This works on live release by the
Buffalo Philharmonic
and conductor
JoAnn Falletta
have a satisfying mixture of similarity and difference. The
Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven"
(the title refers to the fact that the concerto has 1,111 measures, and also that the composer's name means "Eleven Man" in German) of
Danny Elfman
and the
Piano Concerto No. 1
of
Adolphus Hailstork
inhabit a similar stylistic universe -- broad, tonal, accessible -- but the two works also reflect their composers' backgrounds.
Elfman
seems to be following
John Williams
in grafting styles of classical composers, in this case,
Shostakovich
and perhaps
Prokofiev
, onto the cinematic music that has made him a film-score favorite. The noirish sound of the
Batman
score seems to be a special influence here. The work was written for violinist
Sandy Cameron
, who has had an exclusive contract to perform it and handles its considerable technical difficulties elegantly. Perhaps the stronger work of the pair is
Hailstork
's concerto, which has an attractive concision in its three movements as compared to
's four.
employs African American rhythms and sonorities, but they are simply part of his stylistic arsenal rather than a thoroughgoing template. Sample one of his outer movements to hear a fresh way of integrating African American influences into a broader modern style.
also poses considerable technical challenges to his soloist, and both
Cameron
and pianist
Stewart Goodyear
may be welcome discoveries for some listeners. As for
Falletta
, contemporary music of this kind is her bread and butter, and she has molded the
into a crack unit. An entertaining and superbly played program. ~ James Manheim