The Urgency of the Immediate: "American Portraits" CD Review

Paarvo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
“American Portraits”


1. Streetscape – Charles Coleman

I feel like I’m in New York City listening to this. It has moments of Bernstein and glimpses of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue” without plagiarizing Coleman’s much better known influences. While I don’t hear many melodies that I will be humming to myself on my next trip to the Big Apple, the music is indeed challenging and hauntingly beautiful. It’s not necessarily a piece that I would recommend to the casual orchestra listener. I do however find myself enjoying it and I think it is a piece that I will come back to revisit again.

2. Fanfare Ritmico – Jennifer Higdon

The recording quality of this piece is wonderful. The dynamics really shine through. From the thunderous percussion at the opening down to the subtle piano and woodwinds a few minutes in. Every instrument has its place in the mix and shines through clean and crisp. The music itself is a bit disjointed for my tastes. While there is definitely a tremendous amount of energy and life to the music, there is nothing here that rings through on an emotional level.

3. Slalom – Carter Pann

Starting out with a direct an uninhibited nod to Beethoven, this piece quickly changes pace and sends you flying down the mountainside soaring between the trees as its name describes. I have only been skiing a few times, but the rush of adrenaline and speed is definitely captured here. Closing my eyes I easily pictured beautiful snow capped peaks and clear blue skies. Rushing past trees and chasing friends downhill to be the first one in line for a cup of hot cocoa. I especially enjoy the solo piano about four minutes in. It’s a beautiful moment in an exciting and thrilling piece.

4. Halcyon Sun – Jonathan Bailey Holland

Sunrise. Light grows from the deep black of night into a hazy purple. Hints of orange and red creep in until suddenly and blinding yellow explodes over the horizon lighting the world. A calm breeze sways through the trees stirring the birds and other animals from their peaceful nights sleep. The lush strings combined with climactic and sometimes dissonant horns paint lovely tonal brush strokes on this canvas. Holland has written a wonderful piece perfectly suited to be set as your morning wake up music in the morning.

5. Deep Woods – Charles Coleman

The orchestration in this piece is gorgeous. It makes full use of all the tools that the orchestra brings to hand. It sets a mood that could be interpreted by some as being lost in the deep woods. I however have not been in this particular forest. Unfortunately nothing else about this work strikes me as remarkable. Frankly it had me on edge wanting to press the skip button to move on to the next piece.


6. Network – Kevin Puts

Struggling to keep pace in a culture dominated by the urgency of the immediate. Everything we do now at the start of the second decade in the 21st century is dominated by this premise. Whether the news is about civil war breaking out in Egypt or the state of Kim Kardashian’s love life, we hear about it as it is happening. Everything is networked and joined together by the technological fiber optic neurosystem we have created for ourselves. We suckle at its virtual teat both at work and at home. We sit online at our desks and in our cars. Laptops and tablets keep us informed as well as misinformed. Our cell phones are occasionally used as telephones, but more often than not they exist as newspapers, magazines, cameras and video games.

The energy and frenetic psychosis of our never ending streamed twenty-four hour a-day information drives “Network”. Once again I got the feeling of being crammed in an over packed subway car or city bus trying to get a signal so that I could call the office and tell them I was running late. There is never enough time in the day to absorb everything coming through our constantly growing network of information. Just a longing for some peace and tranquility somewhere that has gotten lost in our collective quest for more.

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Overall listening to this collection of “American Portraits” was enlightening. The talent and creativity of these composers is undeniable. But it left me feeling a bit sad. Where has the melody gone in American life? Is everything so frantic and unstable that we have no room left to sing? What is it with so many modern American composers? Is it against the rules to enjoy melody?

If people wonder why most city's symphonic programs are full of Mozart and Beethoven and other "stodgy old" music it's because people want to hear melodies. Something that is pleasing to the soul and ear at the same time. I'm all for experimentation and evoking moods but it seems that somewhere after Steve Reich and Philip Glass too many American composers decided that odd chord progressions and intricate rhythms were adequate substitutes for melody.

Melody should be the FIRST thing on a composers mind if you ask me. Why is the melody so important? Ask the next person you see to sing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and see what they do. Then ask them to sing anything by John Adams or Philip Glass. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of those composers and of modern orchestral music. Arvo Part is part of my regular listening experience. But alas, he is Estonian and not American. Somewhere out there we will hopefully find an American that can sing for all of us and bring out the modern 21st century melodies we need to truly find our voice.

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