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Fanfare

Arnold Schoenberg was quite clear when he said there are plenty of tunes still to be written in C Major. Composer Gregory Fritze (b. 1954) writes in an unabashedly tonal idiom, but somehow it appears fresh as a daisy. Or is that a “margarita”? For the essence of this music is rooted in Spain, a country the composer has visited a host of times, often for research. Sheppard Skærved’s own notes talk of the “sun-soaked score,” and how right he is. This is not overtly virtuoso music, so when there is an explosion of technical difficulty (as in “Tenerife Dance”), it really makes its mark, while the very next “Buñol” is gloriously expansive and lyrical.

The fifth piece, “Madrid,” is a set of variations on a theme by Luigi Boccherini. Sheppard Skærved gives out the tune with beautiful simplicity; then suddenly the piano takes us into far more modernist territory, and we’re off on an adventure. The variations are massively diverse, and much of this is such good fun that it is easy not to listen for the artful construction and finely-honed writing for both instruments. Watch out for the gong strike near the end! As if to calm the listener’s frazzled nerves, Fritze offers a milder “Tavernes de la Valldigna” (which actually acts as something of a prolongation of the calmer end of the Variations) followed by a simply delicious “Pastoral.” The harmonies and melodies of both are clean and inviting.

Sudden, refreshing shots of pointillism paint “Bilbao—At the Gugenheim.” One of the most interior spaces is “Llíria,” the tenth movement, followed by a “Llíria Dance,” nicely contrastive, with a deliberately heavy contrasting element. There is something remarkably calming about “L’Alcúdia”; the piano writing is perfectly Spanish. The earthy “Barcelona—Gaudi Dance” is nicely grungy—Sheppard Skærved relentless, and in a positive way—while the following “Alzira” rises to a rousing climax. The cycle ends with another pairing, “Carcaixent” and “Carcaixent Dance,” the former gently flowing, the latter fiery and feisty.

Occasionally Fritze teases our memories, offering quotes or near-quotes embedded within his score. This is an impressive cycle of Spanish-inspired works, performed with fervent devotion by Sheppard Skærved and Chadwick.