Crumb: Zeitgeist, Music for a Summer Evening
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of George Crumb's works for amplified pianos is the stunningly varied assortment of sounds he coaxes from the instruments, what Crumb dubs "extended-piano resources" in his excellent annotation.Zeitgeist, from 1987, cycles through a variety of piano effects, many requiring additional materials (paper, rosin, and the like) to achieve their intended sound. The most characteristic sound of "Portent," for example, is achieved by sliding a drinking glass along the strings, creating a silvery glissando that at its most percussive evokes the sound of a Chinese cymbal. "Monochord" has a continuous undercurrent of drone, whose sound is reminiscent of the buzz of an Indiantanpura, overlaid with an ethereal melody. That's not to say that Crumb's writing is a pastiche of influences. His singular compositional language is instantly recognizable, as is the mood of awe that permeates many of his works. (It's no accident that Crumb marks many movements with such terms as "mysterious," "fantastic," and "mystical.") The theme of wonder returns in 1974'sMusic for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), in which the two-amplified-piano setting is expanded with two percussionists (the excellent John Kinzie and David Colson) who use a variety of instruments to create a magical, otherworldly terrain.This recording is Volume 4 in Bridge Records' milestone, composer-supervised Crumb Edition. Although neither of these works is new to disc, Susan Grace and Alice Rybak (the two members of Quattro Mani) are such formidable interpreters that the CD is a must-have for Crumb enthusiasts. It's also an excellent introduction for newcomers to his music.--Anastasia Tsioulcas