Notes and Editorial Reviews
Michael Torke's music tends to polarize listeners, a result of his determinedly colloquial style. There are passages in Jasper and An American Abroad that recall those 1950s grammar school science documentaries--you know, with titles such as "I Am Frank's Kidney", or "Zinc Oxide And You". You'll find it either charming or infuriating, but there's no denying that Torke speaks with his own voice and (more importantly) knows how to write a good tune or two. And so despite the danger of sounding like a shameless Gershwin rip-off, An American Abroad comes across more as a joyous updating of a tried and true concept, and contains at its heart a lyrical melody that Gershwin himself would have been proud to sign. The much
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briefer Jasper covers similar emotional ground, being a bright, breezy jeu d'esprit that effortlessly sustains its 12-minute length.
The major work, though, is Rapture, a percussion concerto that features--in each of its three movements respectively--drums and woods, mallets, and metal instruments. Percussionist Colin Currie has a field day wielding his various pieces of musical artillery, and the outer movements play an entertaining game of having the soloist set a series of complex rhythmic patterns while the orchestra then proceeds to construct a variety of tunes employing them. It's great fun, if a bit relentless, and the vaguely Balinese central movement offers a very lovely and quite necessary element of repose between its exhausting neighbors. With Argo's important series of Torke orchestral works long gone from the catalog (though a twofer reduced price reissue is always possible), this brilliantly performed and recorded selection fills an important niche in Naxos' American Classics series. Despite rather unhelpful notes by the composer, it would be churlish to deny this sunny and accessible music anything but the highest recommendation. [2/3/2003]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
An American Abroad by Michael Torke
Conductor:
Marin Alsop
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Date of Recording: 02/2002
Venue: Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
Length: 21 Minutes 20 Secs.
2.
Jasper by Michael Torke
Conductor:
Marin Alsop
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Date of Recording: 02/2002
Venue: Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
Length: 11 Minutes 42 Secs.
3.
Concerto for Percussion "Rapture" by Michael Torke
Performer:
Colin Currie (Percussion)
Conductor:
Marin Alsop
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 2000; USA
Date of Recording: 02/2002
Venue: Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
Length: 28 Minutes 18 Secs.
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