Search - Giacinto Scelsi, Juan Pablo Izquierdo, Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic :: Scelsi: Orchestral Works 1

Time-stopping Works

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 08/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I appreciate the appearance of really "hot" guys on this CD, and the difficulty of your friends singing microtones, it seems to me that maybe the music on this release deserves some comment, so here it goes...There is precious little Orchestral Scelsi that is readily availble on CD anymore. After the flurry of excitement in the 80s at the discovery of this eccentric genius, Wyttenbach began a transversal of the orchestral music for Accord. These CDs are out of print and yet still available if you search. But the current CD from Mode is certainly welcome, and the prospect of more on the way makes this Scelsi fan very happy indeed!The disc consists of three varied Scelsi works separated by selections from the Canti di Capricorn. The concept works well for me. I have a recording of the full Canti di Capricorn on a Wergo CD with Michiko Hirayama (the soprano these were written for) singing. Marvelous though that CD is, I find that I rarely listen to it. The complete Canti are just too much to take in one sitting. So this arrangement is really satisfactory. You get a taste of the best of the Canti, without wearing out the welcome. The Orchestral works are gorgeous. Hymnos is one long movement for two orchestras, placed anitiphonally, and organ. The work is typical of late Scelsi, an obsessive investigation of the properties of single pitch, decorated with clusters, added resonance, microtonal variations in pitch and changes in tone color. There is an interesting effect about halfway through the work. The beating of the slightly out of tune tones, combined with the vibrations set up by the clouds of added resonance, create a "choir" of upper partial harmonics that hover over the written notes of the score. The effect is stunning.Hurqualia is another stunner. Though also based on Scesi's obsession with tone, this piece has a greater sense of forward motion and variety. It's related to Scelsi's 4th String Quartet. There are moments of explosive violence, and sometimes even moments of melody. It is important to note however that in Scelsi, concepts like melody and harmony don't really exist. All of the sounds in a Scelsi piece are really used as "color" to the primary tone which is always predominant, even when not played. The masterwork on the CD is Konx-Om-Pax. The three movement work approaches the level of Hindu chant. Each reiteration of sonic material geins to have the effect of Mantra practice. Fascinatingly, if you listen to this music without doing anything else, the effect is just like meditation. Time, as such seems to have no meaning. Though the work is 20 minutes long, you are not aware of time passage at all. You feel that you have been listening for five minutes or for hours and your not sure which is which. Performances are strong and committed on this CD. Kudos to the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic and Concert Choir for taking on such a supremely difficult effort. I can't imagine anything more daunting than being an 18-22 year old trying to make sense out of such dense material. I find that, on this CD at least, I don't miss the professionals. The Konx-Om-Pax here is every bit as good as the version I have by Wyttenback. I hope that the Carnegie students will continue to explore the work of this marvelous composer later in the series."

Deep with mystery

Christopher Forbes | 04/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Scelsi's orchestral works are an excersize in grandeur and singular vision. Using all the instruments as a unified whole, this music evokes the exotisism and mystery of crumbling Mayan ruins. The pieces unfold slowly and deliberately, allowing the listener to savor the richness and delicacy of timbre that is achieved through expanded playing techniques. This cd is an excellent place to start exploring the mental landscapes of this eccentric composer."