Customer Reviews

Alla Pavlova: Symphony No. 5; Elegy

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Far be it from me to disagree with Jeff Dunn. After all, he's a composer, a reviewer, has advanced degrees in both music and rocks, is an active member of the NACUSA ... is, in short, a player. (One day, I'll figure out what rocks have to do with music, but I'm sure Jeff knows.)

Oh, yeah -- "rock ('n' roll) music." It's all clear to me now.

Jeff's assessment of this piece as "good background music for a film" is no doubt accurate, and folks like Bernard Hermann would love him for it. Hell, Leonard Bernstein would love him for it since Lenny did a pretty nice job with the "background music" to a little thing titled "West Side Story."

I, personally, think Ms. Pavlova's music is a tad more than suitable "background music" for a film or anything else. I think Ms. Pavlova's music is every bit as worthy of one's undivided aural attention as that of Arvo Paert, Philip Glass, Georgs Pelecis, Steve Reich, John Adams and, no doubt, a host of other contemporary composers whose names escape me at the moment.

Since when is minimalism a sin? For that matter, would Jeff Dunn gainsay Bach's, Beethoven's, Brahms's, Mozart's -- just to name a few -- use of simple (minimalist) melodies in some of their most memorable pieces? I dare say he would.

As Samuel Johnson observed about the literary critic, "The purpose of a writer is to be read, and the criticism which would destroy the power of pleasing must be blown aside."

But then, Samuel Johnson knew nothing of rocks.

Buy the CD (or at least the MP3 of "Elegy"). You won't be disappointed.

Russell

This might be good background music for a film showing pilgrims tramping from one end of the Russian steppe to the other and back again a few times. All movements are psychologically slow, even the last one marked vivace. The composer remarks, "... the recognition in the fifth movement that the miracle of Life is greater than our emotions and theories and therefore the Path of Life is the Goal." Correct, emotions are irrelevant in apprehending this music.

Despite the statement that Pavlova received a Masters degree at the Gnesin Academy of Music in Moscow, the orchestration is strikingly unimaginative, with barely heard winds doubling strings ad nauseam. Occasionally, a solo line emerges from the thick soup of strings, noodling about tediously. But then I was trying to listen too hard.

If you just let the music bathe you and think good thoughts, maybe this might be your (room temperature) cup of tea. If you like tonal music with three or four chords per key and no substantial dissonance (or memorable melody), be my guest: the cost of this recording won't set you back much.

Even better, go to the clips page and hear for yourself. That's what I did, and it's the type of music I run screaming from. But not everyone's me. I'm sure some people will like this just fine.

In short, a clip is worth a thousand words!