January 25, 2017

  • New Chamber Music from the Netherlands

     

    Lines to Infinity: Hans Bakker & Peter Grave
    Cora Greevenbosch, flute.
    Ludmilla Bubenickova, cello. Petr Hladik, flute. Lucie Kaucka, piano.
    Marketa Soldanova, flute. Ales Janecek, clarinet. Gabriela Kummerova, oboe.
    Petr Nouzovsky, cello.
    David Chevalier, narrator.
    Navona Records 6070
    Total Time:  47:58
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    The music on this new Navona release features five works from two composers from the Netherlands: Hans Bakker and Peter Grave.  Each piece here mostly feature flute (though there is one work for cello and piano) in various combinations: unaccompanied, sonata, wind trio, and mixed trio.

    Two shorter works by Hans Bakker open the album.  The first features a solo flute work, Leys/Krachtlijnen, performed by Cora Greevenbosch.  It is a rather lyrical work featuring a few contemporary techniques to provide some additional rhythmic interest as the piece unfolds.  The line supposedly connects to ancient structures by outlining them musically.  A wonderfully lyrical theme graces a stunning little duo for cello and piano, Easy Piece.  The melody line has a rather somber quality with a great little shift into the major.  The last work by the composer is a trio for flute, oboe, and clarinet.  The first movement is a nice “Allegretto” with lots of energy and forward motion.  At the center though is an “Adagio” which plays out for more than half the length of the whole work.  This is followed by an exciting little “Moderato” finale constructed around a fugue.  There is some wit here in the interplay of the two primary solo instruments here especially.

    Peter Grave’s Sonata for flute and piano (2005) is cast in three movements and precedes Baker’s trio.  The opening sonata-form “Vivace” features a row played across a pedal point.  The line certainly has a jagged motion, still tends to stay fairly centered tonally—anchored by the repeated piano note.  The “Adagio” has a more sinuous quality.  The flute line lays out this outer theme, again mostly tonal.  The central section moves into a more atonal section with interesting flutter tonguing techniques before a return to the opening material.  The final movement, “Aksak”, takes inspiration from contemporary Turkish music and is an exciting exploration of unusual asymmetrical meters.

    The final work, by Grave, is for flute, cello, and piano with narrator.  Dialogues is a concept piece focusing on communication, particularly between two lovers (the flute and cello).  The piano serves as a sort of community support network to represent other voices that enter into the dialogue with the two solo instruments.  The movements outline a discourse from an opening discussion, to a more pointed “Dispute”, time for reflection (here with narrative lines between the musical ones), and a celebration of the relationship.

    These are all quite engaging pieces.  Flautists certainly will want to check out this release.  The sonata is certainly something to consider adding to ones’ concert repertory.  The general quality of these pieces shifts between, tonal, modal, and atonal music in ways that still manage to connect to the listener emotionally and create enthralling music.