Mina Gajic & Zachary Carrettin: Confluence
Sono Luminus
No musicians would seem to be a better match for the material on Confluence than violinist Zachary Carrettin and pianist Mina Gajic. That's not only because the two bring virtuosic command to their respective instruments and have performed the works for many years in recitals but because of the individual connections they have to the composers. The tangos by Ray Granlund (b. 1975) were composed for Carrettin to play and further allow the violinist to impose his personal stamp on them when improvisation is part of their compositional makeup. The Seven Balkan Dances by Osijek-born Marko Tajcevic (1900-84), on the other hand, distill into musical form the cultural influences of Gajic's childhood in what was then Yugoslavia. Such personal ties make the music sing all the more sweetly when executed by the instrumentalists.
Alternating between tangos and Balkan dances on the thirty-eight-minute recording proves effective in varying the style and tone of the performances—which is not to suggest that a recording grouping the composers' works into distinct sets might not have been satisfying too. The sequencing choice made, however, makes for a constantly stimulating presentation and allows the contrasts between the dance-inspired musics to register all the more noticeably. That the pianist performs Tajcevic's by herself makes it all the easier to identify when his work is being presented.
Improvisation isn't a mere indulgence for Carrettin but rather something he factors into violin study as a way to develop a deeper grasp of a score; consequently, Granlund's tangos are a perfect fit for the violinist. That's especially so when they weren't written by the composer and then handed off to the interpreter; instead, as the two were collaborating with the aerial-vertical dance troupe Project Bandaloop during the time when the tangos were being created, Carrettin was able to play the pieces for Granlund many times and discuss details about articulation, dynamics, and other aspects. The tangos are formally credited to him as the composer, but Carrettin undoubtedly played a key part in their creation.
The moment Granlund's “Maureen” appears, it's clear his pieces would naturally appeal to lovers of Piazzolla's Nuevo Tango. The affinity both composers have for intense rhythmic drive and melancholy ache emerges in many of the six Granlund settings (the infectious “TangoNometría,” for example). Melancholy similarly permeates “TangoVals” and “Sollozo Perpetuo,” which Carrettin and Gajic raise to the highest artistic level in their lyrical renderings. Both play with authority, but the violinist in particular impresses for the vocal-like cry of his passionate expressions. Bolstering the impact of Carrettin's performances, the album closes with “Tango du joli printemps, after Poulenc” wherein the violinist partners a radiant lead melody with a contrapuntal second line delivered in a tango rhythm.
As stated, Seven Balkan Dances relates to childhood experiences of Gajic, times spent traveling throughout Yugoslavia and singing and dancing traditional songs. Personalizing the project even more, Gajic's mother drew upon her experiences as a Balkan folk singer and recorder player to assist the pianist in analyzing Tajcevic's material. That his dances originate from a different part of the world than Granlund's tangos is immediately clear in the mystery and exoticism that pervade the miniatures. While his dances are as earthy, Tajcevic's exude an even more pronounced rustic quality. Carrettin and Gajic have built reputations as distinguished interpreters of Bach, Brahms, Ives, Berg, Schumann, and others but never sound more at home than when performing Granlund's and Tajcevic's pieces. Adding to the project's appeal, Confluence, recorded in July 2020 at Sono Luminus Studios in Boyce, Virginia, exhibits all of the pristine clarity we've come to associate with the label's releases.June 2022