With the UK braced for the arrival of Storm Éowyn today, it got me thinking of successful portrayals of storms in music.
The first piece that came to mind was Sibelius’s masterpiece Tapiola, a remarkable and vivid orchestral poem written late in his compositional career about Tapio, the spirit of the forest. Its depiction of a storm is like no other.
Listen here, in a particularly incendiary account from the Berliner Philharmoniker and Herbert von Karajan, keeping an ear out for the storm as it begins around the 16:50 mark:
Arcana brings you good news from Wales, where Das Koolies have released a new single, Som Bom Magnifico, and posted plans for a new album in May.
In case you don’t already know, Das Koolies is essentially the Super Furry Animals, minus Gruff Rhys – though it’s important to mention there is no ‘split’ as such, just different musical projects to enjoy. The current incarnation, made up of Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan and Guto Pryce, hit the ground running in 2023 with the brilliant DK.01 album, and its successor, Pando, looks set to build on that handsomely on 9 May.
For now, you can enjoy the cosmic synth play, vocals and heady chorus of the psychedelic Som Bom Magnifico, a danceable cut that bodes very well for the band’s second chapter!
Published post no.2,420 – Thursday 23 January 2025
At the end of last year, Jo ‘Schlammpeitziger’ Zimmermann released new album Meine Unterkunft ist die Unvernunft to mark his 60th birthday. Now Kompakt add a celebration of their own, presenting the album in remix form, with a well chosen group of long-time companions brought together to pay tribute. Schlammpeitziger adds a tribute of his own in the form of a photograph of each on the hand-decorated album cover.
What’s the music like?
Hugely enjoyable. From the opening beats of Ada’s remix of Loch ohne Licht, it’s clear this will be a fun set of remixes, with the chunky beats supporting a fine slab of disco house.
The bass driven Schlammpeitziger goes deeper, branching out musically to good effect in the company of Wolfgang Voigt, while Selten Gesehnes gets a steely edge to its piano from Stefan Mohr. Finally Parzipan, redone by Andreas Dorau and Zwanie Jonson, takes on a generous helping of Joy Division as it heads to the electro disco.
Does it all work?
Yes – none of the remixes outstay their welcome, and there is a really good variety of styles on show.
Is it recommended?
Enthusiastically. If you’re a Kompakt fan, look no further – this sort of package shows how fun a good remix album can be!
Listen / Buy
Published post no.2,419 – Wednesday 22 January 2025
Juilliard String Quartet [Areta Zhulla, Ronald Copes (violins), Molly Carr (viola), Astrid Schween (cello)]
Beethoven String Quartet no.13 in B flat major Op.130 (1825-6) Widmann String Quartet no.8 ‘Beethoven Study III’ (2020)
Wigmore Hall, London Monday 20 January 2025 (1pm)
by Ben Hogwood
Since its formation in 1946, the Juilliard String Quartet has not surprisingly undergone a number of iterations. Its present line-up, nearly 80 years on, has brought new impetus to carry the group far into the 21st century. For this Wigmore Hall visit, a BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert, the quartet paired late Beethoven with relatively late Jörg Widmann – a piece he wrote in the last five years.
More of that below, but the quartet’s decision to begin with the longer Beethoven was vindicated on account of the musical material. The String Quartet no.13 was the second of Beethoven’s five ‘late’ quartets to be published, and the third in order of composition – with its sixth and final movement known as the Grosse Fuge. A highly unusual and forward-looking piece, this movement was initially shunned by audiences, described by a critic as ‘incomprehensible, like Chinese’. Ultimately it has been recognised as a masterpiece of counterpoint and structure.
In light of its reception Beethoven completed an alternative finale for the quartet in November 1826, four months before his death – in fact the last music he wrote. The Juilliard chose this path, changing the balance of the work to place extra emphasis on the penultimate Cavatina, a movement of special grace. Indeed much of this performance found the quartet taking on serenade-like qualities, the Juilliard preferring to stress the sunlit melodies and textures, while emphasising the dance rhythms.
The first movement’s Adagio and Allegro sections had vivid colours and phrasing, brilliantly played but needing more contrast between the sections. The following Prestissimo was over in the blink of an eye, forceful when needed, and providing a contrast with the attractively voiced Andante, with tasteful melodic phrasing. The attractive Alla danza tedesca brought a serenity to Beethoven’s late writing, as opposed to the restrained beauty of the Cavatina, where first violinist Areta Zhulla’s playing was especially fine. The finale introduced a playful approach, especially welcome as the music approached its final bars, which were authoritative while lacking the outright drama the Grosse Fuge would have brought.
The connection between Beethoven and Jörg Widmann is unusually strong, the German clarinettist and composer completing a clutch of works (to date) drawing on his predecessor’s inspiration. Five of those works are his string quartets nos.6-10, a series titled Study on Beethoven, of which this quartet is the third instalment. Taking the fourth movement Alla danza tedesca from the Beethoven we had just heard, Widmann worked the second movement of this quartet into eight striking variations on its theme, explaining the placement of this work in the concert running order.
It was played with commendable virtuosity, and often enjoyable in its knowing use of Beethoven’s themes. The BBC Radio 3 announcer Fiona Talkington said the quartet had confided how Widmann now felt Beethoven was a ‘close friend…someone you can poke fun at!’, and he certainly took the opportunity for high jinks in the finale, where references to the Emperor piano concerto were rather heavily signposted.
The second movement was the most inventive, a fever dream refracting Beethoven’s theme through instrumental prisms of wildly varying shades. Ultimately you had to admire Widmann’s craft, and Beethoven’s initial invention, forgiving the occasional tendency to play more obviously to the audience. On this occasion it proved a most successful tactic, finishing a concert packed with positive energy. The only slight blot on the landscape came via some low frequency drilling which could be heard in quiet passages, no doubt emanating from one of the many building sites currently adorning Central London. Thankfully the music of Beethoven transcends such things!
The latest addition to ESO Digital, the online concert arm of the English Symphony Orchestra, is the world premiere performance of Wreck, the orchestral piece by Steve Elcock.
This is the concert Arcana’s Richard Whitehouse saw at the 2022 Elgar Festival, at the Malvern Theatres in Great Malvern. You can read his review here.
Described by its composer as ‘‘a message of salvation beyond despair, of consolation beyond grief’’, Wreck is performed by mezzo-soprano Kathryn Rudge, with the English Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Woods. Click here to go to the ESO website and watch the performance.
Arcana.fm 