El Cimarrón (Hans Werner Henze)

Albumbeschreibung

The fact that bass Nicholas Isherwood is an amateur ethnomusicologist, a passionate advocate for new music, and a political leftist makes him an ideal candidate to perform Henze's El Cimarrón, a "recital for four musicians," recounting the struggles of a freed West Indian slave. To research the part, Isherwood traveled deep into the jungles of Panama and Columbia to hear the music of the indigenous peoples and to meet one of the few surviving cimarrónes. And the fact that he has a beautifully dark voice that he uses with great expressiveness, ample technique to handle Henze's virtuosic demands for extended vocal procedures, and a commanding dramatic presence makes his performance a harrowing and unforgettable experience. Flutist Mario Caroli, guitarist Magnus Andersson, and percussionist Rodolfo Rossi enter fully into the spirit of the Isherwood's intensity and create evocative soundscapes that illuminate and support the drama of the protagonist's story.
The effectiveness of this performance is a reminder of the limitations of musical notation. When the piece is performed simply correctly, as written, as it sometimes is, it can fall flat, and its music can seem to have little relationship to the text. Isherwood fully inhabits and animates the character in a way that goes far beyond merely speaking and singing the notes; the intensity of his investment in the role makes every note and word significant. The other musicians, too, sound like they are fully aware of their responsibility to unleash the drama inherent in Henze's spare score. The story is full of wildness -- the agony of slavery, the exhilaration of escape, sexual passion, and the violence of revolution -- and the performance is appropriately wild. It sounds spontaneously imagined, on the verge of veering out of control, and the result is thrilling theater. This version makes a strong case for the piece and is an excellent introduction to the power of the music Henze created after the politicization of his work in the late '60s. Stradivarius' sound is clean, balanced, and atmospheric.

© TiVo

Informationen zur Originalaufnahme : 80:48 - DDD - Enregistré en novembre 2005 en l'église de San Vincenzo - Notes en français, anglais & italien, textes chantés en allemand avec traduction italienne