Classical
Ross Harris’s lament for the dead of WWI is even more powerful on disc than live.
Music in remembrance of the dead, and
The premiere of Requiem for the Fallen moved many to tears and a packed Wellington Cathedral rose for a standing ovation. Created by composer Ross Harris with long-time collaborator, poet Vincent O’Sullivan, and taonga pūoro musician Horomona Horo, the powerful drama was first performed during the 2014 New Zealand Festival.
It was written to mark the centenary of “the war to end all wars” and is no sentimental glorification of conflict. A traditional Latin requiem Mass is integrated with O’Sullivan’s spare lyricism, the whole held together by musical elements performed by string quartet, choir, soloists and taonga pūoro.
The occasional bluntness of O’Sullivan’s poetry sharpens the impact.
Emotionally, it runs the gamut – haunting cello lament, ethereal Māori spirituality, the terrifyingly strident pukaea in a ferocious Dies irae and spine-chilling storytelling from an old soldier (tenor Richard Greager), who meets his ghostly “cobber”. The occasional bluntness of O’Sullivan’s poetry in the mouths of young soldiers sharpens the impact – “it was glory … it was mud” and “we march into God knows what”.
For me, this outstanding new recording packs an even stronger dramatic punch than the live event, freed from the over-resonant cathedral acoustic and production distractions while capturing the full magic of an important work. REQUIEM FOR THE FALLEN, Ross Harris, Vincent O’Sullivan, Horomona Horo, New Zealand String Quartet, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, Karen Grylls (Atoll)
Jack Body’s tragic and savage Sarajevo for piano also has an anti-war message. It was composed after the composer saw the disturbing movie Underground about the traumatised citizens of Bosnia. Dating from 1996, it is the oldest work in a nicely curated new collection of New Zealand piano music and gives its name to the set.
Pianist Jian Liu has embraced this country’s piano repertoire since he came to the New Zealand School of Music as head of piano studies in 2011. This disc includes 10 works by six composers – Body, John Psathas, Jenny McLeod, Anthony Ritchie, Ross Harris and Gareth Farr – all connected by a theme of remembrance. Three are from the “Landscape Prelude” set commissioned by pianist Stephen De Pledge and all show Liu’s preference for the luminous beauties of piano sound.
His pianism combines artistry and technique, with a marvellous range of timbre. He is as versatile as the instrument itself, playing singing melodies, percussive chords and shimmering, floating effects with contemplative care.
Particularly appealing are Psathas’s lullaby-inspired Chia, two contrasting “Tone Clock” pieces from McLeod and the nicely shaped Touched by Ritchie. Body has the last word – his On the Street Where I Live with his recorded commentary charmingly ends a satisfying recital.
SARAJEVO, Jian Liu (Atoll)
British composer Thomas Adès has a big reputation at home and in the US but New Zealand audiences are just discovering his music, first through his opera The Tempest in the MetLive Opera screenings and this year when the NZSO toured his Polaris. If his name is unfamiliar, this CD of four orchestral works conducted by the composer is a perfect introduction.
Polaris reveals dazzling technical skills in a massive eight-part canon favouring the glittering instruments – metal percussion, piano, winds and brass. Adès’s control has produced a beautiful, peaceful, otherworldly composition; it’s a big musical canvas with an appealing surface.
ASYLA TEVOT POLARIS, Thomas Adès, London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Live)