12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Removing the clutter, July 14, 2000
This review is from: GURDJIEFF:HYMNS PRAYERS VOL 03 (Audio CD)
This is the third of four volumes of the complete Gurdjieff/de Hartmann piano music, released on Wergo. The musicians here - Laurence Rosenthal and Charles Ketcham (Linda Daniel-Spitz does not appear on this volume) - worked closely with Mme. de Saltzmann. The purpose was to release 'definitive' versions of this music, renderings that would communicate the essence of the Gurdjieff/de Hartmann collaborations.
Most people who are reading these words will have had some exposure to the writings of Gurdjieff. It should not be necessary, then, to rehash phrases about "objective art", about musical constructions that produce predictable effects in the listener, and so on. Yet it this notion of objective art that gives rise to such questions as "Which rendition is authentic?"
Over the past few days I have listened to various renditions, including vinyl records on which Thomas de Hartmann is heard playing. In the recordings of de Hartmann, the playing, at times, seems more brisk, the notes in the unadorned melodies brighter. De Hartmann, for example, begins "Prayer and Despair" with rapid fingering; in this recording, these opening few seconds sound more hesitant, more . . . searching.
There are other minor examples I could offer but, really, they don't mean anything. The music on this recording speaks with beauty, with clarity and, often, with disarming simplicity.
These are landmark recordings. Very highly recommended.
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