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American Record Guide

Malcolm Lipkin (1932-2017) began his com­positional career in the 1950s, responding to the rhythmic and motivic developments by Bartok and Stravinsky (not unlike his older compatriot, Tippett). Of the works on this album, this can be heard most prominently in the fantastic string trio from 1964. It is a sub­stantial work of clear purpose and intensity. He rejected serialism in later years, resulting in fewer performances and leading him to self-publish his music. His sound retained aspects of neoclassicism but became more flexible and open to new ideas.

Clifford’s Tower, a chamber tone poem from 1977, is a rhapsodic retelling of an antisemitic massacre from the Middle Ages, written for wind quintet and string trio. Vio­lent, ugly sounds from the winds are matched by lyrical, sorrowful passages from the strings. It is a powerful and moving work. His humanist views come through again in the biblical Naboth’s Vineyard from 1983. A sort of aural pantomime for recorders, cello, and harpsichord, the work recounts a story of deceit, greed, and injustice through charac­teristic dialogs and interludes. The ubiqui­tous John Turner, a friend of Lipkin, plays recorder on a few other works, including the unusual and earcatching Interplay with cello, harpsichord, and percussion. Lipkin is no maverick—but his music is original and rewarding. This is a great album—the string trio alone is worth the purchase.