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American Record Guide

independent critics reviewing classical recordings and music in concert

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March/April 2015

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attracted to Janaceks first draft because he

finds it more spontaneous and emotionally
raw than the rewrites that followed. Brnos
brass players were called on to create some
edgy contrasts between chaos and order that
never made it to Prague. The 39-year-old conductor has put them back in. Off-centered 5to-a-bar rhythms that would later be rounded
off to 4/4 have been reinstated. (Other reconstructions have done this too, I believe.) Convinced that some of Janaceks interpolations
for organ obscure the pungency of his orchestral writing, Netopil has the King of Instruments abdicating its authority at certain junctures. A third timpanist called to duty in
Brnoand then banished from the scorehas
called back. And the 1927 Version concludes
with Janaceks brassy Intrada but doesnt start
with it. (There are versions that begin and end
with that same arresting fanfare.) The music
will sound familiar, but some of the changes
are significant.
Of course, all the fancy musicology in the
world cant bail out an indifferent performance, and here it doesnt have to. Tomas
Netopil gives an exciting and stylish reading
that may be included among the elite recordings of the work. And as the music plays, I find
it next to impossible to concentrate on the
nuances of this version versus that version.
Instead, I find myself surrendering to the great
washes of sound that are built into Janaceks
powerful music, whichever performing edition
is in use. Netopils Introitus is snappy and
brassy, but not at all shrill. (Its a full minute
faster than Ancerls magisterial 1964 account,
also on Supraphon.) The Kyrie begins with real
attitude, and I like soprano Andrea Dankova,
who sings with Slavic tang but without the
Slavic wobble that often accompanies it.
Slava sparkles at the outset, but when its
time for the strings to get nasty theyre happy
to oblige. The tenor contributes his share of
full-throated Slavic cries, but theres less of an
ouch factor to his high notes that youll hear
elsewhere. Frankly, Im sensing a bit of irony in
all this. For while the maestro has chosen a
starker, more visceral, less gussied up edition
of the Mass, he has given us a handsomely
polished, attractively cosmopolitan take on
the music. Its Ancerl whose choir sighs its way
through the Gloria (Slava), whose trumpets
come at you with a steely vengeance, and
whose engineers are in your face with gritty,
close-up sound that doesnt let go. Netopil
treats us to a sonorous choir thats set back in
the sonic frame, to brass with rounded, gleam-

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ing tone, and to soloists who are less pungent

than the East European norm. Its distinguished music-making by any standard, whatever the edition, and I will happily add it to my
shelf, alongside Ancerl and Mackerras.
Sweetening the pot further is The Eternal
Gospel, a Legend for solo soprano and tenor,
choir and orchestra inspired by Jaroslav Vrchlickys poetry. Set by Janacek in 1914, Vrchlickys poem tells the story of a medieval monk
and the angel who reveals to him the coming
of a kingdom of love. The text is pantheistic in
spirit; and Janacek responds with a warm,
flowing score that makes for a delightful contrast with the dense thickets of sound he
whipped up in his Mass. The solos sung by
Alzbeta Polackova and Pavel Cernoch are
much less declamatory, and theres affectionate writing for solo violin and, indeed, for the
entire orchestra. The choir moves radiantly to
the center of the sound stage, finally absolved
of the responsibility of having to cut through
all that overpowering brass. The results couldnt be lovelier.
GREENFIELD

JANDALI: Variations; Syrian Symphony;

Phoenix in Exile

Malek Jandali, p; Russian Philharmonic/ Sergei

Kondrashev; Royal Philharmonic/ David Firman
Malek Jandali 047 minutes
(cdbaby.com; 800-BUY-MYCD)

Malek Jandali (b. 1972) is a Syrian-American

composer and pianist; well, he was born in
Germany but raised in Syria. He blends, intelligently and often tastefully, the melodies of
his homeland with Western classical music in
a solidly tonal, early-20th-Century romantic
style.
The spiky Variations for piano and orchestra bear the marks of Rachmaninoff. The symphony is earnest but still enjoyable; its a little
cheesy, but the Middle Eastern influences do
sound natural and honest. II loses slack when
it drifts from the main theme into a kind of
bouncy lighter section. III is a beautiful
andante. IV doesnt have as interesting tunes
as the other movements, though they are well
developed. Phoenix in Exile is only six minutes, but its the best piece here. It uses the
same sort of Syrian music, but its a cut above
the others, with heart-rending melodies, lush
orchestration, clever transitions, and creative
textures. The sound is better, toothe Royal
Philharmonic plays this one.
Its all good music, not trailblazing, but not
dumbed down, either. It is amusing to read

March/April 2015

that this album was released on January 31,

2015 during (Jandalis) Carnegie Hall performance in New York City where he premiered the
latest chamber works for piano, cello, and
oud. Its January 9 as I write thisIve never
come across post-dated liner notes before. But
I wish him the best for his once-and-future
concert; the chamber music sounds interesting. Notes are in English; sound in the first two
pieces is constricted; the playing is good.
ESTEP

OLIVET: Flute Concerto; Cello Concerto 2;

Bassoon Concerto; Piano Concerto; Symphony 1; 5 Ritual Dances; Rhapsody for 7
Alexander Korneyev, fl; Mstislav Rostropovich, vc;
Valery Popov, bn; Valery Kastelski, p; USSR Symphony/ Andre Jolivet, Valery Polyansky, Gennady
RozhdestvenskyMelodiya 2215 [2CD] 2:18

Andre Jolivet (1905-74) was one of Messiaens

Young France group in the 1930s. His music,
as represented in this healthy cross-section, is
tonal but still enterprising. He had a genius for
colors in what Virgil Thomson would have
approved of as in the best French tradition
economical and transparent yet high in tensile
strength.
The Flute Concerto (1949) has its share of
dissonance, but also heartfelt melody. The solo
part sounds hellishly difficult, but flutist
Alexander Korneyev floats, even soars. In the
Cello Concerto (1966), the solo cello enters
from the bottom of its range. The part
demands a lot of multi-stopping for a more
expressionist effect. Sometimes its position
versus the orchestra suggests a protagonist
winning against opposing forces. Jolivet integrates its several cadenzas into the dialog. In
other words, he actually makes them interesting. Mstislav Rostropovichs intelligent performance responds accordingly.
The Bassoon Concerto (1954) has its
soloist enter from high to low over dense
chords. Jolivet shows real will power in not
having its part imitate Stravinskys Sacre du
Printemps. The player needs to rove over the
whole range of the instrument; Id guess the
parts a bear to perform. Popovs breath control is impressive in some extended staccato
passages in high register. The works ending is
elated and elating.
The Piano Concerto (1950) was originally a
ballet in three symphonic picturesAfrica, the
Middle East and Polynesia. I, with its motor
rhythms and agitated mood suggests Prokofieff. II begins with utmost delicacy of sounds
contrasted with heavy chordal work by soloist

American Record Guide

Valery Kastelsky. Eventually the melody gets

picked out over dense, but soft chords. The
finale, using lots of percussion, tends to sound
more motion than theme, but its still lively.
Symphony 1 (1950) is like Honegger in an
acerbic mood, with good orchestration,
intense at every point. The second subject is
lengthy, with pointillist accompaniment. The
entire movement has terrific momentum, and
even with all its acidity the final effect is bracing. II has sinister, veiled sounds, rather like
the Pagan Night movement from Prokofieffs
Scythian Suite, but well beyond mere imitation. Its the most Russian-sounding movement in the program, and totally convincing.
The finale begins with a trumpet fanfare giving
way to dense, dissonant string harmonies.
Jolivet makes exceptional use of trombone
glissandos in an exciting movement. I fear,
though, that the engineers have clipped the
staccato ending.
The Five Ritual Dances (1939) are more
like mood pieces. Id need a choreographers
advice, but they often seem a bit static for
dancers. At the same time, theyre good listening for anyone who doesnt mind a little headwork with his fun. Initiation proceeds slowly
before it gels into a good theme. II, Heroic,
has galumphing motion over short descending
phrases steadily drawing to a finish. In III,
Funereal, the slow crescendo is powerful. At
their premiere, they were called a French Rite
of Spring. Their piquancy of expression has
some of that quality, but more civilized. The
Rhapsody for Seven (1957) reflects its descriptive titlesDetermined, Hieratic, and Incisive.
That last adjective could apply to this entire
set. Melodiyas sound is fine. Most are concert
performances, but audience noise is minimal
in this off-beat but entirely worthwhile release.
Im making an educated guess on some performers first names, only listed in the notes by
initialsno doubt to avoid a Cult of Personality.
OCONNOR

JONGEN: Alleluia & Hymn; see GUILMANT

JUON: Danish Folk Fantasy; Symphony 2

Moscow Symphony/ Christoph Escher
Sterling 110362 minutes

Paul Juon (1872-1940) was born in Moscow of

a Russian noblewoman and a Swiss father;
thus Sterling lists him as a Swiss postromantic
composer.
His younger brother was Konstantin Yuon,
a Russian Symbolist then Socialist-Realist

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