This CD presents works that are new to me (with
one exception, see below). I am not
‘acquaint’ with John McLeod’s music. However, listeners and reviewers must
start somewhere: this creative CD is an excellent place to begin.
John McLeod, who is now 84 years old, is well
served by his website.
All biographical details can be found there. Nevertheless, a few pointers may
help. McLeod was born in Aberdeen on 8 March 1934. He studied at the Royal
Academy of Music between 1957 and 1961: composition classes were with the
urbane Lennox Berkeley and clarinet with Jack Brymer, Reginald Kell and Gervase
de Peyer. After leaving the RAM he had lessons in conducting from Sir Adrian
Boult. His musical style was considerably influenced by the Polish composer,
Witold Lutoslawski. McLeod’s career has
spanned conducting, performance, academic posts and clearly, composition.
John McLeod’s compositional mood could be
described as eclectic. This is not to say that he writes pastiche or parodies.
His style is quite simply ‘indescribable’. Largely modernistic in sound, his
music is approachable and (typically) satisfying. At present, he seems to be
represented on about nine CDs. According to his webpage, more are planned.
Chronologically speaking, The Shostakovich Connection is the earliest work on this CD. It was
premiered in the City Hall, Glasgow on 12 December 1974: ‘I know for I was
there…’ If I am honest, I cannot quite recall what I made of this piece some 44
years ago. The work was commissioned by the Glasgow Orchestral Society, who
performed it at this concert. It was conducted by the composer. Other works
included Strauss’s Four Last Songs, Brahms’s Second Symphony and Elgar’s
Introduction and Allegro for strings.
The form of the Connection is a set of variations on two themes. The first of these
is from slow movement of Shostakovich’s well-known Symphony No.5 and the second
is a 12-note theme from the beginning of the 12th String Quartet.
With this, McLeod balances two different compositional techniques. The
variations are notated precisely, whereas the interludes in-between are influenced
by Lutoslawski’s ‘controlled improvisation’ as used in his Concerto for
Orchestra dating from the 1950s.
The overall impact of the Connection has been likened to theme music for a gripping Cold War
spy thriller. This is unfair. After 44 years, I have discovered that this work combines
interest with adventure and is challenging to the listener without being
‘difficult.’
If anyone expects John McCleod’s Hebridean Dances to be ‘shortbread tin
music’ they will be sorely disappointed. Despite showcasing the composer’s
‘lighter side’ these five ‘arrangements’ reveal skill, interest, humour and
depth. They were commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and first heard
at the Usher Hall on 15 December 1982.
These dances are really ‘variations’ on the folk-tunes and not just
straightforward arrangements or transcriptions. The five movements are ‘Going
West’, ‘Dance to your shadow’, ‘The Harp of Dunvegan’, the ‘Barra Love Lilt’
and finally ‘The Cockle Gatherer.’ What most impressed me about these dances
was the colourful and effective orchestration. I guess that they could be a
suite from an unwritten latter-day Ealing Comedy like a successor to the
unforgettable Whisky Galore and Rockets Galore. A pleasure to listen to.
The Percussion Concerto is by far the longest
work on this CD, running to some 27 minutes. It was composed in 1987 for the
present soloist Dame Evelyn Glennie. The work is conceived in six movements: ‘Cortege
with Fanfares’, ‘Scherzo I’, ‘Nightscape (Callanish)’, ‘Scherzo II’ and ‘Aubade
with Fanfares’. The Concerto could be defined as ‘a homage to Bartok’ with its
inverted arch form and central ‘night music’ section reminiscent of the Hungarian
composer’s Fourth String Quartet (and other works). The score calls for a vast
array of percussion instruments including the timps, side drum, cymbal, marimba,
temple blocks, tom toms, cow bells, mark tree, chinese cymbals, vibraphone, crotales
and gongs. It is an impressive range that requires sheer virtuosity in
performance. The highlight of this Concerto (for me) is the haunting ‘Nightscape’.
This music is an evocation of the Stone Circle at Callanish on the Isle of
Lewis. It is a perfect fusion of percussion, French horn and strings creating a
wonderful sense of stasis and timelessness that is both moving and impressive. There
is exciting music in the two scherzos and the work concludes with a ‘Messiaenic’
(or is it Ravelian) ‘dawn chorus’ which builds up into a whopping climax. The liner notes explain that like the Connection, this concerto introduces
‘controlled improvisation.’ Despite all this interesting and fascinating music,
I am not convinced about the Percussion Concerto. I have listened to this work
‘right through’ twice in preparing this review. I guess I just do not quite get
it. I know not why.
Out of the Silence is the
most recent work on this CD. This was another Scottish Chamber Orchestra
commission which was premiered in 2015. This time, McLeod is celebrating the
works of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The liner notes suggest that he felt
a great empathy with Nielsen: both composers resist[ed] easy classification in
this or that ‘-ism’.’ The work is really a conversation or debate between the
two men. Chunks of Nielsen’s music are heard, including extracts from his
Fourth Symphony and the Clarinet Concerto. The resultant work is not quite a
‘cut and paste’ exercise, however he does seem to use a fair number of
‘quotes.’ Nielsen experts (I am not one!) will be able to work out exactly what
is quoted and how it has been changed or reworked. The music is written in a
double arch form, opening with a single ‘ting’ of a Tibetan bell and concluding
with nothing more than the clacking of the piccolo’s keys. I did enjoy this
work immensely and felt that the idea of a ‘conversation’ was inspired. In less-sensitive
hands than McLeod’s this approach could be in danger of becoming a ‘medley’ or
‘a string of pearls’ of another composer’s music.
The liner notes written by Stephen Pettit are
detailed and deserve to be read before approaching these works. There is a
short ‘notice’ about the composer (which does not include his DOB) and
extensive programme notes. The booklet includes the usual information about
soloists and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, including a complete list
of the players.
The sound was impressive and the performance in
the Percussion Concerto by Evelyn Glennie is both exciting and breath-taking.
I
certainly would like to hear more of John McLeod’s music. Based on this CD, it
is imaginative, interesting and always highly approachable. His style of
‘modernism’ demands attention, is challenging, but never insists that the
listener put aside their inherent love of ‘sweet airs, that give delight and hurt
not.’
One last thought. John McLeod allegedly had a
cull of his ‘early’ works. It does seem a pity that two symphonies have
disappeared from the repertoire. Maybe they are not as lost as the composer may
have wished. It would be good to have a CD or two featuring a Scottish
symphonist: there are plenty of these folk about, but precious few recordings
of their works.
Track Listing:
John MCLEOD (b.1934)
Out of the
Silence (2015)
Percussion Concerto (1987)
The Shostakovich
Connection (1974)
Hebridean Dances (1982)
Evelyn Glennie (percussion), Royal Scottish
National Orchestra/John McLeod, Holly Mathieson (Out of Silence)
Rec. SNO Centre, Glasgow, 19-21 June 2017
Delphian DCD34196
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
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