The most
extraordinary thing here – among a plethora of quite extraordinary things – is
an astonishing arrangement (by Ruggiero Ricci) of Tárrega’s famous guitar solo, Recuerdos de la Alhambra. It takes on an almost frantic quality, at
times seeming to out-stretch the physical limitations of the violin. It certainly gets a sizzlingly virtuoso
performance here from Sebastian See-Schierenberg, who comes out best on this CD
in those pieces where rapid figuration and virtuoso display rule the
roost. His account of Xavier Turull’s thrilling transcription of the Albeniz Asturias is
nothing if not powerfully assertive and compellingly driven.
There is no
doubt that See-Schierenberg possesses the kind of florid technique which yields
dazzling pyrotechnic displays, and in terms of excitement and vivid rhythmic
vitality this disc is in a class of its own; who would have thought an
apparently simple selection of Spanish favourites played by violin and piano
would have ignited so much fire?
But then
this disc is not at all what it seems. With
the second movement of Falla’s Suite
Popular Espanola the surprises pile on thick and fast. The first movement seems straightforward enough, but
suddenly with the second (“Nana”) a breathy, folksy voice whispers into the
microphone songs of childhood memory, and then, where we might be expecting a
piano, a guitar comes along. In the kind
of re-imagining and free approach to performance which characterises this
entire CD, See-Schierenberg, Sophia Lisoskaya and Ramon Ruiz have decided to mingle piano and
guitar accompaniments and add a few ideas of their own. I am not sure it always works in the Falla,
where the individual pieces stand well in isolation but fail to coalesce into
a Suite; possibly breaking them up around the disc might have been a better
idea.
That said,
this re-imagining approach pays particular dividends with the four tangos which
have generally come to be known as Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons on Buenos Aires” (Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas) - and the only real justification in the disc's title for the "Americas" element. . The extensive booklet notes tell us that what
we hear on the CD is a “work in progress”.
If so, See-Schierenberg and his wonderfully supportive pianist, Sophia
Lisovskaya, are very much heading along the right lines, evoking the essence of
the tango while conveying a glorious feeling of improvisatory fun –
particularly some intriguing violin effects in the closing moments of Otoño
Porteño - as they
explore afresh what are rapidly becoming classic pieces of our time. Giving over the final season (Invierno Porteño) wholly to the piano is probably misguided, especially given this rather sentimental view of it; it seems so terribly anti-climactic after all the colour and
excitement which has gone before, and the ending is undeniably limp.
Spanish
flavour is reinforced with Campiana Andaluza by the famous guitarist
Sabicas (Agustin Castellón Campos), and the only piece on the disc appearing in the guise in which it was originally conceived. Here it is played by guitarist Ramon Ruiz (who is also the endearing vocalist in the Falla). But while a beautifully expressive account
of Montsalvatge’s Canción de Cuna Para Dormir a
un Negrito brings a
moment of respite to the general air of manic activity on the disc,
See-Schierenberg, for all the expressiveness of his playing, lacks the warmth
and generosity of tone this music calls for.
Sales of
this relatively short disc (it’s a shade over 50 minutes in playing time) go to
a charity which is close to See-Schierenberg’s heart (supporting the violin study
programme at a school for blind children in Rangoon). That alone should encourage sales; but even
those hard-hearted enough not to be swayed by social consciousness or basic
human sympathy should buy this disc.
It’s an awful lot of fun, and full of genuinely welcome surprises.
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