Sonata CD 1
CRC-2878
Reviews
* All music.com
* ISB Magazine
* Ameriican Record Guide
Volkan Orhon, double bass
Rose Chancler Feinbloom, piano
Aaron Copland’s ouevre contains some of
the most widely recognized pieces in the
musical canon. Although the Sonata for Violin and Piano (1943) remains one of his lesser known works it contains many of the
signature features we associate with his
more famous pieces: melodies played in
octaves, crisp rhythms, and stark, open
voiced chords. In fact, Copland ranks
among the few composers whose music can be identified solely by the voicing of a single chord.
Appalachain Spring, a work that has become
synonymous with Aaron Copland, and the
one he wrote immediately following the
Sonata for Violin and Piano, is perhaps the
more famous of the two, but the Sonata is
unmistakably Copland, and thoroughly
Copland-esque. One can only hope its reputation will be enhanced by the arrangement featured on the present recording.
At a time in history when patriotism was
equated with populism, Copland produced
works like Fanfare for the Common Man and
the Lincoln Portrait. Their meaning was
direct and immediate. In contrast to these
works, the Sonata for Violin and Piano has
a slightly more serious tone, but contains a higher degree of integration of style and
material. Copland dedicated the sonata to
the memory of a friend, Lieutenant Harry H. Dunham, who was shot down in the Pacific during World War II.
The Sonata occupies a middle ground
between two aesthetic poles that defined art
in the middle part of the century: the popular
and the modern. Alternating between
austerity and lyricism, Copland successfully weaves musical complexity into a popular style.
Following the traditional fast-slow-fast
tempo pattern, Copland casts his sonata in
three movements: Andante, Lento and
Allegretto giusto. The first movement begins
reflectively with short melodic fragments reticently presented between chorale-like passages in the piano. These eventually get
spun into full phrases and sing with abandon.
The central Lento functions like an
interlude. It is starkly simple, with a slowmoving
scalar melody in its outer sections
surrounding a sultry, somber middle portion.
The vigorous Allegretto giusto is
launched by a witty cadenza. The movement is built upon a succession of varied
themes: syncopated and strongly-accented, more relaxed and lyrical, fleet and whimsical,
and, finally, stately and expressive. After an intense climax, the work concludes
with a return to the opening of the Sonata.
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) produced
an impressive amount of chamber music
that includes 3 piano trios, 3 string quartets,
2 string sextets, 2 string quintets, 3 piano
quartets, 3 cello sonatas, 3 violin sonatas, a
piano quintet, a horn trio, a clarinet trio, a
clarinet quintet, 2 sonatas for clarinet, plus
a large quantity of piano music and songs.
Such a varied and substantial output alone
might qualify him as one of the most important
composers of the 19th century, but it is his mastery of form that elevates him above all others.
Brahms possessed an historical awareness
that was rare among composers of the time.
Throughout his life, he maintained an
interest in music of the past (Bach) and
present (folk songs, and popular dance
forms). While occasionally he conceals
these interests within a larger musical
design, other times they operate in the foreground.
These qualities lend his music
dimension and depth. Music historians
trace these influences and theorists celebrate
his formal processes and techniques,
but what ultimately keeps his music relevant
is its melodic inventiveness, and the
sheer creative power of the composer. Every
modulation, transition, and change of texture,
is handled with complete confidence.
A meticulous composer, Brahms’ music
never sounds calculated, although its details
are carefully nuanced and cleverly arranged.
A master on every level, the techniques he
employs are always in the service of the progressive
development of the theme. In addition,
he provides a musical narrative that is both abundantly clear and fascinating to follow.
Mr. Orhon’s first recording, Multiplicity,
consists of multi-tracking multiple basses,
from two to 13 parts played by Mr. Orhon
himself. At first, one might think a recording
of Brahms and Copland sonatas to be a
strange follow up, but in fact, it is with a
keen contrapuntal ear that he developed in
his first recording that allows him to give such a fresh interpretation on these standard
repertoire compositions. Closer examination of both sonatas reveals even a deeper rationale.
Brahms was the son of a double bass player,
and his relationship to the instrument was
no doubt an intimate one. The present
recording offers a unique perspective on
that relationship. This is no mere transcription,
and one could argue that Mr. Orhon’s version is as natural as it is necessary.
Like most of Brahms’ compositions, the
Sonata No.1 in E Minor for cello and
piano, Op. 38, enjoyed a long period of gestation, approximately four years. The first two movements were written in 1862, the
year of his arrival in Vienna. At one point
Brahms considered adding a slow movement
(an Adagio) before the final Allegro,
but ultimately rejected this idea. Thus, the
sonata conforms to the standard fast-slowfast
tempo pattern and is dedicated to his
friend Dr. Josef Gänsbacher, professor of
singing at the Vienna Singakademie and an
amateur cellist. But do not be deceived by
the dedication, as this is not music for amateurs.
Rather, it requires a maturity of technique
and emotion to deliver its true qualities, and this is precisely what we hear in the present recording.
Notes by Thomas Schuttenhelm
This CD is dedicated to the memory of my
father Ilhan ORHON who passed away on April 10, 2004.
Volkan Orhon
Aaron Copland (1900 – 1990): Sonata for Violin and Piano (1943)
(Transcribed for Double Bass by Gary Karr) (22:05)
1 I Andante semplice 9:08
2 II Lento 5:26
3 III Allegretto giusto 7:24
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor Op.38
(Transcribed for Double Bass) (27:48)
4 I Allegro non troppo 14:39
5 II Allegretto quasi menuetto 6:07
6 III Allegro 7:02
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