Sherwood, G.: Symphony No. 1 / Piano Concerto / Sinfonietta

Album review

Better-known in Germany than in his native country, American composer Gordon Sherwood has come to international attention through this disc, his first recording at the age of 74. Sherwood's Symphony No. 1 dates from the 1950s, and reflects the rugged American symphonic style and the influences of Stravinsky, Bartók, and Hindemith. At various moments, elements of all three masters can be discerned in Sherwood's pugnacious rhythms, sharp modernist orchestration, and pungent harmonies. The work is tightly wrought, and suggests that the younger Sherwood learned a great deal about form in his studies with Copland at Tanglewood. The Piano Concerto, sketched around the same time as the symphony but completed 45 years later, is muscular and compact, and the percussive treatment of the piano is its most pronounced feature. The Sinfonietta, longer than the symphony but lighter in tone, is Sherwood's least-derivative piece, as one might expect of a mature work from the 1980s. Even so, its relaxed mood slips into insipidity, and bland orchestration and unexceptional melodies make this the least invigorating piece on the disc. Pianist Masha Dimitrieva and the Bavarian State Youth Orchestra, led by Werner Andreas Albert, turn in convincing performances, and CPO's recording is fine in capturing orchestral details and the natural acoustic.
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