CD Review

New York Chamber Players: Works of Franci, Koenig, Quilling, and Schlenck
CRS CD 1395
The main theme statement of Franci's Three Variations on a Theme of Michael Levy is almost deliberately reminiscent of a
movie score by Philip lass or !ichael "yman# the simplicity of the theme $an arpe%%iated minor triad& at first calls for
s'ch a stable te(t're) This te(t're be%ins to fall apart in small dissonant *ays+ still ret'rnin% to the arpe%%iated minor triad#
b't the center cannot hold+ and soon the dissonant inter,ections be%in to ta-e over)
The first variation still plays *ith "ymanes.'e te(t'res+ comin% apart a%ain thro'%h fre.'ent polytonal inter,ections from
*inds and strin%s) The mood has been s'fficiently altered by the middle of the variation that the piano has tro'ble findin%
the minor triadic material it started o't *ith+ and hi%hly dissonant material is no* consistently laced thro'%ho't the rest of
the variation)
The second variation maintains the instability introd'ced in the first+ the minor triad dissolvin% in a cascade of 'nsteady
scales and te(t'res) /y the middle of the movement the mood has ran%ed far and *ide+ and finally pa'ses on a ni%htmarish
cl'ster chord in the orchestra+ a'%mented by .'asi0improvisational dissonance in the piano)
The final variation+ especially "ymanes.'e at be%innin%+ is yet 'nstable for all its simplicity) Te(t'res and moods have
become consistently sharp and dis,'nct# and this mood is consistent to the end)
1 *or- of drama thro'%h harmony and te(t're# a chiarosc'ro transformation from li%ht to dar-) 1s a m'sician involved in
classical improvisation+ 2 especially appreciate the aforementioned introd'ction of .'asi0improvisational materials)
3oeni%'s Adagio, a st'dent *or-, is essentially a /aro.'e0style movement *ith fe* references to m'sic *ritten after 1455)
6o*ever+ it is a s-illed st'dy in earlier styles of m'sic)
The 3oeni% Concertino loo-s to the late0Romantic period after 1455) 1%ain+ the lan%'a%e is conservative) The cellist 3alin
2vanov plays very m'ch in the spirit of the *or-+ reali7in% *ell the cafe te(t'res of the second movement Andante, and the
/rahmsian third movement Allegro $*hich itself is a nice trib'te to /rahms&)
6o*ard 8'illin% attended00as did 2009C Santa /arbara+ *here he st'died *ith my teachers :mma ;o' Diemer and Peter
Racine Fric-er) The first movement of the Woodwind Quintet mi%ht be a combination of the styles of those t*o composers
<the lyricism of Diemer+ and the post0*ar 6indemithian eccentricities of Fric-er)
The second movement is perhaps more reco%ni7ably 1merican+ evo-in% Piston and Persichetti+ and is a *istf'l postcard to
that time in 1merican composition bet*een the *ars+ *hen lovely neo0classical slo* movements *ere often framed by
overly0b'sy fast movements) This movement alternates bet*een both tempi+ and to its advanta%e tr'ncates the fast motion
before it becomes overlon%+ brin%in% bac- the *istf'l moments in a trib'te overall -ind to its so'rce material+ and more
s'ccessf'l than m'ch of that m'sic by virt'e of s'ch tr'ncations)
The openin% fanfare of =ohn Schlen-'s Fanfare and Variations starts o't in a promisin%ly va%'e state+ then satisfyin%ly
solidifies its disparate elements before the start of the variations) Thro'%ho't the variations there are elements of
passaca%lia+ monody+ and $increasin%ly& ,a77 'ntil abo't the mid*ay point+ *hen the brass becomes more prono'nced+ and
elements of 2n%olf Dahl and "orman Dello =oio's adept brass and *ind *ritin% come to the fore) 1 st'dy in many contrasts
even more than simply a variation set+ it forms a satisfyin% concl'sion to the CD)
Gregory Hall