Robert Erickson’s (1917-97) music began in the chromatic but loosely tonal world of early Schoenberg (Cello Fantasy) and ended in a personal realm in which simple musical elements (drones, pedal points) alternate with elaborate melodic arabesques for solo instruments (or small groups). In Night Music, the solo is a trumpet, who plays what sounds a bit like the posthorn solo in Mahler’s Third, or the featured part in Copland’s Quiet City, only going wild on steroids. The most evocative piece here is Aurora, with the orchestra almost never used as a tutti ensemble, but rather exploited in a series of ear-catching chamber configurations. East of the Beach strikes me as a bit too long for its material, but then there’s a certain similarity of technique in these three mature works that militates against hearing them all at once. There’s no question that Erickson evolved a distinctive and attractive personal style–even the early Cello Fantasy falls gratefully on the ear–but like so much contemporary music the lack of dramatic tension characteristic of traditional sonata forms creates a somewhat static impression over the long haul.
That said, once you know what to expect there is no reason not to enjoy this enterprising and very well-played disc. The members of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project play with great confidence and security under Gil Rose’s guidance. The trumpet solo in Night Music is terrific, and in the Cello Fantasy Rafael Popper-Keizer invests his part with real expressive urgency. His tone is also quite attractive–a good thing because he’s recorded far too closely and tends to gasp excessively. Aside from this relatively minor caveat, I can only welcome this release with open arms; here is really interesting and worthwhile music that deserves a wider audience. Give it a shot.
