Johnson: The Prince’s Almain and Other Dances for Lute. Nigel North, lute – Naxos 8.572178 (60 minutes).
Born about 1583, Robert Johnson was a contemporary of another great lutenist, Robert Dowland (c.1590-c.1640). What they had in common is that both their fathers, both named John, were also famous lutenists, who served during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Following the death of his father in 1594, the young Johnson was taken under the care of a certain Sir George Carey, who oversaw his education, including music. In 1597 Carey became Lord Chamberlain to Elizabeth and was patron of the acting company to which Shakespeare belonged. This created a vital artistic influence on the composer, who went on to write songs and music for this elite group of actors, including Shakespeare’s plays.
Another strong influence was Henry, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) and son of King James I, whose untimely death at the tender age of 18 was considered by many, including Johnson, as a great tragedy for England, as Henry showed great promise as a future monarch. Indeed, Prince Henry was a pupil of the composer, and The Prince’s Almain was dedicated to him.
Johnson’s surviving lute music is a collection of around 24 pieces, and although the use of old forms is not discarded, many of these miniatures lean towards the more expansive, lyrical style that was to flourish in the Baroque period. Johnson’s lute music must have been very popular in court circles, as researchers have brought to light several arrangements for keyboard, and this has helped in no small way for the survival of these delectable gems.
Nigel North is a fine exponent of this particularly fragile sound world, and his lightness and wit of interpretation are joyfully elusive from start to finish.
Bax: The Princess’s Rose Garden and other piano works. Ashley Wass, piano – Naxos 8.557769 (66 minutes).
Although Arnold Bax (1888-1953) is best known for his symphonic poems and seven symphonies, he also wrote a substantial number of piano pieces. Indeed, it was through this instrument that Bax was introduced to music, and throughout his career he was a renowned keyboard player, with a natural flair for virtuosity. His early music arose from improvisations and from playing the latest orchestral scores, but although not a regular concert pianist, he was occasionally called on to perform modern music when more famous names failed to oblige.
This was a sort of blessing in disguise, as in February 1909 we find Bax as an accompanist in Debussy songs in the composer’s presence, and in January 1914 he did the same for Schoenberg’s songs when the booked pianist withdrew at the last moment.
While the four large-scale piano sonatas are the cornerstone of the composer’s piano oeuvre, there is also a varied and delightful repertoire of shorter pieces. These include highly characteristic atmospheric miniatures which mostly have echoes of Debussy and Scriabin, and also alternative versions of scores which are more familiar in their orchestral guise, as well as a small number of short late piano pieces which remained unpublished during his lifetime.
This disc also includes a number of pieces written specifically for Harriet Cohen, an 18-year-old with whom Bax was having a passionate love affair just as World War I was about to break out. The young British pianist Ashley Wass performs this music with confidence and precision, and his subtle accentuations give voice to all of Bax’s colourful imagination, which is the hallmark of all his compositions.
A highly satisfying issue, which should enhance the appreciation of a composer who now seems to have been relegated to the second tier of British music.
Roussel: Symphony No. 2; Pour une fête de printemps; Suite in F. Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Stephane Deneve – Naxos 8.570529 (69 minutes).
Born in Tourcoing, France, on April 5, 1869, Albert Roussel is considered as a total outsider in French music, but he was a highly gifted young student, and by the time of his death on August 23, 1937, he had taken the plunge on almost every style of his era before forging his own personal voice.
His early manhood was spent in the French Navy, during which he visited the Near East and China, but in 1894 he left the life of a sailor to settle in Paris and study music in earnest. After entering the Schola Cantorum in 1898 to study with Vincent d’Indy, he was invited, four years later, to take over the counterpoint class, during which a whole generation of composers as diverse as Satie, Varese and Martinu benefited from his teaching abilities.
Roussel was always tormented by elusive perfection, and as a result, all that was composed during the 1890s was destroyed. He only made his debut as a composer in 1903, after which his catalogue of works started to pick up at a steady pace.
In 1930 he made a triumphant visit to America, but failing health took its toll on travelling and composition, and following a heart attack, he died at Rayon in 1937 aged 68.
The three works on this disc date from the transitional phase (1921-26) during which Roussel’s mature idiom found its distinct shape. Most important of these is the Second Symphony, and with its densely intricate orchestration and wide range of expression it remains one of his most attractive pieces.
Pour une fête de printemps was composed simultaneously with the symphony, and many consider it as a preparation for the larger work. Its colourful and luminous string textures punctuated by animated passages aptly convey the image evoked by the title, and the work remains one of Roussel’s most imaginative pieces.
With its taut and economy in design, the Suite in F has a distinctly contemporary feel, and is a prime example of the composer’s mature style.
All three performances capture the soul of the music and Deneve’s energetic handling serves Roussel’s cause with unflinching dedication.
A disc full of refreshing surprises that highlights a composer with a perfectionist’s ear. Recommended.
These CDs were made available for review by D’Amato Record Shop of 98/99 St John Street, Valletta.