Judging from the album photo, the typeface, and the performer biographies in which the violinist is hyperbolically described as a true “romantic” artist some four times in as many sentences, Pip Clarke must have had a hand in this production, either financial or otherwise. Truth be told, she plays extremely well–with a warm, fulsome tone that happily is not “romantic” in the sloppy, tacky sense, and with an easy virtuosity in the concerto’s finale that really is quite winning. I can’t really blame any artist in today’s glutted market for getting a little carried away in the promotion department, even at the risk of self-parody, and the results here at least live up to the promises in the copy. I’d like to hear more of Ms. Clarke.
That said, the real hero of this disc is the guy in the little brown box at the upper left of the booklet cover, composer Lee Actor. Himself a violinist, he has crafted a wonderfully tuneful, beautifully scored violin concerto that very easily could find its way into the modern repertoire. Yes, the idiom is conservative, but the whole piece is written so well that the result is just what you’d think most people would want: a work that’s traditional in feel but fresh in expression. The Second Symphony is a little bit less accomplished in this respect. Its thematic material in the first movement isn’t quite as interesting, and the handling of rhythm turns a touch mechanical, but the slow movement and finale are terrific, moody and ebullient by turns, and once again there’s no questioning Actor’s ability as an orchestral writer.
The timpani concerto is a brief, 10-minute jeu d’esprit that, as with most pieces of this type, is somewhat silly conceptually (let’s face it: timpani are nothing if not expressively limited). It has the great virtue of brevity as well as some really good tunes that soloist Stuart Chafetz pounds out with evident gusto. The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra plays this rewarding music quite comfortably under Kirk Trevor, all of which adds up to a production that leaves you wanting to hear more from all concerned. Good job!
