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Reviews
The Fanfare Magazine Review of the Romance for Clarinet, Strings and Harp by Robert Schulslaper
Composer/conductor
Johnterryl Plumeri’s Bassoon Concerto has been praised and insightfully
analyzed by Paul Snook and James Reel had very
positive things to say about his conducting of three Tchaikovsky
symphonies (see the feature/review in Fanfare 30:6). His chamber music
is exotic, in the sense that Debussy’s Syrinx (for solo flute) could be
labeled exotic, and also for the Japanese leanings I hear in
Reflections On a Twilight Sky and Evening Light. The other works, while
hauntingly captivating, stem from another lyrical or motivic source
altogether. The Debussy analogy is merely intended to be suggestive of
a mysterious quality in Sand Without Water, which features the flute.
Plumeri uses short, hypnotic figures to support the flute part, which
in turn evolves a longer narrative through the accretions of small
units into longer phrases. At times I felt an Eastern European
influence in Plumeri’s music, at others a distant Russian presence and
there were even a few moments in Night Forest that put me in mind of
the beginning of Stravinsky’s Rite.
By contrast, the Romance for Clarinet, Strings, and Harp recalled
Vaughn Williams and other English composers of that time. Still, these
were transitory associations and don’t really encapsulate Plumeri’s
style, which is very much his own. It’s interesting, however, that he
does work closely with a Russian orchestra and certainly loves
Tchaikovsky, so maybe I’m not too far off on that score. In any case,
whatever technique he employs, and whatever influences he melds
together, the end result is highly listenable and absorbing. Although
sometimes meditative, the music is far from static and in some cases
can be quite dynamic and riveting: I’m thinking of a moment in
Reflections on a Twilight Sky when a vigorously bowed cello and rapid
harp figures unite to increase tension. Earlier in that piece the use
of the harp brought to mind a koto, another touch reinforcing the
Japanese connection. The piano substitutes for the harp in Evening
Light, which would probably make it more accessible to musicians
wishing to play it: harps aren’t nearly so thick on the ground as
pianos. Although I think the harp functions better in evoking the
Japanese aura, the piano works well enough, especially when so well
played as here.
In summing up my overall response to Plumeri’s music I can do no better
that to quote Paul Snook, who rightly feels that “the emotional curve
of this music has a kind of dramatic inevitability that just carries
the listener along without questioning and leaves him fully gratified.”
Plumeri conducts his music with a beautiful sensitivity to atmosphere
and pace, giving his soloists plenty of room to shape their parts, yet
never fragmenting the well-planned narrative flow. The musicians are
recorded with a warm yet clear sound and a natural perspective that
facilitates complete immersion in Plumeri’s distinctive creations.
Recommended.
Robert Schulslaper - Fanfare Magazine |
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