A Far Cry: Visions and Variations
Crier Records

Only months ago, pianist Simone Dinnerstein and the Boston-based string ensemble A Far Cry issued Circles, a splendid collection of Glass and Bach pieces that witnessed the musicians taking full advantage of the melodic potential the composers' material offered. Similar in that regard is Visions and Variations, whose pieces by Britten, Mozart, and Prokofiev enable the conductor-less Criers' twenty members (ten violins, five violas, three cellos, and two basses) to maximize the melodic side of their presentation. The culmination of a three-year undertaking, the new release weds the resplendence of a full orchestra's string sections to the intimate feel of a chamber outfit.

Better yet, all three works, staples of the Criers' repertoire, feature multiple parts, twelve in Britten's case, twenty in Prokofiev's, and thirteen in Mozart's. As a result, while the album presents an abundant thirty-two tracks (the Mozart indexed as a single one), it never feels overlong when each is a miniature the group executes with precision and dispatch; never staying in one place for long, in other words, means the material never wears out its welcome. Further to that, though the parts are brief, they feel complete, long enough that a distinct character can be asserted and the part's individuating colour established. There are, literally, dozens of visions presented, making the seventy-one-minute recording an ever-stimulating ride.

Following a robust introduction, Britten's Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge presents ten different treatments, from the “Adagio,” whose emotional outpouring exudes an expressiveness reminiscent of Verklärte Nacht, to the “Fugue and Finale,” which caps the work with a two-stage uptempo romp first, stirring adagio second. In between, the group lends magnificent and enthusiastic voice to parts elegant, wistful, and carefree (“Romance”), high-spirited and exuberant (the Mozartian “Aria Italiana” and stately “Bourrée Classique”), sober (“Funeral March”), and reflective (“Chant”), the group's playing in every case infused with passion and conviction. On high, there's the violins' and violas' silken splendour, below, the cellos' and basses' earthy declamations.

If the title of Ah! Vous dirais-je, Maman doesn't immediately ring a melodic bell, it certainly will once the familiar strains of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” fill the air. For this seventeen-minute piece, the Criers asked Ethan Wood to produce an arrangement of Mozart's piano variations on the theme, resulting in twelve wide-ranging variations and a world premiere recording. Similar to the Britten opener, the melody receives a fairly straightforward reading at the outset before being subjected to all manner of re-imaginings, with everything from expansive, folk-tinged renderings to cheeky riffs and lyrical lullabies appearing along the way.

Like the Mozart piece, Prokofiev's Visions Fugitives began as character sketches for solo piano that were then refashioned by Rudolf Barshai for strings, with five additional parts arranged by the Criers joining his fifteen for a world premiere string orchestra recording of all twenty. And of course like the other settings, Prokofiev's is panoramic in mood, dynamics, and styles, though melodically his distinctive signature is always evident. Parts suave (“Allegretto”), spirited (“Animato”), graceful (“Commodo”), ponderous (“Assai moderato”), and aggressive (“Feroce”) appear in turn, each contributing to what's ultimately a fulsome portrait of the Russian composer.

October 2018