May 18, 2018

  • Exploring Western Theater Acoustics

     

    The Fifth Row: An Acoustic Tour of Historic Theaters
    Stuart Weber, guitar.
    Ravello Records 7988
    Total Time:  35:11
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    In The Fifth Row, guitarist Stuart Weber takes us on a fascinating journey across the Rocky Mountain Western United Stated in unique venues from Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.  Each of the eleven works on the album was recorded in a different theater.  These historic venues, many a century old, were chosen for their unique acoustic qualities and in some cases for their availability before the wrecking ball brings them to the ground.  If one has ever traveled about the West, one can find many of these old “opera houses” often constructed in the days of traveling vaudeville to early silent and eventually sound films.  Some have been repurposed over the years or destroyed, others have hung on as concert venues for the often small communities.  Ravello’s website for the album includes more extensive information about each venue and its history which is a fascinating read all its own.

    A Montana native, Weber’s concept album carefully selects works that he felt would bring out the unique sound qualities of each hall.  The resulting program includes several of Weber’s own compositions, as well as music from the Baroque, Romantic, and 20th Centuries, including a final track of Ward’s America, the Beautiful.  The program features a couple of Baroque pieces, opening with a Telemann “Bouree Alla Polacca” and later a “Passacaille” by the lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750).  Dvorak’s familiar “Humoreske” (which has a decidedly country feel to it here) and Bartok’s “Evening in the Country” (in a beautifully reflective performance) provide a couple further connections to transcription literature while also fitting well into the concept of the album.  There is even a little rare Randy Newman song from 1977, “Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father.”  These are peppered through the album.

    Five of his own works are featured here that help bridge the folk Americana, and the popular music and classical music realms.  The first of these, “Sacajawea”, has a decidedly reflective feel with a repeated motif and flourish that feel almost Asian in quality in its simple, beautiful melody.  “Spanish Creek” features a more apt flamenco style with tango rhythmic elements demonstrating Weber’s technique in this more familiar guitar style.  There is also a beautiful little Americana piece, “Jefferson Waltz”.  A faster “Toccata-Darkness” picks up the pace a bit and highlights virtuosic talent in this brief work.  Finally, “Walk Away,” brings us a folklike setting of “Wade in the Water.”

    Weber’s recital here features an engaging set of brief pieces that make for a rather engaging listen.  The final “America, the Beautiful” setting brings out the sense of nostalgia for these places and adds a touching final tribute.