textura

Kersten McCall: B.ACH
TRPTK

Kersten McCall's TRPTK debut doesn't just capture the sound of the German-born and Amsterdam-based flutist playing Johann Sebastian Bach, it documents him filtering the composer through the prism of his sensibility. As if to make the point even clearer, McCall intersperses personalized arrangements of four Bach works on the hour-long release with experimental interludes of his own making. That makes for a Bach album different from any you've heard before. McCall's aware that some feathers might be ruffled and that some could view what he's done as a kind of sacrilege. His position is that dressing Bach in new garb brings out new dimensions and enables his work to be heard afresh. It's also a way of preventing a great composer's works from ossifying or becoming sacrosanct museum pieces.

If anyone's equipped for the challenge, it's McCall. As the son of composer Brent McCall, he witnessed first-hand his father writing his own music but also, as his father was responsible for preparing concert seasons in various locales, transcribing and creating new arrangements of works by others. It's only natural that years after watching his father be so engaged, the son would do something similar. As a musician, he's also well-prepped for the project. He started playing flute at the age of nine, formally studied at the Schaffhausen Konservatorium and Karlsruhe Hochschule für Musik, and since 2005 has been solo flutist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Interestingly, his first experience playing Bach in public—aged twelve and accompanied by his father on piano, he performed the Sonata in E-flat major at the National Youth Competition in Germany—wasn't well received, with the jury responding to it with the words, “Find a better pianist” and “This is not Bach.” That led to Kersten steering clear of the composer until he played Bach's Christmas Oratorio eight years later with a teacher and found himself captivated. That in turn led, first, to a newfound appreciation for Bach's music and, secondly, the creation of personalized versions of certain pieces. Were anyone to hear the new album and once again declaim, “This is not Bach,” McCall has a ready answer: “Indeed, it is not. But it is his spirit, and that's what matters most to me.”

Enhancing the recording's appeal, McCall deploys different combinations throughout, one piece a duet for flute and harpsichord (Olga Matieva) and others pairing the two instruments with violin (Tjeerd Top) and cello (Benedikt Enzler), respectively. Most memorably, his arrangement of the Sonata in C major, BWV 1005 is for four flutes, two standard (McCall, Mariya Semotyuk) and two alto (Julie Moulin, María Cristina González).

Ambient noises of footsteps in “To Bach” create the impression of McCall walking up to a studio microphone to play the four-part Partita in A minor, BWV 1013, a work usually performed solo (it was originally titled Solo pour la flute traversière) but here transformed into a flute-harpsichord duet. The inclusion of the latter does, in fact, add harmonic clarity and enhances the material's accessibility. The gleaming presence of the keyboard doesn't, however, prevent one from appreciating the virtuosic command shown by McCall in his performance. The absence of pauses in the “Allemande” adds to the difficulty, as does the unrelenting fast tempo of the “Corrente”; after those breathless movements, the contemplative “Sarabande” offers a lovely respite before the pace picks up again for the breezy “Bourrée anglaise.”

Following the barroom-brawling interlude “Zifix!,” the Sonata in C major, BWV 1033 appears in its flute-cello-harpsichord arrangement, the work's four parts bite-sized and fleeting. The dizzying “Allegro” in particular puts McCall to the test, but he succeeds handsomely, just as he does throughout the album. As brief as the movements are, they're not so short that the prettiness of the “Adagio” doesn't register, not to mention the innocent joy of the “Menuetto I - Menuetto II.” The flutes-only interlude “Ach” effects a natural transition into the Sonata in C major, BWV 1005, its four parts gracefully essayed by the flutists and the separation between them bolstered by the presence of two flute types. The performance is a treat for the ears, especially the engrossing “Fuga” and the regal “Largo.” Fittingly, the interlude that follows, “Et Expecto (rearrangement),” undertakes its journey through the entire circle of fifths using another flutes-only arrangement, this one comprising standard, alto, and bass flutes.

Capping the release is the Sonata in A major, BWV 1032, which, while initially recast by McCall as an arrangement for flute and harpsichord, later became a trio sonata when violin was added to bring greater clarity to its polyphonic design. The effervescently sparkle of the “Vivace” and “Allegro” are alluring, but the serene splendour of the central “Largo e dolce” is as memorable. McCall was deemed “a master” by no less a personage than Bernard Haitink, and one need only hear B.ACH to be convinced of the accuracy of the assessment. The flutist's artistry is on full display throughout this superb presentation.

February 2023


	Kersten McCall: B.ACH TRPTK Kersten McCall's TRPTK debut doesn't just capture the sound of the German-born and Amsterdam-based flutist playing Johann Sebastian Bach, it documents him filtering the composer through the prism of his sensibility. As if to make the point even clearer, McCall intersperses personalized arrangements of four Bach works on the hour-long release with experimental interludes of his own making. That makes for a Bach album different from any you've heard before. McCall's aware that some feathers might be ruffled and that some could view what he's done as a kind of sacrilege. His position is that dressing Bach in new garb brings out new dimensions and enables his work to be heard afresh. It's also a way of preventing a great composer's works from ossifying or becoming sacrosanct museum pieces. If anyone's equipped for the challenge, it's McCall. As the son of composer Brent McCall, he witnessed first-hand his father writing his own music but also, as his father was responsible for preparing concert seasons in various locales, transcribing and creating new arrangements of works by others. It's only natural that years after watching his father be so engaged, the son would do something similar. As a musician, he's also well-prepped for the project. He started playing flute at the age of nine, formally studied at the Schaffhausen Konservatorium and Karlsruhe Hochschule für Musik, and since 2005 has been solo flutist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Interestingly, his first experience playing Bach in public—aged twelve and accompanied by his father on piano, he performed the Sonata in E-flat major at the National Youth Competition in Germany—wasn't well received, with the jury responding to it with the words, “Find a better pianist” and “This is not Bach.” That led to Kersten steering clear of the composer until he played Bach's Christmas Oratorio eight years later with a teacher and found himself captivated. That in turn led, first, to a newfound appreciation for Bach's music and, secondly, the creation of personalized versions of certain pieces. Were anyone to hear the new album and once again declaim, “This is not Bach,” McCall has a ready answer: “Indeed, it is not. But it is his spirit, and that's what matters most to me.” Enhancing the recording's appeal, McCall deploys different combinations throughout, one piece a duet for flute and harpsichord (Olga Matieva) and others pairing the two instruments with violin (Tjeerd Top) and cello (Benedikt Enzler), respectively. Most memorably, his arrangement of the Sonata in C major, BWV 1005 is for four flutes, two standard (McCall, Mariya Semotyuk) and two alto (Julie Moulin, María Cristina González). Ambient noises of footsteps in “To Bach” create the impression of McCall walking up to a studio microphone to play the four-part Partita in A minor, BWV 1013, a work usually performed solo (it was originally titled Solo pour la flute traversière) but here transformed into a flute-harpsichord duet. The inclusion of the latter does, in fact, add harmonic clarity and enhances the material's accessibility. The gleaming presence of the keyboard doesn't, however, prevent one from appreciating the virtuosic command shown by McCall in his performance. The absence of pauses in the “Allemande” adds to the difficulty, as does the unrelenting fast tempo of the “Corrente”; after those breathless movements, the contemplative “Sarabande” offers a lovely respite before the pace picks up again for the breezy “Bourrée anglaise.” Following the barroom-brawling interlude “Zifix!,” the Sonata in C major, BWV 1033 appears in its flute-cello-harpsichord arrangement, the work's four parts bite-sized and fleeting. The dizzying “Allegro” in particular puts McCall to the test, but he succeeds handsomely, just as he does throughout the album. As brief as the movements are, they're not so short that the prettiness of the “Adagio” doesn't register, not to mention the innocent joy of the “Menuetto I - Menuetto II.” The flutes-only interlude “Ach” effects a natural transition into the Sonata in C major, BWV 1005, its four parts gracefully essayed by the flutists and the separation between them bolstered by the presence of two flute types. The performance is a treat for the ears, especially the engrossing “Fuga” and the regal “Largo.” Fittingly, the interlude that follows, “Et Expecto (rearrangement),” undertakes its journey through the entire circle of fifths using another flutes-only arrangement, this one comprising standard, alto, and bass flutes. Capping the release is the Sonata in A major, BWV 1032, which, while initially recast by McCall as an arrangement for flute and harpsichord, later became a trio sonata when violin was added to bring greater clarity to its polyphonic design. The effervescently sparkle of the “Vivace” and “Allegro” are alluring, but the serene splendour of the central “Largo e dolce” is as memorable. McCall was deemed “a master” by no less a personage than Bernard Haitink, and one need only hear B.ACH to be convinced of the accuracy of the assessment. The flutist's artistry is on full display throughout this superb presentation. February 2023