Recording Review #44: Elfman Elsewhere

Danny Elfman: Wunderkammer; Percussion Concerto; Are You Lost? Colin Currie, percussionist; Joann Falletta, conductor; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony Classical 19658889842. 

To get it out of the way, Danny Elfman is one of my favorite film/TV scorers. He's great at composing one-off opening tunes and contributing to rich cinematic atmospheres. When I am particularly struck by the music supporting what I'm watching onscreen, chances are fairly good it's an Elfman score. And of course, the distinctiveness of The Simpsons title theme alone would be sufficient to forever enshrine his name in American culture of the most recent fin de siècle. 

But (and you knew there was a "but"), I'm not convinced he's significantly more than this. After listening to the present release and similar fare, I think you have to add his name to a growing list of individuals who never really won matching respect in classical genres outside of their popular theater niches: Arthur Seymour Sullivan, Meredith Willson, Miklós Rózsa, Leonard Bernstein, John Williams, etc. Which is perfectly fine, but let's be honest. 

This is not to say I didn't enjoy Elfman's Wunderkammer, Percussion Concerto, or Are You Lost? On the contrary, each is pleasant enough. But when I view them as musical works in their own right, I'm forced to recognize that there's a reason Elfman became famous on another basis. The first problem is that there is no signature tune in any of this music. If you come to it expecting something like that Simpsons main theme you're going to be disappointed. This echoes a curious trend connected with most of the other people I just mentioned: the flavor of their famous stuff doesn't always transfer well to their "serious" classical compositions. 

It is true that Elfman's rich colors and atmosphere building are present in all three compositions here. But the second problem is that this kind of material is far less riveting in an extended classical structure than it is accompanying Edward Scissorhands trimming hedges or Batman sneaking up on some crook in Gotham City. Elfman is forced to introduce ideas in a kind of minimalist fashion, and stick with them for a time before moving on to other ideas and doing the same. None of them invites sustained attention, and the wholes make nice-ish but underwhelming impressions. One could retort that Philip Glass (whom I've praised here) isn't much different. True, but Glass's distinguished melodic gift transfers over from his film to his concert music comparatively smoothly; he can catch and hold one's ear with the smallest bit of magic. Elfman's magic, such as it is, fizzles outside of its natural home. It all just becomes ordinary. 

I'm not a snob about media music. I've defended its legitimacy in concert settings and as a bona fide classical genre. But I can think this and still recognize that handling a memorable theme in an extended composition is another thing entirely. I respect both skills, but in the end they're separate skills. The number of people great at both constitutes a rarefied group. Elfman isn't in it. 

Verdict: Mildly Recommended

Recording Review #17: Fetching Foss

 

Foss: Ode; Renaissance Concerto; Three American Pieces; Symphony No. 1 in G Major. Amy Porter, flute; Nikki Chooi, violin; JoAnn Falletta, conductor; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos 8.559938. ISBN: 636943993828. 

German-American composer Lukas Foss (1922-2009) was one of those prodigies who never quite fulfilled his early promise. He had plenty of musical talent, but a rather limited stamp of compositional personality. So he did what many such figures have done: he tinkered. Eclecticism can have a way of masking the lack of a strong personal voice. He experimented with various styles and "isms," but his authentic self was a neo-classicist with a little neo-romanticism thrown in. And this is all perfectly okay. Foss did write a number of fine, enjoyable works. Some of the best ones are on this new Naxos recording, which is about as ideal an introduction to the composer as one could ask. 

I enjoyed the heck out of the Renaissance Concerto (1985), which features recycled music from the eponymous period. I grinned in recognition when I heard in the third movement Orfeo's recitative melody (if you can call it that) from Monteverdi's opera. The other movements are just as good. My first thought while listening was that this is kind of like Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances, but perhaps a bit freer in spirit. It would make a terrific concert piece for wide audiences, being so engaging and accessible. A similar description applies to the Three American Pieces, which were completed in 1945 but are heard here in Foss's 1989 violin-and-orchestra scoring. These are wonderful - full of direct appeal and American character. Violinist Nikki Chooi proves a splendid advocate for them. 

The main course is the First Symphony, completed in 1944 when Foss was 22. When I listened to this symphony for the first time, I was driving my vehicle through some rural areas. I must say that my surroundings heightened its effect. Though I couldn't remember many of the materials well after hearing them, I did very much enjoy the piece while it was on. This symphony is mostly a gentle, graceful work that recalls American orchestral music by Aaron Copland and Roy Harris. It definitely merits an occasional hearing in live concert. 

That leaves the Ode, composed at the time of the First Symphony. Foss intended it as a memorial to the World War II dead, considering it to represent "crisis, war, and ultimately faith" (liner notes). It's a well crafted piece, with moments of real beauty and passion. Again, I can't say that it is terribly memorable outside of the moment, but it's absolutely worth hearing in that moment. 

Conductor JoAnn Falletta very astutely leads the Buffalo Philharmonic through each selection. We should be grateful to them and to Naxos for promoting this music. 

Recommended