Search - Gidon Kremer, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Georgs Pelecis :: From My Home

Nostalgic and hauntingly beautiful 20th century music

Tienauhchan@hotmail.com | Dublin | 01/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From first hearing the deeply moving opening piece "ELEGIE" by Dvarionas I knew this is something of a very special recording. One of Kremer's most successful discs, he poured out his whole heart in each of these very interesting contemporary music. All the pieces hear are very easy to listen even for those who don't normally like 20th century music. Beautiful melodies without being too conventional, this is music for the soul & spirit. Though the music here is much more extrovert and direct than the mystical and spiritual music of Pärt, there is an inner spirituality in much of the music offered by these composers on this disc. There is much nostalgia in the music, especially in "NEVERTHELESS", a piece written by Kremer's friend for him and is the most touching piece in the program. Intense and even painful moments are found in "MUSICA DOLOROSA". It is a very moving piece, thanks also to the great contribution by the solo cellist, Francoux. FRATES, the most often played work here, has a mysterious haunting effect, typical that of Pärt. The most modern compositions are the GRASSHOPPER DANCES and CONVERSIO, very fun pieces that seem to be tailor-composed to Kremer's vivacious playing style, but may sound rather chaotic to the untrained ear, and towards the end of CONVERSIO the repeated conversations between the violin and piano can seem endlessly tiring. Needless to say, Kremer is faultless throughout, intense and concentrated without being over-sentimental. Delivering nostalgic and often haunting music with many personal touches, I cannot imagine how else they can be played. Recorded sound is beautiful throughout and realistically balanced. A great introduction to 20th century music and music of Northern Europe!"

Kremer's genius and heart poured into this six star CD

Craig Matteson | Ann Arbor, MI | 08/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this disk a few years back after I heard "Fratres" on the radio. Somehow I had never run across this piece and it stunned me. Now, like a word you have just learned and hear everywhere, I realize how popular and well known it is. But it was new to me then and it is what led me to this great disk.As I listened to the other pieces I was exceptionally pleased. They are all written after the Second World War and most of the composers were still living when the disk was made (and likely are still with us). Kremer's notes mentions that he knows most of them and went to school with some. However, none of the music has the sound of the serialist movement that was so dominant in the fifties and sixties (not that that is bad, just don't expect that sound). Much of it is downright tonal, if not common practice era style.All of the pieces are of different character. The opening Elegie is beautiful and quite a romantic piece. Pärt's "Fratres" is wonderful and full of interesting colors, rhythms, and effects. The Partita is edgy and the most "modern" sounding (in the old fashioned sense of "modern"), but that is not pejorative, it is quite beautiful.The "Music Dolorosa for String Orchestra" is simply great, dark, and even delicious."Nevertheless" takes up a large part of this disk. I have to admit to being attracted to this piece and yet its simplicity and purposeful naiveté seem to not allow me to become fully involved in the whole 27 minutes. When the piano is playing simple major scales as accompaniment it jars me out of the piece. And yet, it is such an attractive piece with so many wonderful aspects along with Kremer's magnificent playing, that I have to recommend it and enjoy listening to it.The short pieces by Pakidis are attractive.The "Conversio" is quite good and despite being the most recent is absolutely accessible and tonal in interesting ways. The piece is very rhythmic and almost minimalistic with the repetitions that term implies without becoming sonic water torture. It is interesting and fun throughout.It is such a great disk that I wish I could give it six stars. Enjoy! I would love you to email me your comments after you have heard the disk."

First-Class Effort

Karl W. Nehring | Ostrander, OH USA | 07/25/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The packaging of this Teldec release bears a striking resemblance to ECM's style, with similar cover art. Recall also that violinist Gidon Kremer played on Tabula Rasa, the first Arvo Pärt recording to make it big in the U.S., along with pianist Keith Jarrett (an ECM recording). At any rate, all cosmic connections and coincidences aside, what we have here is music in the same vein as much of the ECM jazz, but instead of being jazz music written largely by Scandinavian musicians in a chamber-jazz idiom, this is music written in a classical chamber music idiom by composers from the Baltic states.



Lithuanian composer Balys Dvarionas's Elegie is the most traditional-sounding piece on the CD, starting things off with warmth and depth of feeling. Arvo Pärt's Fratres has been recommended in these pages in many versions over the years (there is a wonderful Telarc disk that has several different arrangements plus some other Pärt music) and is always a pleasure to hear. Barkauskas's Partita comprises five short movements that contrast nicely with each other. Vasks's Musica Dolorosa is a richly expressive and dramatic piece for string orchestra. Pelecis's Nevertheless is a wistful piece that makes good use of the expressive contrasts between the plaintive piano and pleading violin. At nearly 28 minutes, it forms the centerpiece of the recording. Plakidis's Grasshopper Dances last barely two minutes, providing a quick but entertaining bridge to the final composition, Tuur's Conversio for Violin and Piano, a fascinating duet for violin and piano by a former rock and roller turned classical composer.



In all, this is a nicely varied program of music that shares a common ethos, and the liner notes by Kremer, although brief, are interesting and informative. This is another first-class musical effort from a first-class musician, Gidon Kremer."