Graham Whettam has a massive catalogue of music, which includes works in virtually every genre. I guess that the listener will rarely come across this composer’s compositions at recitals or concerts - and only rarely on CD or download. It is great that EM Records have given listeners a conspectus of his solo violin music.
A brief (and incomplete) review
of previous Whettam recordings may be of interest. Divine Art (DDA 25038) have
recorded a selection of the piano music and Paladino CDs (PMR 0041) issued the
‘complete cello works.’ Redcliffe Records encouraged Whettam with excellent
discs of the Sinfonia Intrepida (RR 016), the Concerto Drammatico for cello and
orchestra and the Sinfonia contra timore (RR 017). In 2008, Carducci Classics (CSQ
5847) issued an album of String Quartet’s nos.1 and 4 as well as the Oboe
Quartet no.2. Finally, Sinetone (AMR CD)
released the Concertino for Oboe & String Orchestra and the Concerto
Scherzoso for Harmonica & Orchestra in 2012. All these albums are worthy of
attention. Several more works have been uploaded to YouTube, often
deriving from live radio broadcasts.
Graham Whettam was born in
Swindon 7 September 1927. He was largely self-taught as a composer. His first
public performance was in 1950. In 1953 Whettam’s Oboe Concerto was premiered
at the Proms. He was Chairman of the Composer’s Guild in 1971 and again from
1983-6. Whettam’s five (completed) symphonies form the core of his achievement.
Many of his works were premiered on the continent. His ‘post-romantic’ music is
a perfect balance between grittiness and lyricism and is always crafted
meticulously. Graham Whettam died on 17 August 2007 at the village of
Woolaston, Gloucestershire.
Before looking at these works, I
will make a single caveat. For me, solo violin music is hard work when heard ‘en
masse’. I listened to these five works discretely, with a long gap between. I
adore Bach’s Cello Suites but can only cope with one at a sitting! I suggest that with this Whettam CD, the
listener reads up the notes about one of the Sonatas or Romances, listens to
it, takes a wee dram (or a cup of tea) and repeats the process. I promise it
will lead to a satisfying experience!
The Sonata no.1 was written in
1958 when Graham Whettam was 31 years old. This work is an ideal equilibrium
between classical formal structures and a characteristic use of chromatic intervals
to construct the melodic material. That said, I do not believe that the
composer has attempted to compose a serial or atonal work, as such. The order
of movements is interesting. The soulful but terse (gritty?) opening ‘andante’
features a theme, two variations and a coda. This is followed by a ‘scherzo’
full of energy, showcasing ‘percussive’ double stops counterpointing the
melody. This is a rhythmic challenge for the soloist. Amazingly effective,
though. The concluding movement is a palindrome. (Ends as it begins!). This
gives the music an arch-like shape, which, as the liner notes state, provides a
‘journey from sorrow, fear and anguish to reassurance and quiet acceptance.’
This description summarises not only this Sonata, but much of Graham Whettam’s
music (based on the small amount I have been privileged to hear).
The Sonata no. 2 for solo violin
was completed on 8 June 1972 but had to wait until 1993 before being revised
and published. Once again Graham Whettam has used non-diatonic (not in a key) melodic
patterns but has retained classical forms. This is intense music that can
sometimes grate a little. The liner notes mention the ‘brutal’ section in the
opening movement which comes after the ‘yearning’ introductory ‘adagio.’ These
are repeated in an even more concentrated manner. The movement ends with repose. The ‘scherzo’
is a wee bit of a conundrum. The sleeve notes state that this is performed at a
‘presto-allegretto con rubato- presto con prima’ tempo. Yet the opening
statement is not played fast. The movement does speed up a bit as it
progresses. Various techniques appear here including pizzicato, harmonics and
extremes of register. The middle (of the scherzo) ‘allegretto’ also seems
relaxed. Certainly, movement does not become really animated until 2/3 of the
way through. The slow movement is
intimate in mood, with little to disturb the proceedings. However, towards the
conclusion, the tension is ratcheted up in preparation for the finale. The
Sonata ends with a complex fugue that highlights the difficult art of playing
counterpoint on the fiddle. It is well done here, with interest being
maintained from the first note to the chordal conclusion.
The longest work on this CD is
the Violin Sonata no.3 published in the 1990s. There is no indication in the
liner notes when it was composed. The British Music Collection website
(Huddersfield University) cites as date of 1989. This is a complex work, which
probably needs the score in order to be able to understand the internal
cohesion between and internal to, each movement. All I can give is an overall
impression of the piece. This four-movement work seems to me to be well-argued,
deeply pensive and featuring a wide range of timbre. The second, slow movement,
creates a magic that I find compelling and moving. This contrasts with the will
o’ the wisp ‘scherzo svelto’. But even here the music is never totally
extrovert. Pizzicato and harmonics bring this ‘elvish’ music considerable
colour and interest. The finale is a different kettle of fish: this is a rather
gloomy set of variations, although the ‘magical spell’ is recreated here and
there. Once again, Whettam has used many of the performer’s tools of the trade,
including ‘strumming’, multiple stopping and combinations of bowed and plucked
string played in tandem.
I first heard the two Romanzas
whist reviewing
Whettam’s ‘Complete Music for Cello’, played by Martin Rummel. The first ‘Romanza’
was originally written for violin and was later rescored for viola. It was
composed in 1993 and dedicated to Jillian White for her retirement from the
post of Senior Music Producer at the BBC studios in Bristol. The second was written specifically with
Martin Rummel’s playing style in mind during 2000 and was transcribed for
violin and viola. This was dedicated to Hilary Groves, a family friend. It was
Whettam’s idea that both Romanzas were to be played successively at a
recital. These two pieces are pure
abstract music. Despite the title, there is no programme whatsoever. They
contrast and complement each other with their exploration of lyricism, rhythmic
vitality and textural diversity. I noted before that these two Romanzas demand
our concentration. Only then will their undoubted charm, beauty and
considerable depth be revealed.
The liner notes, written by the
soloist Rupert Marshall-Luck, are detailed and excellent in every way. Clearly,
he has taken Whettam’s wonderful music to heart and is a great advocate of it. There
is also an ‘appreciation’ of the composer by Christine Talbot Cooper. The
engineers have created a spacious sound on this recording and have captured
every detail of the recital.
I hope that Graham Whettam’s compositions
feature in many more recordings over the coming years. And I am sure that EM
Records must have an important part in the promulgation of his
music. I guess that the ultimate
desideratum is a cycle of the complete Symphonies (including Sinfoniettas and
Sinfonias).
Meanwhile, with the above caveat
about listening strategies, Rupert Marshall-Luck’s stunningly performed survey
of the solo violin music is an excellent contribution to Graham Whettam’s
slowly evolving discography.
Track Listing:
Graham WHETTAM (1927-2007)
CD1
Sonata no.1 for solo violin (1958, rev 1986)
Sonata no.2 for solo violin (1972, rev, 1993)
CD2
Romanza, no.1 (1993) [7:58]
Romanza, no.2 (pub. 2000)
Sonata no.3 for solo violin (pub.1990)
Rupert Marshall-Luck (violin)
Rec. Church of St Andrew, Toddington, Gloucestershire, 19-21
June 2018
EM RECORDS EMR CD 058-058
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was
first published.
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