A Winter Triptych
James Adler
TTBB, horn, harp
Plymouth, PXW-300, $1.35
Also available for SATB, PXW-106, $1.35
Carols of Splendour
James Adler
TTBB, keyboard, chamber orchestra; or full orchestra
Plymouth, PM-302, $4
Also available for SATB, PM-117, $4
El noi de la mare
James Adler (arr.)
SATB, keyboard, handbells (optional)
Lawson-Gould, 52763, $1.25
Adler's skillful and imaginative musical craft is evident in these three attractive pieces for Christmas. A Winter Triptych includes three carols: "God Rest Ye Merry," "Wassail Song," and "Sleep, Sleep My Little Child." The carols are framed by freely composed passages that give balance to the piece. Choral parts are easy and rewarding, with much octave singing. Solo horn and harp parts, requiring accomplished players, contribute fascinating timbres to the accompaniments as well as a lovely pastoral interlude before the final carol. Substitution of piano for harp is possible but would be less satisfactory. The TTBB voicing seems preferable because of the affinity of male chorus timbre to that of the horn, but mixed voices would add brilliance. While the texts are familiar, the tunes of "God Rest Ye Merry" and "Wassail Song" are new, though traditional in style. Dynamic nuances are sensitively applied. Choirs with access to good harp and horn players will enjoy this well-crafted seasonal work.
Carols of Splendour is similar in construction to A Winter Triptych but is more extended (twelve minutes in length). Two principal choral sections ("Salutation" and "Glory"), separated by a gentle flowing instrumental interlude, include six carols. "Masters in This Hall," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "Les anges dans nos campagnes" ("Carol of the Infant Jesus") appear in familiar, though sometimes paraphrased, tunes. "Angelus ad Virginem" for double chorus is vigorous and exciting. "Sunny Bank" turns out to be "I Saw Three Ships" in disguise, and the perky "Salutation Carol" fits well with the opening and closing "Make We Merry." Well-scored orchestrations either for full orchestra or for chamber orchestra of eleven players (flute, oboe, two horns, percussion, harp, and strings) are available for rental. Vocal ranges and tessituras are reasonable. Adler's thorough knowledge of the male voice allows effective use of falsetto. The mixed-voice version is a rescoring with few changes fro mthe TTBB score. Subtle changes allow welcome contrasts of timbre. The contrast between SA and TB on alternating verses of "Sunny Bank" is more interesting than tenors versus basses in the male-voice version. The truncated "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" comes off as somewhat blustery; the tune tends to disappear as it skips from part to part in the mail version; it is clearer in the mixed-chorus arrangement. The incessant triple subdivision of the first six movements, all but one in lively tempo, is a bit wearing. Happily, the movements are short and full of interesting dynamic contrasts, and the lovely pastoral instrumental interlude provides a welcome respite. Carols of Splendour is a cheerful, splashy tour de force, skillfully constructed and full of clever ideas.
El noi de la mare is a gentle piece of great beauty. The diatonic tune of the lovely Catalan (not Provencal as identified in the score) carol is a barcarole in a lilting rhythm. Adler's sensitive arrangement allows subtle variations of color in the various verses: unison women over male harmonization, parallel thirds alternating SA and TB, and dense sonorities in the luscious unaccompanied section. The text describes gifts for the Christ child from the garden (raisins, sweet figs, walnuts, and olives), loom (a mantle), and oven (warm bread and biscuits). The easy accompaniment specifies piano. Optional handbells appear only in an interlude before the final verse and during the closing phrase. The vocal writing is easy with thoughtful tessituras and graceful melodic contours within each part. Both Catalan and an excellent, singable English translation are underlaid. Adler's arrangement tenderly expresses simple gifts given by humble people. There is no glitz here.
Conan Castle