String Theory is a seven-minute rhythmic fantasia for strings and percussion that’s over before you know it. Chesky is a very serious composer, and like most of his music this little piece, although ostensibly based on his characteristic blend of trendy jazz/rock influences, hints at darker things. There’s a sardonic edge, for example, to the slow movement of the Violin Concerto No. 2, while that of the Cello Concerto is positively spooky (in a good way). The three concertos included here, for violin, cello, and the two instruments combined, share a similar stylistic basis. All adopt the standard three-movement form. None is terribly long, taking from fifteen to nineteen minutes. The outer movements feature hard-hitting rhythms similar to what we encounter in String Theory, while the central slow movements are highly varied. The finale of the Cello Concerto, a slightly off-kilter waltz, is particularly arresting.
Indeed this work, the largest of the three concertos, is the most impressive piece on the disc, and in my opinion one of Chesky’s major achievements. It shows that his style has real range; the possibility to expand atmospherically and emotionally beyond its “urban cool” roots. The other two concertos are shorter and more compact, almost neo-baroque in character. The motor-rhythms in the outer movements bring to mind the relentless allegros of works such as Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D minor BWV 1065. For this reason I wouldn’t suggest playing all three concertos at once. No qualms, though, about the performances. Chesky’s writing for solo strings offers plenty of opportunities for rapid runs and showy figuration, as well as islands of lyrical repose. Cellist Dave Eggar and violinist Tom Chiu offer poised and polished accounts of some pretty tough passage work, and they are very faithfully balanced against the larger ensemble.
The orchestral parts throughout are pretty much subordinate, save for some very interesting solo writing for bells, glockenspiel and other tuned percussion in all three concertos. There’s no question that Chesky has created a wholly special sound world for these works, one quite unlike any other. You might call it darkly energetic, with flashes of electricity. This music has integrity, and it gets under your skin. It’s also exceptionally well played and recorded. A fascinating release.
