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CHAMBER MUSIC REVIEW The Music of Walter Gieseking
April 22, 2006
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Charming Obscurity By Benjamin Frandzel
In Saturday night's latest installment in Berkeley's Trinity Chamber Concerts series, an inventive gathering of musicians turned its attention to an obscure composer, though hardly an obscure name. The spotlight was on the music of Walter Gieseking in a program featuring the great German pianist's rarely heard compositions. One of those rarely talented individuals who essentially overshadowed himself, he was revealed as a talented and distinctive composer worthy of further exploration.
Gieseking (1895-1956) ranks among the 20th century's great pianists, but his best-known composition is his 1935 Sonatine for Flute and Piano, which opened the program. The work underscores the pianist's great affinity for Debussy and Ravel, with the opening movement's lovely, hauntingly simple melodies fitting snugly into the idiom of French flute writing. This material was developed effectively through a carefully measured expansion and through its envelopment in a rich and imaginative harmonic world.
Another very French trait that came to the fore in the allegretto movement that followed was the absorption of jazz into the compositional sensibilities of the time, shown here in light-spirited writing that recalled both Gershwin and the better European evocations of jazz among composers of the 1930s. The vivace movement that brought the work to a close had many of the same virtues as its predecessors but, charm being one of the strongest characteristics of Gieseking's writing, the brevity of the first two movements was far more welcome than the finale's voluble approach. Pianist Frank Johnson and flutist Diane Grubbe shared many traits that suited this music well, both players bringing a rich tone and idiomatic, heartfelt playing to the music.
The program's most exciting discovery was Gieseking's 1934-1935 song cycle Kinderlieder, settings of poems by Paula and Richard Dehmel, favorites of German composers of the period. Both the texts and the composer's settings delve into the sensations and emotional world of childhood (whether from a child's viewpoint or, more often, a mother's) with sensitivity and respect, avoiding cuteness or condescension. Gieseking's settings often draw on the Impressionist language that informs the Sonatine, framing viewpoints on sleep, dandelions, a new wagon, and a host of other topics with a distinct and fitting approach to each selection. Soprano Lara Bruckmann gave an imaginative and thoughtful exploration of the work, bringing different vocal and dramatic approaches to each song, using her fine pitch and diction to give each song a distinctive shape, and adding many dashes of humor along the way. Johnson again proved to be an ideal accompanist, supporting Bruckmann with subtly shifting colors and keen attention to her phrasing.
Turning back to 1919, the program ended with the Quintet for Piano and Winds, written when Gieseking was only 24, perhaps with some inspiration from the Mozart and Beethoven quintets. Not surprisingly, the youthful work reveals an already capable composer, but one with a smaller vocabulary and less to express than the mature voice of the 1930s. Gieseking's harmonic imagination is already quite active here, with the influences of both Debussy and Strauss in place. But for much of the piece, the music evokes a sort of Alpine sweetness that can't carry a lengthy chamber work. The later works on the program certainly show that Gieseking had learned the value of concision. Its limitations notwithstanding, the piece received a fine performance by Johnson and four members of the Quinteto Latino. It was clear that the wind players, each with a full, warm tone, have spent a great deal of time playing together and have cultivated a collective sensibility. Johnson again anchored the music with his fine sense of ensemble and deep musicality. The full quintet returned for an encore with Paquito D'Rivera's Huapango, an exciting and witty piece that showed off the group's tight interplay and excellent ensemble sense. One last contributor to the program who deserves mention was Jerry Kuderna, stepping out of his familiar role as pianist to introduce both halves of the program. Though by his own admission he may have spent a little more time than planned demonstrating at the keyboard, his comments brought a fuller understanding of Gieseking's world and demonstrated, as did all the evening's performers, a highly personal connection to the music at hand.
(Benjamin Frandzel is a Bay Area musician and writer. In addition to writing concert music, he has collaborated with dance, theater, and visual artists and has written about music for many publications and musical organizations. He is currently a graduate student in composition at San Francisco State University.)
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Walter Gieseking
