 |
Deze cd is geproduceerd met het doel om in geluid hedendaagse muziek beschikbaar te stellen die speciaal is geschreven voor Engelse Concertina.
In de hoop dat het anderen ook zal inspireren tot het componeren.
Muziek gecomponeerd door:
Richard Williams componeerde diverse stukken voor concertina. Tween van zijn stukken voor piano en concertina staan op deze cd: Summer Song en Nocturne.
Chris van de Kuilen en Pauline de Snoo componeerden gezamenlijk Concertina Scape tijdens hun studie aan Fontys Conservatorium.
Het is een stuk in vier delen dat doet denken aan de sfeer in een grote stad, bijvoorbeeld de stilte van de vroege ochtend, het verkeer tijdens de spits,
de vormgeving van de stad, romantiek van een hete zomermiddag.
Oliver Hunt (1934-2000) doceerde compositie en guitaar aan de Royal College of Music in Londen. Hij componeerde Song of the Sea in 1985, opgedragen aan
Douglas Rogers. Veel van het melodische materiaal komt uit het zeemanslied "Windy old weather", alhoewel het thema niet volledig te horen is tot het einde.
Het is een soort programma muziek met passages waarin het geluid van de rustige golven, zeemeeuwen die zweven in de lucht enz. te horen is.
Hazel Leach, componeerde Webworks eerst en enkele jaren later de twee liederen voor trio (voice, concertina, piano): Selfportrait en Sting in the Tale. She originally wrote the songs for the Big Band United Women's Orchestra, of which she is also one of the conductors and bandleaders.
Keith Amos kreeg opdracht van Douglas Rogers in 1987 om een stuk te schrijven met de titel "Compositae".
CD review by Paul Walker as published in CW 459 2014.
Within 70 seconds of loading this CD, I was aware that I had stumbled across what I consider a ground-breaking album. One that, without fuss,
bypasses all the hyperbole, by delivering music written and played by the concertina, for 20th century and 21st century sensibilities.
Of the eight compositions on the CD only two were written pre the Millennium; however it says little for my awareness of the music scene
in that the CD was produced in 2008 and so it has taken me six years to find out and enjoy it.
The concertina player is Pauline de Snoo, ably and dexterously accompanied by Chris van de Kuilen on piano. Two songs are interpreted by Katrien Verheijden.
I love traditional folk ballads, but these songs deal with 21st century existence without the triteness of a pop song.
It is difficult to describe the genres: at a guess I would say modern jazz/classical. Chord progressions and melodic structures are unfamiliar,
whilst the full range of the 48 key English concertina is used. Even the bat squeaks at the top of the keyboard!
The CD reminds me in parts of Escalator over the Hill by Carla Bley. Yet it is not remote or dissonant.
The melodies and tempo are far from folk music, or my usual listening fare - roots rock rhythms. It is a source of regret to me that the concertina
is so little utilised in this area, although the bands playing in Bolivia and South Africa encourage me to look for more.
The playing throughout is expert; recording is crystal clear and the timbre of the concertina is a delight. One track is reminiscent
of a French accordion, in others its metal ended tone is mercury bright, rising and falling on melodies that are emotional without
being melodramatic or hackneyed. Even dense concertina chords, which can be spoiled on some models/boxes by overtones, ring true.
I only have one complaint - why has it taken so long for a follow-up CD!
Pauline de Snoo is self-effacing as regards credits on the sleeve. However this CD is a tour-de-force by her:
the playing staccato or legato where required. Her style is fluid yet classically restrained - not the easiest thing to do on the English concertina.
I am aware of no other CD that so clearly states, "Composers - you have another voice, another colour in your palate;
the concertina is ready to express jazz and modern classical, whatever genre you choose to express yourself in."
|
