Search - Joseph Schwantner, Andrew Litton, Dallas Symphony Orchestra :: Schwantner: Angelfire; Beyond Autumn; September Canticle; A Sudden Rainbow

Schwantner Remembers 9/11

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 09/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Joseph Schwantner is one of the greatest American composers of our time, having written much accessible modern music in his career, ranging from the Sharon Isbin-commissioned guitar concerto "From Afar" to "New Morning For The World" for speaker and orchestra. Four of his compositions, one of which touches on the memory of the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, are featured on this new Hyperion recording by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and various soloists, with the orchestra's music director Andrew Litton leading the proceedings.



The opening work, "A Sudden Rainbow", composed in 1986 and thus the earliest work on the recording, is almost a concerto for orchestra, putting special emphasis on the percussion section, as well as parts for celesta and amplified piano. "Angelfire", composed in 2001, is a mini-concerto for amplified violin and orchestra and is dedicated to violinist Anne Akiko-Meyers, whose performance of it here is extremely commendable. "Beyond Autumn" is a work for horn and orchestra, and is brilliantly rendered by the DSO's principal horn player Gregory Hustis.



The final work, and really the piece-de-resistance, is "September Canticle", a work Schwantner composed in 2002 as a meditation of sorts on the subject of the horrible terrorist attacks, and a requiem for the three thousand-plus who lost their lives on that fateful late summer morning in American history. The work, which is described by the composer as a "fantasy" for organ, brass, percussion, amplified piano, and strings, is an immense memoriam for the dead and the survivors, with organist James Diaz superlative in his concerto-like role.



All four works are bought together under Litton's solid direction, and the Dallas Symphony shows why it is one of our nation's greatest orchestras, particularly when it comes to performing the music of our native soil and of our times. This is a recording of contemporary classical music that is more than worth the price of the CD. It may yet turn out to be an essential classical recording of our era."

Absolutely stirring!

Virginia Lewis | 02/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my first acquaintance with a composer I should have come to know long ago. The compositions recorded on "Angelfire" proceed chronologically from earlier to later. I love them all, but confess a special predilection for the horn concerto. "Beyond Autumn" shows off the horn in its incredible emotional range and features powerfully emotive passages for the lower brass throughout. The recording is not flawless, but the soloist is superb and the feeling Schwantner wants to convey comes through outstandingly. This being my first acquaintance with Schwantner's music, I would have to say that he has an uncanny ability to express "nobility" through his compositions. This is the kind of music that makes one feel the human journey, though often fraught with pain, is so meaningful as not to be missed out on. There are lyrical passages in this work as well, and they balance out the stark passages nearer the extremes of the horn's range and volume in a manner that combines to produce a kind of magnificence Christopher Rouse is also capable of achieving, such as in his second symphony. Some passages, especially using the brass and tympani, are reminiscent of David Diamond. Eminently American, eminently rich and moving.

"September Canticle" does true artistic justice to the horrible event it commemorates, the September 11 tragedy. I first heard this piece without knowing what had inspired it. I was so deeply touched by it upon first hearing that I cried. Then I read the liner notes and was stunned. "September Canticle" is a work every American should be acquainted with. It has the potential to mark the landscape of American music as profoundly as Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" has, if in a different manner. This is a magnificent artistic response to one of our nation's pivotal events, and should go down in history as a noble response to the victims of that tragedy and the profound worthiness of the lives they lost. The piece features organ solo and belongs in the strongest tradition of works such as Copland's organ symphony. Even on my poor CD player, the performance achieves soul-stirring emotion. Organ is an instrument that is associated with deeply spiritual experiences in any case, so it is well-suited to the occasion that led to the creation of "September Canticle."

The violin concerto is likewise worth hearing, the opening work as well. I suppose I have a personal predilection for both horn and organ, due to my own musical experiences, but I would state that this CD shows Schwantner's growth as a composer, in a way that reminds me of John Adams' growth. With maturity he expresses deeper emotion, with a greater expressive range, and an increased capacity to touch the listener's heart, mind and soul. Truly Schwantner is a great composer and will surely go down in music history with America's best. It is works like his that make me proud to be an American. Any culture that can give rise to such depths of expression must have something going for it."