Imaginary

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 (1806) (approx. 45-50 minutes), is an extended musical study of the movement of life, in blissful harmony. “Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, the ‘King of Concertos’, the ne plus ultra of fiddling ambition, occupies a place of such transcendent glory in the musical firmament that its eminence is seldom disputed. It has become customary to accept it as the unparalleled model of concerto construction, the keystone of the violin repertory.” Beethoven had written to the young violinist he later chose to perform the work’s premier: “Continue along the road on which you have already made such a fine and magnificent journey. Nature and art have combined to make a great artist of you . . .” “What makes Beethoven’s Concerto different from all the other violin concertos of his time is its enormously enlarged sense of space. With four symphonies behind him he now thought instinctively in the extended paragraphs of symphonic structure and was able to create a broad horizon within which his themes can be extended in leisurely fashion and adorned by graceful elaborations from the soloist.” With many works of music, particularly this concerto, comparative listening can be fascinating. Most of the violinists whose performances are linked below have performed this masterpiece many times; the links are to what are arguably their finest performances. Live performances can be seen and heard, performed by Vengerov, Hahn & Perlman. Top audio-recorded performances, with comments drawn from the July 2020 Gramophone review, are by Kreisler & Blech (charming) in 1926, Huberman & Szell (multi-colored) in 1934, Heifetz & Toscanini (on fire) in 1940, Francescatti & Ormandy (rich sound) in 1950, Oistrakh & Cluytens (unforced ebb and flow) in 1959, Schneiderhan & Jochum (shining tone) in 1962, Ferras & Karajan (elegant and luxurious) in 1967, Menuhin (poetic) in 1971, Perlman & Giulini (sweet-toned) in 1972, Grumiaux & Colin Davis (supple) in 1974, Mutter & Karajan (voluptuous) in 1980 (mvt 1; mvt 2; mvt 3), Chase & Goodman (lyrical beauty) in 1992, Mullova & Gardiner (class, crackle & cohesion) in 2002, Vengerov & Rostropovich (silver-toned) in 2005, Kopatchinskaja & Herreweghe (an eccentric fireball of energy) in 2008, Jansen & Paavo Järvi (beautifully shaped & colored) in 2009, Faust & Abbado (wide color palettes) in 2010 ***, Gould & Sinfonietta Riga (tender, with finesse) in 2014, Ehnes & Manze (fascinating articulation) in 2016, Tetzlaff & Ticciati (feisty) in 2018, and Lozakovich & Gergiev in 2020 (brilliant and nurturing).

• Beethoven’s humanism is apparent from the first movement's opening bars (00:45), as the orchestra announces the primary theme, which is thoroughly life-affirming in the highly resolved D major key. When the violin soloist joins the party (4:23), he pauses for a time on an extended riff on the theme, and then he and the orchestra explore the main theme and its affirmations throughout the remainder of the first movement (Allegro ma non troppo). There is no need to rush, say the players; life flows in its own time and we along with it.
• The second movement (Larghetto) offers a pause for reflection, contemplation and rest. This, too, is a part of flow. The orchestra sets the peaceful and gentle tone at the outset, and the soloist remains fully in the mood and the moment throughout.
• The third movement (Rondo {Allegro}) is the most forceful and vibrant of the three. It is a full-forward affirmation of a joyful life riding the wave of whatever time and space surrounds us.

Six of Stephan Micus’ albums express the value of living in flow, as suggested by their more active-themed titles (in contrast to the albums expressing reverence), and as reflected in the music. If life is a set of paradoxes, and we are to be the riddle, then living in the flow of life, without demanding to understand it all first, is an important life skill. Here is a list of Micus’ albums on the theme, with links and commentary:

• “Nomad Songs” (2015): the theme is that we are not entirely bound by our bodies and the physical world, but can create our own journey. Track titles suggest this: “Everywhere, Nowhere”, “The Promise”, “The Story”, “The Spring”, “The Feast” and “The Dance”. “As a life's work, Micus' music has, over the years, been predicated on both a distinctive language and sonic universe that represent, perhaps, the most accurate definition of "world music." Nomad Songs may be simpler in concept and sparer in instrumentation than many of Micus' recent recordings, but its emphasis on the introduction of new instruments from countries around the world makes it nothing more than the continuation of that life's work . . .”
• “Bold As Light” (2010): “. . . Bold as Light's overarching tranquility can, for those engaged in the hustle and bustle of modern life, become a welcoming, fifty-minute hiatus from reality, and a chance to consider that it truly needn't be that way.”
• “On the Wing” (2006): “. . . here the voice of the man behind the means comes through his playing rather than his singing.”
• “Towards the Wind” (2002): “Being a perpetual student, Stephan Micus usually makes world music by default. He breathes patience and skill into the exotic instruments he uncovers, but certainly with respectful bending of the rules along the way. Towards the Wind follows in the same exploratory tradition -- educated, but unassuming as to the nature of what an instrument is ‘supposed to do.’ Here, the album evokes an easily digestible cross section of Middle Eastern mysticism -- swirling sand dunes, rust-colored sunsets, and sacred spaces.”
• “Athos: A Journey to the Holy Mountain” (1994), is a spiritually advanced take on journeying. “Inspired by a visit to the holy Greek mountain of Athos, his album of the same name bears traces of . . . a traveler, one whose artistry sees medium and message as one.”
• “Wings Over Water” (1982): “An expressly visual journey that skips across rice paddies, this music moves as water strider on pond, and leaves in its wake the promise of a good harvest.”

Other works:

• Béla Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz 119, BB 127 (1945) (approx. 25’), “begins gently, with the piano unwinding a ruminating melody over a quiet accompaniment.” “The Third Concerto is among the composer’s most lucid and lyrical creations, its graciousness and liquid flow in contrast to the harshness and percussive clamor of its two predecessor piano concertos, dating from 1926 and 1931, both of which the composer wrote for his own performance.” “Bartók composed this piece for his wife Ditta Pásztory . . .” Top performances on disc are by Sándor & Ormandy in 1946, Anda & Fricsay in 1959, Grimaud & Boulez in 2004, Argerich & Bashmet in concert in 2007, Bavouzet & Noseda in 2010, Barto & Eschenbach in 2014.
• Corentin Boissier, Flute Sonata, Op. 23b (2018)
• Eric Ewazen, Trumpet Concerto (1990) (approx. 18’): performance by Helseth displays the flowing sound and feel of a well-played trumpet.

David Murray is a jazz saxophonist whose playing is perhaps best described as flowing: always moving forward assertively but not aggressively, constantly maintaining the interest. This may be due in part to his mastery of circular breathing, which allows him to play long phrases. However, the style is identifiable in the moment. Murray has released more than 150 albums in his own name, many of which are readily available for listening.

Albums:

• Carrick, “The Flow Cycle of Strings”
• Jakob Bro, “Streams”
• Ludovico Einaudi, “Underwater”. Einaudi says: “It came naturally, more than ever before. I felt a sense of freedom to abandon myself and let the music flow differently. I didn’t have a filter between me and what came out of the piano; it felt very pure. The title Underwater is a metaphor – it is an expression of a very fluid dimension, without interference from outside.”
• Ludovico Einaudi, “Le Onde” (The Waves): “It takes as its inspiration the Virginia Woolf novel The Waves and the undulating, hypnotic melody evokes images of the rhythms and patterns of the ocean.”
• Melissa Stylianou, “No Regrets” (2014), “is all about the joy of spontaneity and making the most of the moment.”
• Frank Kimbrough, “2003-2006”, containing the albums “Lullabluebye” and “Play” (2006): “Moving from tumbling ballads to playful waltzes and enigmatic modal pieces, Kimbrough has crafted a challenging, atmospheric, and subtle album that makes the most of his sensitive group's interplay.”