This Musica Omnia Beyond the Notes release comes with a second CD containing discussions of the music by John Harbison himself. Though the composer (perhaps unavoidably) sounds a bit pretentious at times, the discussions (enhanced by musical examples) prove to be enormously helpful in comprehending these, at first brush, “difficult” works. Harbison clearly identifies the main motivic material and gives cues to listen for as the music progresses–something particularly effective in the one-movement String Quartet No. 3 (1993), whose opening laconic material undergoes a series of cathartic transformations before resolving into a calm and affirmative close. The piece’s effect is no doubt enhanced by the Lydian String Quartet’s penetrating performance, which strives to illuminate the music’s lattice-work counterpoint.
Even with Harbison’s painstakingly detailed discussion on his 1991 The Rewaking (a talk that sometimes clouds more than clarifies), we still could have used printed texts of the four William Carlos Williams poems, as Dominique Labelle’s probing and impassioned singing nonetheless leaves some of the words unintelligible. The songs themselves inhabit a shadowy world where the prevailing harmonic style creates feelings of isolation and confinement, which is only occasionally relieved by brief rhapsodic interludes (as in the fourth song, The Rewaking) and allusions to natural sounds (as in The Woodpecker).
The brief Fantasia on a Ground (1993) stems from the composer’s invention on a partial scale. Though a mildly intriguing work, it’s interesting to note that Harbison’s explanation is twice as long as the piece itself, leaving you to wonder if the music truly communicates his intentions. The CD ends happily with Thanks Victor (1994), a charming (and happily lighthearted) salute to stage and film composer Victor Young, including quotes from such popular standards as “When I fall in Love”. Musica Omnia provides rich, clear recorded sound as well as extensive program notes and biographical information. I suppose listeners who are up to the challenge will want to dive into the music first (as I did) and get clarifications from Harbison later. Others will understandably prefer to start with the guided tour. Either way, be ready to work: class is in session.
