Delightful, Mostly Light-Hearted, Occasionally Wacky, Music
J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 06/23/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Joshua Rosenblum is a young composer-conductor-pianist who has worked mostly on- and off-Broadway, conducting shows like 'Miss Saigon,' 'The Music Man,' and 'Falsettos.' This CD, which must have been a joy to put together - there is a palpable feeling of 'hey-kids-let's-put-on-a-show' collegiality amongst the numerous musicians involved - contains a variety of chamber music. Rosenblum probably sets a record for using the youngest librettist for his song-cycle, 'A Whole Family Sitting in a Tree.' He followed his then-three-year-old son, Julian, around with paper and pencil and copied down his sayings, setting his words as five songs. The only other art-songs that even come close, in my experience, are the delightful 'Deux lettres d'enfants' by Jacques de Menasce, who set a couple of charming thank-you notes sent him by the children of fellow composer, Daniel Lesur. Rosenblum's are worthy of such company. The song-cycle is winningly sung by young Julian's mama and Joshua's wife, Joanne Lessner. Music, words and performance are utterly charming.The album is titled 'Impetuosities,' after the first piece recorded here, a jeu d'esprit written on commission for Philip Smith, the fabled principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic and played by him and pianist Joseph Turrin. 'Impetuosities' is an immediately attractive 7-minute romp that must be fun to play; it certainly is fun to listen to. Smith is quoted as saying, when he commissioned the piece, that he 'wasn't really an avant-garde guy,' to which Rosenblum replied, 'That's okay - neither am I.' Indeed, all the music here is resolutely tonal, immediately 'gettable.''Variations' for piano trio, here played by The Herrick Trio, consists of a flowing theme and seven variations that include a jig, a 'calypso-rag,' a waltz, and an 'Orientale,' among others. The Trio's violinist, Marilyn Gibson, also plays 'Marilyn's Solo', a brief unaccompanied bijou written for her. 'Four Songs of Thomas Hardy,' the most consciously 'arty' music here nonetheless contains a hilarious setting of 'In the Room of the Bride-Elect' that ends with the cry, 'Good God - I must marry him I suppose!' The four are sung by baritone Chris Thompson with impeccable diction and suave musicality.'Flash Variations' for flute and piano flutters past in roulades and runs played with gusto and skill by Kathleen Nester, flute, with the composer at the piano. 'Tall Tales' for horn quartet is played by some Broadway pit-band buddies of the composer. They call themselves The Shubert Alley Horns and, if the booklet can be trusted, they sight-read the light-hearted pieces for this recording. One of the Horns, Dan Culpepper, also plays 'Three Episodes' for horn and piano, again with the composer at the piano. Finally, a couple of wind-band pieces, a march (coyly called 'Forward March') and a sort-of-tarantella called 'The King's Pyjamas,' are played by a group of other Broadway musicians calling themselves - in homage to John Philip Sousa, after one of his marches - Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. A good time is had by all, including this reviewer. Indeed, for a light-hearted 72 minutes this CD would more than adequately fill the bill. We're told Mr Rosenblum is preparing a Broadway musical based on, of all things, physicist/novelist Alan Lightman's fictional 'Einstein's Dreams.' Hoo boy!Review by Scott Morrison"
Track Listings (31) - Disc #1