René Char (1907-88)
Sunday, July 27, 2025
The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead (Sage 2)
A connection might be made between James Dillon’s recent Caprices with the same number of for-piano Notations (1945) by Pierre Boulez; much said in a short space of time, Dillon’s absorbing set played with sensitivity by Sean Shibe on an acoustic guitar. I have had no luck so far in responding positively to Cassandra Miller’s music, her Maria Callas-related Bel Canto, based on ‘Vissi d’arte’ from Puccini’s Tosca, unfortunately continues the trend, a lengthy repetition of a vocal effect, changed later, with instruments (alto flute, clarinet, guitar, string trio), if also reiterated.
What a wonderful luminescent sonic world Boulez created when setting René Char’s surreal texts for Le marteau sans maître (1955). Conducted by Alphonse Cemin, with virtuoso musicians (alto flute, viola, guitar, percussion) Ema Nikolovska now displayed a range of expression and colour in four of the nine movements, music that bursts forward tantalising the taste buds, rhythmically intricate, and lyrical if strangely beautiful, engagingly performed over forty minutes.
James Dillon: 12 Caprices
Cassandra Miller: Bel Canto
Pierre Boulez: Le marteau sans maître
Sean Shibe (guitar)
Ema Nikolovska (mezzo-soprano)
Adam Walker (alto flute)
Matthew Hunt (clarinet)
Mira Benjamin (violin)
Emma Wernig (viola)
Colin Alexander (cello)
George Barton (percussion)
Sam Wilson (percussion)
Iris van den Bros (percussion)
Alphonse Cemin
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002g3nr