Violin Concerto / Rituals

"As Garry Kvistad, one of the members of the percussion quintet Nexus, reminded me at the release party for this new Ellen Taaffe Zwilich disc on Naxos, there is no such thing as a percussion instrument with an indeterminate pitch. Every instrument has a pitch, but most composers who write for percussion ignore this and accept whatever the pitch of the percussion instrument used in a performance happens to be. Not so, says Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, who worked meticulously with Nexus's extensive instrumentarium of percussion instruments from around the world. But none of these instruments are used for effect or to conjure some sort of tourist exoticism. Rather, Zwilich emphasized the pitch capabilities of a family of instruments not usually treated as melodic and created a piece where every resulting pitch is carefully worked out. The result is one of the most melodious and harmonious of percussion concertos and one of Zwilich's most exciting compositions to date. I was thrilled that this remarkable piece, which is also very exciting to watch, was part of NewMusicBox's first-ever Webcast of an orchestral concert a little over a year ago, but I'm even more thrilled that it's finally available on CD. Now if only I could hear it live. Wherever you are, demand that your local orchestra programs this blockbuster piece!"
- Frank Oteri, NewMusicBox.com

"Artistic Quality 10 / Sound Quality 9
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's 1998 Violin Concerto is a marvelous work that communicates immediately to the heart, yet at the same time stimulates the intellect. It begins with an excited shimmer in the orchestra's high register, introducing the violin's arching, wide-interval theme. The serene, ecstatic character of the violin writing is reminiscent of Szymanowski, though throughout the score there also are hints of Prokofiev and Bartók. That said, this is undeniably Zwilich's music, and the fact that this work is a product of our neo-romantic, post-minimalist era is evident in the two shattering orchestral crescendos that frame the first movement. The second movement is based on Bach's Chaconne in D minor, here expanded and augmented by modern harmonies and jazzy ornamentations. Jazz also figures strongly in the finale where, like Bernstein before her, Zwilich seamlessly incorporates its stylistic elements into the orchestral fabric. None of this poses any problem for Pamela Frank, who gives a masterful and passionate performance of the entire work, handsomely accompanied by Michael Stern and the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Rituals (2002) is a celebration of percussion as used in various world cultures, and is so different a work from the violin concerto that it hardly sounds from the pen of the same composer. Nevertheless, it's a total delight, from the opening Invocations, with its stunning pageantry of bells, gongs, and cymbals, to the dancing Ambulation, to the electrifying Contests, where groups of percussionists engage in a thrilling musical combat, set against an orchestral backdrop of increasingly alarming freight-train chords. Under Michael Stern's leadership, NEXUS/IRIS Chamber Orchestra members play magnificently as they build to a frenzied, exhilarating conclusion. Naxos' recording reproduces all of this with satisfying presence and impact, although the Concerto, which was taped live for broadcast, has noticeably less warmth and depth. The bottom line: This is one highly enjoyable disc, enthusiastically recommended!."
-- Victor Carr Jr, www.classicstoday.com ,12/10/05