William Mason(1829-1908)
Solo Works for Piano
Silver Spring, Op.6
Capriccio Fantastico, Op.50
Reverie Poetique, Op.24
Improvisation, Op.51
Valse-Caprice, Op.17
Deux Humoresques de Bal, Op.23
La Sabotiere: Danse aux Sabots, Op.33
Lullaby, Op.10
Badinage, Op.27(Duet)*
Caprice Grotesque, Op.22
Ballade et Barcarolle
Trois Preludes
Amourette, Op.48
Valse de Bravoure, Op.5
Naxos 8.559142
Kenneth Boulton, Piano
JoAnne Barry, Piano*
Recorded 2001/02
TT 78:59
Whether deserved or not, American classical music of the 1800's has
received little attention on record or in the concert hall. If any
record company can redress the matter, it is Naxos which has already
issued about 100 discs in its American Classics series and plans to
issue over 200 recordings by the time the project is complete.
William Mason doesn't have a major reputation; actually, he has no
reputation at all. Born in Boston in 1829, Mason had his performing
debut at the Boston Academy of Music in 1846 and had already begun his
compositional career. As was typical for the time period, Mason went
to Europe in 1849 and spent six years studying under the likes of Ignaz
Moscheles and Franz Liszt.
With the European influence fully absorbed, Mason returned to the
United States in 1854 with full intensions of becoming a concert pianist.
Although he was quite successful at this endeavor, he eventually decided
to branch out into teaching and composition and make New York City his
home base. Mason also published many works concerning peforming on the
piano and clearly loved the teaching aspects of his musical career.
The liner notes to the disc mention the influence that Chopin, Schumann,
Faure, Brahms, and Liszt had on Mason. As such, you won't hear much
of 'Americana' from Mason whose music is derivative and steeped in the
imitation of European models. You also won't hear much intensity, power,
or great emotional depth from Mason who tends to entertain with a salon
atmosphere. However, as the pieces on the disc clearly reveal, Mason's
music does become more introspective and emotionally diverse/incisive
as he ages.
As the Naxos liner notes insightfully point out, Mason's music can be
categorized by three time periods. In the earliest period before the
late 1850's, his works tend toward brilliance and virtuosity as he follows
the examples of the public Liszt; these pieces are very light in mood
and sparkle consistently. The middle period extends to 1890, and we
find Mason's music Chopinesque in nature with a strong touch of melancholy.
In the last period, Mason fully matures as a composer of greater emotional
variety with some sense of harmonic adventure.
Kenneth Boulton is at the controls and is joined by his wife for
"Badinage". Boulton, born in Seattle, performs often as a soloist and
chamber musician. He has toured in Europe and specializes in American
music; another Naxos disc finds Boulton performing Elie Siegmeister's
solo piano music. Boulton and his wife have performed as a duo for many
years in the four-hand repertoire, and it must be nice to have your
love-interest on tour with you. As for me, I don't tour and I've never
heard of Boulton or anyone else in his family - but I don't get out much.
That's one of the secrets to extensive reviews; the other secrets must
be kept locked away if I can ever figure out what they are.
Back to immediate matters, how we react to music of obscure composers
usually depends on our expectations. "I hope he's as good as Liszt and
Schumann" will likely result in disappointment, and there is no doubt
that Mason is not in their league.
I personally went into Mason's music with not much optimism, and I came
out very pleased with his music and my time spent on it. Mason's a
lyrical guy with a penchant for catchy themes and phrases; his music is
light and quite silky, although melancholy often enters for contrast.
The most important consideration that shows throughout the disc is that
Mason was born to compose for the piano. Every piece of music on the
disc flows beautifully, his understanding of sonority is exceptional,
and spacing is about perfect.
Although I don't have or know of any recordings for comparison, it isn't
likely that Mr. Boulton would come up 2nd best. He excellently captures
the essence of each of Mason's three periods; the early period sparkles
and is full of the salon atmosphere, the middle period turns on the
melancholy, and the greater complexity and richness of Mason's last
period are given full measure. Best of all, Boulton provides the fluid
continuity and lightness which is so important in Mason's delightful
music which is often in the dance mode.
The recorded sound is exemplary. Its richness is equally matched by
its clarity, and I love the balanced bass response. Naxos has greatly
improved its piano sound in recent years to the point where it contributes
to a listener's enjoyment. Mason, Boulton, and those who obtain the
disc get the benefits of the upgrade.
One more thing before moving on to specfics. With the exception of the
Trois Preludes, these are not miniatures. Each piece is over 3 minutes,
and Valse de Bravoure extends to over 9 minutes. Therefore, Mason can't
simply come up with a nice theme, repeat it, and move to the next piece.
The musical length mandates interludes, 2nd sections, subsidiary themes,
and introductions - in other words, the music requires variety.
Here are a few particulars:
The disc begins and ends with two early-period Mason works. Considered
his signature piece, Silver Spring is an enticing piece of music which
sparkles throughout. It begins with a Lisztian introduction full of
flourishes, arperggios, and strong declarations. Without transition,
the primary theme enters, and it's a lovely and soft-spoken one built
on the most subtle shades of heroism and triumph. After its repeat, an
extended interlude takes over which instills some strong and public
drama. Then, the primary theme returns and ends the piece in a most
uplifting manner. I can hear why Silver Spring is Mason's signature
piece; the music sticks in the memory and has abundant variety for its
length.
The last track, Valse de bravoure, is the other early Mason work on the
program as well as the longest. A caressing introduction built mainly
on shimmering descending lines leads into an old-fashioned waltz which
certainly keeps my foot tapping with its infectious rhythm and good
cheer. Also, Mason instills sufficient variety to easily handle the
nine minute length.
Most of the works on the disc come from Mason's middle period. We
find that the exuberance from the earlier works is toned down greatly
and replaced by an exquisite melancholy. Although the music from this
period is very good, I have a little problem with the connection to
Chopin. From my view, Mason gets so wrapped-up in Chopin's style, that
he neglects to further the individual voice which was starting to emerge
in his early works. The Lullaby, Valse-Caprice, and Ballade & Barcarolle
are Chopin sound-alikes except at a lower of inspiration; emulating
others always kills the creative juices. However, even in these three
works, Mason always delivers a finely honed product displaying his
affinity for piano writing.
Mason makes some big strides forward in his late period. He manages
to extricate himself from the Chopin obsession and even take a few
adventurous paths in his compositional style. There is now some harmonic
stretching which adds layers of meaning and complexity to Mason's music.
Always well-versed in making very attractive music, his late pieces are
particularly engaging with more meat on them than the works from his
earlier periods.
Don's Conclusions: A highly entertaining disc which is sure to please
piano music enthusiasts. William Mason isn't some hack composer who
gains through little competition from his countrymen; he's a very
accomplished writer of the European strain who offers delightful and
expertly crafted music. With exceptional sound and performances added
to the mix, I strongly urge you to consider a disc which just might be
the perfect antidote to a hard day at work; you can even grab a partner
and dance till dawn.
Don Satz
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