Jarvlepp, Jan High Voltage ~ Quintet 2003, Woodwind Quintet, Bassoon Quartet,
String Quartet no. 1 ~ Various performers. ~ Navona Records nv6366
The latest CD of music by Jan Järvlepp is populated by four chamber works for various combinations of instruments. They have a lot in common. As with most of the composer's three-movement compositions, the first and third movements are very high in energy, somewhat funky and great fun to hear. They often have a flavour of 1950s rock'n'roll. The middle movements are more contemplative and sometimes hauntingly beautiful.
The most satisfying item here is the 2010 String Quartet no. 1. It's first movement, Confrontation, has the typical intense drive, but also more gravitas than most of Jarvlepp's similar movements. The finale, entitled Skating, is lighter and, as its title suggests, has a smooth forward motion that is most fetching. The middle movement, Contemplation, is a real beauty. It is quietly affective, perhaps suggesting a placid lake under a greying sky. A brief squall intensifies the mood, then the stiller spirit returns. The composer has written that it was composed at one of the low points of his life.
A string quintet is normally a string quartet plus either a viola or cello. Järvlepp's Quintet 2003 adds a third violin instead. Of the four pieces on this CD, this one is most representative of the title High Voltage. The outer movements are particularly rock'n'roll-flavoured while the middle one is lyrical and romantic, as Järvlepp writes in the program notes.
The 1995 Woodwind Quintet is similar in form and feeling to the one for strings, with an especially lovely slow movement that features some nice writing for the bassoon.
The most unusual piece in the set is the Bassoon Quartet of 1996. This is not a composition for bassoon and strings, as one might imagine. It is written for four bassoons, or three bassoons and a contrabassoon in the outer movents. It is surprisingly successful despite the odd instrumentation. The first movement is called Cadillac and it does indeed evoke a sleek, late-fifties muscle machine.
High Voltage is distributed by Naxos, so even if your friendly neighbourhood record store doesn’t have it they can get it readily, or you can order it from Amazon.