This review of mine appears at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000RV0RAU/classicalnet/
Tsontakis: Man of Sorrows; Sarabesque; Schoenberg: Six Piano Pieces,
Op. 19; Webern: Variations, Op. 27; Berg: Piano Sonata, Op. 1
Stephen Hough, piano; Andrew Litton, Dallas SO
Hyperion CDA67564
5/5 stars
An Instant Classic
This CD containing George Tsontakis's 'Man of Sorrows', with Stephen
Hough, piano, and the Dallas Symphony under Andrew Litton, was released
some time ago in Europe but released only today in the US. I had an
early copy of it from England and have been living with it for the past
month or so. I grow more and more enamored of it each time I hear it.
The piece was premiered in Dallas in 2005 and got very good press at the
time. Since its European release it has created immense buzz among those
in the know. Could this be the next classical blockbuster like, say,
Henryk Gorecki's Third Symphony or Einojuhani Rautavaara's 'Cantus
Arcticus'? Who knows? But I wouldn't bet against that notion.
George Tsontakis is a New Yorker in his mid-50s whose music I've been
following for more than twenty-five years. I have yet to hear anything
of his that isn't worthwhile. I'm particularly fond of his Four Symphonic
Quartets, his piano quartets and his solo piano 'Ghost Variations', the
latter also recorded by Stephen Hough. His style has evolved over the
years and in latter times his music has been exploring paths initiated
by Olivier Messaien. He brings to this absolutely gorgeous manipulation
of sound a devotion to and gestural nod to masterpieces of the past.
In the present work there is direct quotation of that motif Beethoven
inscribed 'Muss es sein? ... Es muss sein' ('Must it be? ... It must
be') from his last string quartet, the Op. 135. As well use is made
of a brief harmonic sequence from the Diabelli Variations. 'Man of
Sorrows' is partly in illustration of the religious inspiration of this
work, the passion and crucifixion of Christ, particularly as depicted
on a Byzantine ikon Tsontakis had seen in a Metropolitan Museum exhibit
in 1997. (The striking booklet cover illustration of a crucifix is,
however, by artist Anthony Mastromatteo.)
Musically 'Man of Sorrows' is more tone poem with prominent piano obbligato
than classic piano concerto. Much of the piano part resides in the
highest register of the instrument and there is often a birdsong-like
quality to the right hand figurations. There is also considerable
pianistic bell sound. All this is against a harmonically luxurious,
usually slow-moving velvety chordal orchestral backdrop. Much of the
music is pensive, but there are passionate climaxes, sometimes implying
chaotic upheaval. There is no clear narrative thread, although the six
movements have subtitles that connote aspects of Christ's passion and
crucifixion. The overall effect of this almost 40-minute work is one
alternately of devotion, dread, anguish, joy and acceptance. It is
hypnotic in effect. Stephen Hough's playing is simply magnificent and
the orchestral accompaniment shows the Dallas orchestra, one of our
finest, at its best. Sound is demonstration quality.
The rest of the CD contains solo piano music played by Hough. He
gives us a non-romanticized performance of the Berg Sonata, one with
plenty of backbone. And we get two other brief classics from the Second
Viennese School: Schoenberg's Sechs kleine Klavierstuecke, Op. 19 (1911)
and Webern's Variations for Piano, Op. 27 (1935-6) in exemplary
performances.
The CD concludes with a six-minute bijou by Tsontakis, his 'Sarabesque'
(named for its dedicatee, Houston pianist Sarah Rothenberg, and previously
recorded by her). Hough gives this delicate bagatelle a pellucid reading.
Most urgently recommended!
Scott Morrison
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