Search - Michael Torke, Ormsby Wilkins, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra :: Michael Torke: An Italian Straw Hat

Yes, it's pleasant and happy : deal with it!

svf | 11/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, I just have to get this out of the way immediately... what the hell were they thinking here with this CD cover? I mean, I know it's a photo representing the actual ballet, but did it have to be THAT photo? Anyway, Michael Torke... came on the scene as a relative youngster with some really appealing "post-Minimalist" stuff blending neo-Classical harmony, driving pop-ish rhythms, and vibrant orchestrations all with a dry acidic edge to it... best represented by his "color" music for orchestra in the great (dare I say "classic"?) recording by David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony. Then there was the big choral/orchestral work Book Of Proverbs where everything sounded lush and gorgeous but the restless edginess had almost disappeared. This trend continues with An Italian Straw Hat, a recent ballet score. While it grabs you right from the start sounding like the opening of Act IV from Stravinsky's Petrushka played backwards and upside down... things mellow out right after that and you realize you'll be awash in a sea of ear candy for the next hour or so.



But hey, who doesn't love candy? Yes, you'll be hearing what sounds a lot like a grab bag of cliches borrowed from Mozart, Rossini, Poulenc, Hollywood film scores, Broadway musicals, and Torke himself... but just give in and enjoy it. True, the "I demand more intellectual stimulation" music snob in you will be tempted to cringe in horror and outrage at the obvious brassy climaxes... but just relax. Hey, it takes a lot of talent to write music that normal people might actually enjoy listening to -- and that's I guess what wins me over: this is not some kind of wink-wink post-modern referencial spin on traditional tonal music going on here, it's apparently just Michael Torke writing stuff that he likes and probably hopes other people will like too.... This certainly inspires lots of dismissive criticism from those in the "serious music" world who assume that if something sounds pleasant it must be inferior tripe. But you know what? If you can write appealing orchestral music with skill and flair, you deserve credit for it whether you're Michael Torke, John Williams, or George Gershwin.



So in summary, I recommended this (despite the cover) because:



*It's enjoyable, tonal, happy music and that's ok -- in fact it's great to listen to while dusting or doing other household chores (and that's ok too, just ask Satie.)

*Torke is a Milwaukee boy.

*This is a great "blindfold test" CD -- ask people when this was written and I bet you won't get any answers later than 1930.

*Michael Torke (like Daniel Lenz, Philip Glass, John Eliot Gardiner, and the London Symphony Orchestra) has formed his own record label (Ecstatic Music) to avoid dealing with "major label" music business nonsense.

*It's better than the other recent Torke CD ("Rapture") on Naxos.

"

Lots of fun, but admittedly (and unashamedly) derivative.

John Gouwens | Culver, IN USA | 12/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Michael Torke is really a remarkable figure among composers today. He was introduced to popular music styles (including jazz elements) in his college years, having been trained as a classical musician first. This shows through in his always-skillful writing - plenty of sophisticated counterpoint, clever, idiomatic use of orchestration, balanced with a natural gift for spinning out a lovely melody as well. Once he went to work and began to form his own style of writing, his compositions caught on so quickly that he never found the need to finish his master's degree. The commissions were already coming in! The vibrant energy of much of his writing has led to many commissions from dance companies, though he has also written large-scale works for chorus and orchestra, operas, and the like.



It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the plot (such as it is) of this utterly silly ballet. When you understand what's going on in the ballet, you see just how well this music matches the farcical story. At the beginning of the work, you think you're hearing the opening of Petrouchka (Stravinsky), yet two minutes later, it sounds more like Mozart. Plainly, the composer isn't trying to say something earthshaking or original here. He's writing music that he finds enjoyable, and if you take this music in the context of the storyline, you will quite likely enjoy it as well. It's very easy on the ears, but with enough changes in mood and character that it doesn't wear thin at all.



Where many composers seem to feel they have to try sounds and combinations that may be rather harsh or ugly simply in order to be saying something "new," Torke is one of those composers who believes that readily accessible, enjoyable music can have something fresh to say. The ongoing stream of commissions he gets bears out that he has hit upon something very successful. If you're wanting music that emphasizes the jazzy elements of Torke's style, you may want to look elsewhere, into works like "Adjustable Wrench" and "Music on the Floor." (No question, his ideas for titling works are rather unique.) If you love the sheer, effervescent joy of pieces like "Javelin" or "Bright Blue Music," you're likely to enjoy this CD thoroughly! If you want to hear the more thoughtful, lyrical side of Torke, try the breathtaking, moving opera "Strawberry Fields." We can be grateful, I think, that Michael Torke has taken it upon himself to create his own recording label, which enables him to keep his recordings available. Give this music a try!

"