Masters bridge the gaps

Press, 17 March 1982, Page 25

Masters bridge the gaps

CLAUDE BOLLING. Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano. Angel Romero, guitar. George Shearing, piano. Shelley Manne, drums. World Records SAN-D 9106 from HMV Digital EMD5535. From a casual conversation with Jean-Pierre Rampal was born the idea for the near impossible mission of fusing jazz with classics. Not a new thought, as many had tried before Bolling with mixed success, but after this third attempt it could be declared that this recipe is as close as anyone is likely to get.

Restraint and elegance appear to be the two factors necessary to establish the proper degree of common ground to allow both idioms to flourish. As with ballroom dancing it must be firstly agreed who is going to lead. In deference to the decision that this is, after all, a classical recording, the opening statement goes to the classic guitar and this is repeated by the piano in a differing rhythm. Only in this sense can the two survive; it is a. side by side arrangement with the same harmonic pattern branching out into treatments which satisfy all concerned. This worked with flute and jazz piano and again with violin and jazz piano, so with plans afoot for the same idea with trumpet, cello and chamber orchestra, Bolling is almost continually proving a point. Where the real test comes is in the parts which demand the two factions duet. Here is the true test of the experiment and I am happy to be able to report that they do reach compatibility, thanks to the masterly playing by Shearing and the fluid styling from Romero.

Thanks too. for the shadow t of Andre Segovia, the inevit- , able presence of Bach, but -1 all credit to the composer ' himself for his fertile , imagination for constructing r such beautifully contrasted j textures and rhythms for the j various movements.

BRAHMS. Double Concerto in A minor Op. 102. Academic Festival Overture Op. 80. Pinchas Zukerman, violin. Lynn Harrell, cello. Zubin Mehta conducting the N.Y. Philharmonic. CBS Recording SBR 236041 (also cassette). .

Yet another Double Concerto version and coupled with it yet another Academic Festival Overture, but again different ideas on an old favourite. This one is neither Casals nor Rostropovich, nor indeed, is it comparable with either of the older versions.

For starters, the soloists are fairly well back in the review recording whereas the forward placing of the other two soloists makes any comparison quite impossible. But what favours this latest version more than most is the fact that the two players have been together for a long time and therefore show a degree of understanding which may be considered unique.

My last version from CBS of the Double Concerto was the Isaac Stern/Leonard Rose pair and the filler is more attractive Handel Variations, (if only for the lesser played item.) However, with placing of the soloists Harrell appears not to have the attack of Rostropovich or Casals. Strangely enough, Zukerman and Harrell accentuate

the classical overtones of the work whereas the others all veer towards the romantic. This again shows in the tempos where Harrel favours a medium fast pace throughout as against the building up by Rostropovich.

Zubin Mehta holds the whole thing together quite nicely and as his is the major role anyway the importance of the orchestral sound possibly gives him the edge over his’competitors. In short, it is a version which may complement others rather than compete against. VOCAL CHAMBER MUSIC FROM VIENNA. The Stephane Caillat Vocal Quartet sing works by Mozart, Havdn and Schubert. TURNABOUT VOX TV34275.

This recording harks back to the Middle Ages for inspiration and to 1971 for the actual recording date. In conception it is literally as old as the hills yet one can’t help getting the wild notion that here is the original Swingle Singers without their magnification. Accompanied only by a pianist, Sylvaine Billier, the quartet sing eight works by Haydn, six by Mozart and two from the pen of Schubert with grace and charm. By substituting voices for instruments the group are merely acting the role of a perfectly balanced quartet, each singer representing a respective instrument.

Haydn’s prime inspiration was, nevertheless, from purely vocal sources when in England he became familiar with madrigals, rounds, catches and glees, but unlike the madrigal his part-songs