Search - Ittai Shapira, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim :: Legends

"Hit and Ran" D.Barenboim on the night of Legends Premiere.

Ryan Morris | Chicago, IL | 02/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was at the Legends premiere(Janacek Taras Bulba and Berg seven songs for Orch rounded out the show" and met Barenboim and Shulamit Ran after the performance. At the time, I not too keen on modern music, but the Legends appealed to me(one of the first modern works to due so) and I told her as much after the show. I think I actually told her it reminded me of Messiaen(I had no clue.)

I had kept an eye out for a recording of the work ever since and was thrilled to see the exact show I was at(or a splicing of the three performances) make it to disc. It is interesting how the music sounds half a decade and a seemingly lifetimes accumulation of musical knowledge and acceptance later. After hearing much modern music, most of it blimp-bloop strategic noise, this almost sounds restrained in a sense and much of what I enjoyed the first time is even more enjoyable now. It is beautiful music, and modern, but never vulgar or obnoxious, a requirement of most modern classical music---"lets shock and see how far we can take it." Not here, this is solidly crafted, appealing music with much jewish influence in the harmony's and melodic content-both works.

The violin concerto was icing on the cake and, to my surprise, the better piece overall. It begins with a subtle and beautiful solo violin opening and, in a similar hessianic idiom, continues to blend a semi-romantic feeling with modern rhythmic and orchestral colors. To provide an idea of the sound--imagine a blend of Rautavaara, Stravinsky, Messiaen, Bartok, Maw, and Tuur.

Highly recommended."