Search - Vassilis Tsabropoulos :: Promise

A little lightweight ...

Philippe Vandenbroeck | HEVERLEE, BELGIUM | 10/18/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"With Tsabropoulos it is not always easy to say on what side of the fine line between postpostromantic kitsch and a genuine, meaningful musical process we find ourselves. In principle I am happy to give him the benefit of the doubt. There is no doubt that Tsabropoulos is a very honest and sensitive musician who plays his instrument with a remarkable airiness ànd earthiness. The luminous ECM sound helps in transmitting the honesty and spaciousness of his vision. But there needs to be a critical mass of musical substance to sustain the listener's interest. And it seems to me that "The Promise" falls a little short on this account. The level of musical invention is not on a par with "Akroasis", the predecessor solo recording. The delicate architecture that made this collection of traditional Byzantine hymns such a rewarding journey, with a gentle arc linking the first hymn to the final prayer, is to my mind absent in "The Promise". The session is less homogeneous too. Two tracks - "Tale of a Man" and "Confession" - sound like they didn't make it to "Akroasis" in the first place.



That doesn't mean that this recording is not able to provide considerable listening pleasure. Apart from a rather cloying Rachmaninov-like fantasy ("Promenade") there is nothing that irks on this disc. It's extremely mellifluous and meditative and it may be just the right thing one needs to wind down after a long day. And, again, the ECM sound is able to bestow even the most mundane piece of music with a very special glow. But as a whole it is a little lightweight. I think Tsabropoulos can do better. Akroasis is proof of that. Hence: 3 stars."