Search - Kenneth Fuchs, JoAnn Falletta, London Symphony Orchestra :: Fuchs: Canticle to the Sun / United Artists

Undemanding but not shallow

Jim Shine | Dublin, Ireland | 01/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kenneth Fuchs is currently head of the music department at the University of Connecticut and has, as the CD tells us, written for orchestra, band, chorus, jazz ensemble, and chamber ensembles. On the evidence of this disc, he produces music that's undemanding of its listeners but never shallow.

The first track was written for the LSO, who perform it here. The name United Artists of course suggests movies, and the LSO has recorded a lot of music for movies; with these facts in mind it's perhaps no surprise that it sounds the way it does - an orchestral workout that gives everyone something to do, with plenty of fanfarey brass. It's enjoyable.

The other orchestral work on the disc is the final piece, Canticle to the Sun. Based on the hymn that begins "All creatures of our God and King" (I had to look this one up - not a churchgoer), it's a concerto written for horn player Timothy Jones. Essentially it's an easy-going celebration of nature. There are some wonderful moments but on first hearing I felt it meandered a little at times - occasionally it seemed to be building to something but never quite got there. As usually happens, a second listen taken on the piece's own terms makes me like it more. Its peaceful coda is a lovely way to end the disc.

The rest of the program consists of 3 works for various quintet groupings. Quiet in the Land is, according to Fuchs, "purely abstract" but "can also be heard as a sonic ode to... the great Midwestern Plains". I wonder if anyone with a passing knowledge of 20th-century American music would be able to avoid thinking of it in these latter terms? It's redolent with the pastoral, folky sound we associate with Copland. Scored for flute, cor anglais, clarinet, viola, and cello and mostly in contemplative vein, it's an absolutely gorgeous piece and for me the disc's highlight.

Fire, Ice, and Summer Bronze - from 1986 and the only work here more than 5 years old - is a brass quintet based on a pair of abstract expressionist works by Helen Frankenthaler. The first movement is the fire and ice, meaning restlessness and serenity respectively; these notions do indeed characterize the music. Summer Bronze, the second movement, brings us repose, and it's much more lyrical than what's gone before, with the French horn leading the way beautifully.

Another piece of abstract expressionism appears in the form of the woodwind quintet Autumn Rhythm, inspired by Jackson Pollock's painting of the same name. Initially I was sceptical about the connection; the piece does have what you might call an autumnal feel to it but I couldn't "hear" the painting. But actually looking at the painting while the music played I could see where Fuchs was coming from - he has managed to capture the lyricism of Pollock. An intriguing feature of the music is that some of the players change instruments toward the end, so that the piece ends in a lower register than it began. Again, this is a charming and relaxed piece.

Overall, you could view Fuchs' music as rather old-fashioned, but it's none the worse for that. Some composers achieve an effect through conflict, whereas Fuchs appears to achieve his through accord. Feel-good music, you could say."

Impressive new music by Kenneth Fuchs

M. McDaniel | Colorado Springs, CO USA | 02/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yet another fine CD by Kenneth Fuchs and the London Symphony Orchestra, this disc starts off with a bang. `United Artists' features rousing brass handled with much aplomb by the LSO, which is certainly no surprise given their extensive experience recording film music.



Next comes a serenely beautiful piece called `Quiet in the Land'. The sound of the mixed quintet (flute, English horn, clarinet, viola, and cello) is meditative, with spare harmonies reminiscent of Fuchs' excellent string quartets. I particularly liked the mix of instruments, overall it's a very enjoyable piece.



I'm a big fan of brass quintet music. `Fire, Ice, and Summer Bronze' is among the best pieces for brass quintet I've heard. Written in a musical idiom similar to Ingolf Dahl's masterpiece `Music for Brass Instruments', it has a distinctly American flavor.



The woodwind quintet entitled `Autumn Rhythm' was a bit more difficult than the other pieces to get my mind around. Upon a second hearing (while contemplating a copy of Jackson Pollock's painting of the same name) this piece started to grow on me, and by the third listen I was hooked.



The final composition on the disc is a horn concerto called `Canticle to the Sun'. Both joyous and thoughtful at once, it has a mood and sound that are distinctly Fuchs'. This is also a piece that rewards repeated listening. Timothy Jones' nimble horn playing is amazing.



Highly recommended.

"