Jenny Koralek of Parabola reviews "Resonance," from recording artists, Ensemble Resonance.
"Played by Christian Chanel, Marie Chanel-Vignon, Michael Hunter, Herbert Lashner, Paul Schliffer, and Matthew Shubin. Middlesex, N.Y.: Schadowrider Records. CD; approx. 47 min.
The music on this CD is a combination of two concerts given in 2001 at the Rochester Folk Art Guild of Middlesex, New York by six professional musicians from two long-established Gurdjieff groups. Their purpose was to perform G.I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann's music on a variety of instruments, in this case a challenging and attractive mix of two guitars, flute, oboe, bassoon, and piano in varying permutations and combinations. Their search was for a fine quality of attention rather than technical perfection, and the listener is made aware of a deep, shared attentiveness between audience and performers."
THE MUSIC ON THIS CD is a combination of two concerts given in 2001 at the Rochester Folk Art Guild of Middlesex, New York by six professional musicians from two long-established Gurdjieff groups. Their purpose was to perform G. I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann's music on a variety of instruments, in this case a challenging and attractive mix of two guitars, flute, oboe, bassoon, and piano in varying permutations and combinations. Their search was for a fine quality of attention rather than technical perfection, and the listener is made aware of a deep, shared attentiveness between audience and performers. Resonance is the first of their efforts; a second CD, representing a progression of their work, is expected in the summer of 2004.
It is indeed interesting and refreshing to hear this music played on a medley of instruments; rarely is the bassoonís earthly warmth put to such good use. The mellow oboe and the divine flute add their own beauties to a sensitive and at times subtle use of the two guitars and piano.
This is not the first time that these folk tunes have been played on instruments other than the piano and, as usual, they respond comfortably; from time to time they attain a special kind of charm. But there are other pieces which move the listener in a particular and profound way, an unaccountable way, especially in the untitled piece, ìAndante con moto,î the ìSayyid Chants and Dances,î ìFor Professor Skridlov,î and the ìCaucasian Dance.î
ìLong Ago in Mikhailovî falls into a completely different category. Written in the style of a nineteenth-century popular ballad, and treading skillfully that razorís edge between true feeling and schmaltz, it is lifted here into something sweet, tender, and true, due to the very high and particular standard demanded of themselves by these musicians as they listen so very attentively to one another.
Interestingly, for only the two most sacred piecesóìBokharian Dervish Hadji Asvatz Troovî and ìHymn To Our Endless Creatorîóis the piano used exclusively. It is hard to believe that this was not intentional because it sounds so right, but why was such a decision made? All in all, one is left feeling that folk music responds well to other instrumentalizations, but that the piano, with its weightier ìunderpinning,î still has its very necessary place for more sacred music.
The final piece, ìMeditation,î is played exceedingly well on a single guitar, but sounds slightly more sentimental than it would have on the piano, which seems to have the possibility of producing a more rigorous sound. But it would need an expert to explain the reasons for these different resonances.
These lovely, haunting soundsófrom where have they come? ìFrom without? Or from within?î as Shams of Tabriz asked. Do they reach us, thanks to Gurdjieff and de Hartmann, and through the fingers and ears and rhythmic bodies of these fine players, from a more real world? Do they evoke, awaken in the listener maybe for the first time a yearning for worlds as yet only ìhalf realized?î Or at that moment of hearing them once again, are they believed in and longed for once again?
Jenny Koralek is an English author of numerous childrenís books and co-editor with Ellen Dooling Draper of A Lively Oracle: A Centennial Celebration of P.L. Travers, Creator of Mary Poppins (Larson).
Copyright 2004 Jenny Koralek
Reprinted from Parabola, Spring 2004 (www.parabola.org), with permission of the author
— Jenny Koralek, Parabola (Spring 2004)
