek. Haas amalgamated Janácek’s style with Jewish influences from his native Bohemian tradition and elements of jazz. The result was a very individual, powerful, and often polymetric tonal language.

Bernard Herrmann
Psycho – Prelude
With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to explore some of classical music’s darker corners so what better than to start with this classic. In listening to the opening with its striking, iconic chords, I was almost startled with just how similar the soundworld was with my first piece featured here (the finale from Martinu’s symphony). Bernard Herrmann was a prominent film music composer, but other concert works are just as innovative. Born in New York City to Russian immigrant parents, he studied at New York University and the Juilliard School. Herrmann gained fame for his collaborations with directors Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock, notably composing the iconic scores for Citizen Kane (1941) and Psycho (1960). His work revolutionized film music, moving away from traditional techniques to create a unique harmonic style. An Academy Award winner, he left a lasting legacy in both cinema and concert music before his death in 1975.

Bernard Herrmann
Concerto Macabre
Bernard Herrmann's Concerto Macabre is a powerful and haunting work that originated from the 1945 film Hangover Square. Composed for the character of George Harvey Bone, a troubled concert pianist in the film. Herrmann, known for his innovative approach to film scoring, crafted this piece to reflect the protagonist's descent into madness and his eventual violent outburst. The piece exemplifies in my mind Herrmann's ability to blend modern music with dramatic requirements of film music. It showcases his skill in creating atmospheric and psychologically intense music that enhances the narrative and emotional impact of the story.

György Ligeti
Atmospheres
Born in Transylvania, Ligeti fled to Austria in 1956 after the Hungarian Revolution. His music might appear too complex but with a little thought, there can be a way in. The shifting masses of sound are really expertly shaped, vivid and in places, utterly terrifying – perfect for a Halloween special! The shimmering texture of Atmospheres is a particular interest to me and at the points where the music shifts, the narrative feels strong, urgent and certainly very gripping.

Albert Roussel
Symphony No.2 in Bb Major – ii. Modéré
Roussel was a French composer who’s early life was marked by tragedy, as he lost both his parents and grandparents during childhood. Initially drawn to mathematics, Roussel pursued a career in the French Navy, passing the entrance examination for the Ecole Navale in 1887. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. He studied at the Schola Cantorum under Vincent d'Indy, where he was influenced by rigorous academic models such as Palestrina and Bach. This training left a lasting mark on his mature style, characterized by contrapuntal and rhythmic textures which distinguishes Roussel’s writing from his impressionist contemporaries.  This sparkling recording with the brilliant Charles Dutoit brings a strong rhythmic drive that brings the music alive.

Béla Bartók
Transylvanian Dances, Sz.96
Bartók is synonymous with Hungarian folk song and his significant but often overlooked contribution to 20th-century music. Born in Nagyszentmiklós (now Romania), he studied at the Budapest Academy of Music and became a prominent figure in the modernist movement. Bartók emigrated to the United States in 1940, where he continued to compose until his death. The story of the Transylvanian Dances begins in 1915 with a piece for solo piano, initially called Sonatina. Even though Bartók proclaimed Hungarian folk music was superior, his love of all Eastern European folk music was a direct source of inspiration throughout his career. The three movements depict two bagpipes, a bear dance and finally two melodies played by peasant violin players.

Hail Mary
Traditional
I was delighted to find this new release by Capella Romana, a choir from Portland, Oregon on their newly-release album A Ukrainian Wedding. A beautifully curated album with some really interesting notes on the culture of a Ukrainian wedding and listing all the key moments. I would have to leave the experts to decide how authentic this is, but the Hail Mary was a recording which caught my attention and beautifully arranged by Nadia Tarnawsky, guest conductor of the Capella Romana.

Sergei Rachmaninoff
Isle of the Dead
Rachmaninoff needs no introduction, loved for his rich, lush melodies which tug at your heartstrings. This renowned Russian composer and virtuoso pianist wrote some deeply expressive music. But if you asked 10 people to name a work by Rachmaninoff, I can’t imagine many would name this profound tone poem from 1909. Rachmaninoff was deeply moved by Arnold Böcklin’s haunting image of the same name, which depicts a solitary rowboat carrying a coffin towards a desolate island, evoking mythological themes such as the River Styx and the transition to the afterlife. The evocative and hypnotic motif in 5/8 time represents the rowing of the oars. Isle of the Dead is perhaps different from other works by Rachmaninoff, the melodies are more sombre and restrained. The almighty power of this work lies in the building of textures suggesting a metaphorical journey between life and death. The summit of the work is a raging explosion, where the Dies Irae is revealed from the Requiem Mass. This recording by the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev is judged perfectly. The building of the phrases allowing them to surge and wane is utter perfection.

Aaron Copland
Grohg – i. Intro and cortege
Continuing on our Halloween special is this rather wonderful ballet score by Copland written in the 1920s. Written during his student years in Paris, Copland considered the work to be his most ambitious undertaking, but it never saw a production and he later withdrew the score. The ballet tells the story of a sorcerer named Grohg who summons the dead to dance. Inspired by the German expressionist vampire film Nosferatu (1922), the work's style is eclectic with some very interesting musical influences from the Paris scene in the 1920s including of his teacher Nadia Boulanger.

Dobrinka Tabakova
Praise
Dobrinka Tabakova is a Bulgarian-British composer known for her expressive and harmonically rich music. Born in 1980 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, she moved to London at age 11 and later studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. This new release of choral music is persuasively performed by The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, conducted by Mark Williams.

David Darling
Voyager
To finish the October edition of Classical Explorations, I’m turning to the crossover music of David Darling. An influential American cellist and composer, Darling came to prominence as a member of the Paul Winter Consort in the 1970s and as an educator, co-founding Music for People to promote musical improvisation and creativity. This track is an interesting mix of classical, jazz and world music. The hypnotic sounds of the tabla, electronic string instruments evoking the sound of the sarangi.