Sylvie Bodorova and Ronald Stevenson - String Quartets

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Sylvie Bodorova and Ronald Stevenson - String Quartets

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The two Bodorova pieces are patently sincere, deeply moving and subtle. Bodorová demonstrates a simplicity of utterance that bring her close to the souls of Finzi (Introit), Macmillan (Gowdie) and Pärt (Cantus).

The Terezin Requiem refers to the Holocaust with Terezin (or Theresienstadt) being the model 'camp' which Hitler had filmed to show how happily confined the Jews were. Two devotional (not contemplative) movements frame a fast one. The baritone Nigel Cliffe has a meaty voice adept at the sort of hieratic melisma called for by the composer. His line is part-cantor and part-muezzin - a mix of East and West. Cliffe is no bloodless English shadow; listen to his singing in the sneeringly vituperative Dies Irae. The emotional span is from doleful protest to consolatory hymn. The writing for string quartet is gutsy, tender and amber-toned. The viciously fast and rasping middle movement has the Martinůs playing at the edge of their considerable technical range.

The Concerto de Estio dispenses with the voice and has the guitarist as the soloist. The title translates as Summer Concerto. It shares this with Joaquin Rodrigo's violin concerto. Just as with the Terezin work the writing is tonal, staying on the sunny side of Bartók's idiom with effects ranging from high prayerful writing for the violins to percussive effects on the solo instrument’s sound box, to flamenco attack with zigeuner and klezmer touches. After a plangent middle movement there comes a broad and confident cantilena with whispered halflights adding to the atmosphere. At the end the writing for high strings retreats into an extraordinary shredded cordage of notes.

The Stevenson, like the other works here receives its first commercial recording. It is full-blooded with the violins singing with warm intensity and hysteria. The effect is like a 'marriage' between Dvořák, Shostakovich and Schnittke. It is not all burstingly ripe hurly-burly though. Listen to the nostalgic 'whistler in the gloaming' effect towards the end of the first movement which segues attacca into the second. This second movement suggests steel spiders spinning webs. Melodic flames burst and kindle all the time throughout this heartbreakingly lyrical work with its parallels with the Bax First Quartet. Bax has in fact been a special interest of Stevenson who as written a major set of solo piano variations on the ‘love theme’ from the second movement of the Second Symphony. This has been premiered by Matti Raekkalio.

The Stevenson quartet is alive with the plunging romantic gestures of the Nicholas Maw quartets and the work wonderfully brought to life by the Martinůs. Stevenson's universalist articles of faith shine through the finale as Irish jigs toe and heel it in an evocation of the Kerry dancing floors. Here is a slow turning vortex of dance gestures ending in an explosive pizzicato.

Two composers unpredictably but stimulatingly matched; tonal music that has not lost its ability to surprise, delight and warn. My recording of the month.

Rob Barnett @ musicweb-international.com