A few words about the composer will
put this CD into context. George Antheil was born on 8 July 1900 in Trenton,
New Jersey. He was of Polish descent. He studied with Ernest Bloch at the
Philadelphia Conservatory, before embarking on a career as a concert pianist.
Antheil composed several ‘modernist’ works for performance at his recitals.
Three of the most outré
were the Airplane Sonata, the Sonata Sauvage and Mechanisms.
His most outrageous work was Le Ballet Mechanique featuring player-pianos,
sirens, airplane propellers and electric bells.
This music was avant-garde and cutting
edge: it often bemused audiences.
Whilst in Europe, Antheil moved
in the rarefied circles of the arts world. He numbered James Joyce, Ezra Pound,
Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Ernest Hemingway as friends.
I guess that few people will have
explored the entirety of his massive catalogue which includes more than 300
works. The core of his catalogue are the six numbered symphonies, two piano
concertos, many chamber works and much music for solo piano. In his later years
he began to compose music for the films including The Pride and the Passion
starring Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren.
The clue to understanding
Antheil’s music is the simple rule of thumb that as he aged his style became
more ‘conservative’ and ‘tonal’ in sound. By the mid-1930s his work was progressing
towards neo-romanticism and neo-classicism. Three of the four works in this CD
fall into this latter category. The early The Golden Bird is more ‘avant-garde.’
I enjoyed every bar of the
Serenade No.1 for string orchestra which was composed in 1948. It was completed
whilst Antheil was working on his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. The opening
movement is a breezy and bouncy little ‘allegro’ written in ‘sonata’ form,
without too much contrast between the first and second subjects. The heartfelt ‘andante
molto’ uses a long-breathed melody, supported by occasional pizzicato figures
alluding to the first movement. There are several short ‘cadenzas’ for cello
and violin solos, with orchestral tremolandos adding to the reflective, nocturnal
quality of this music. It is the longest of the three movements. The finale, a ‘vivo’,
has all the markings of a hootenanny. Not quite as folksy as it could have
been, however some reviewers have suggested that it is Shostakovich or
Prokofiev at the Barn Dance. I think it is simply George Antheil at his most
approachable.
This Serenade was dedicated to
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the Chicago-born socialite, pianist and strong
supporter of the arts.
The Serenade No.2 for chamber
orchestra (it is wrongly billed on the CD cover track listing as being for
string orchestra) includes wind section, brass, pianist and percussionist. It
is hard to imagine that it was composed only a year after No.1. This is a
darker, more profound score that sometimes seems to be morphing into a film
score. The opening movement presents a well-constructed movement in sonata form,
beginning with a nocturnal introduction. The slow movement could have been
taken from a contemporary cowboy film and is none the worse for that. The
finale is a mass of sound with a strong swing and a lovely big tune. During the
‘quite fast’ movements, the pianist in the band makes a virtuosic contribution
as well as including a strong performance from the percussionist.
The two Serenades are chalk and
cheese. They major on different emotions and ‘world views.’ Both are essential
elements of Antheil’s late style. Despite being called serenades, these two
works are long and complex enough to have been labelled ‘symphonies’ or
‘sinfoniettas’.
The short piece of Chinoiserie The
Golden Bird (1919) lasts for a mere four minutes. Yet it is a wonderfully
entertaining work of musical impressionism. It was originally written for piano
solo and later transcribed by the composer for orchestra. It was apparently
influenced by the Romanian sculptor, painted and photographer Constantin
Brâncuși (1876-1957). Antheil initially called the work Chinese Magician.
Listening to this piece suggests that this is probably a more appropriate
title. The work ticks all musical clichés for an oriental sorcerer including
wooden blocks and magical glissandi. On the other hand, birdsong also makes an
appearance...It may be best to see this as a miniature tone poem with an
unwritten plot: an American Sorcerer’s Apprentice perhaps? Despite being
‘modern’ in sound it deserves a place in the standard orchestral repertoire, if
for no other reason than its perfectly contrived orchestration.
The longest work on this CD is the
ballet Dreams. This is a potpourri of brief snatches of marches,
waltzes, polkas and can-cans. A reviewer (Paul A. Snook, Fanfare) of
this work has described it as ‘authentic Americana with a Parisian accent’:
this is a good call. The ballet was written in 1934 for George Balanchine. Apparently,
a score had originally been provided by French composer Darius Milhaud, then
titled Les Songes. New music was demanded for the American stage and
Antheil obliged. The ballet is an
interpretation of a surrealist poem by the French author André Derain: it is about a Dancer
and a Rat-Acrobat who haunts her dreams. The score is a delight. Clearly, Antheil
has had fun here. The musical ‘plot’ would appear to be about balancing
inconsistent musical formulas such as waltz/march and folksong/romantic ‘film’
type music. The entire piece is amusing
and entertaining from start to finish. Once again, the listener will revel in
Antheil’s clever and imaginative scoring.
Like many CPO recordings, the
liner notes are prolix. I accept that they present vast amounts of information,
but to be quite honest, the size of the font makes it difficult and tiring to
read. I do not understand why downloads of CPO inserts and artwork are not
readily available. I have consulted other sources whilst preparing my review.
The performance of these four
works is superlative. The Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen conducted by
Fawzi Haimor bring panache, enthusiasm, colour and sometimes a welcome sense of
humour to this great music. The recording is ideal too.
This is part of an ongoing series
of George Antheil’s music released by CPO. Let’s hope that there will be
several more releases soon. There is certainly much in Antheil’s ‘back’
catalogue to have a go at.
Track Listing:
George ANTHEIL (1900-59)
Serenade No.1 for string orchestra (1948)
Serenade No.2 for chamber orchestra (1949)
The Golden Bird (1919)
Dreams (1934)
Württembergische Philharmonie/Fawzi Haimor
Rec. 27 September 2017; 2-3 July 2018 Studio of Württembergischen
Philharmonie Reutlingen.
CPO 555 196-2
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
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