Customer Reviews

Varèse: The Complete Works

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Varese was Frank Zappa's favorite composer. His admirers also include the great jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker and the hardest of hardcore avant-gardists, Iannis Xenakis. This suggests something of both the appeal of Varese's music, and the continuing potential of his influence. He was an original who re-thought music from the ground up, and a perfectionist who signed his name to only a handful of monumental, uncompromising works.

I was inspired to buy this set after hearing Chailly conduct "Arcana" in concert. The performance laid down here is as tremendous as the one I heard live, and the rest of the set is generally at the same high level. Chailly has the great Concertgebouw Orchestra and the virtuosic ASKO Ensemble at his disposal, and the Decca engineers provide stunning sound. Chailly's approach is more impulsive and passionate than that of, for example, Boulez, who presents an equally valid but somewhat more clinical take on the music, in effect dissecting it. True Varese-heads will probably want to hear both.

Despite the question of whether certain pieces really belong among "the complete works," there are multiple pleasures and surprises in every corner of this set. The volcano-like sonic assaults of "Arcana" and "Ameriques", the weird electronics of "Ecuatorial" and "Poeme Electronique", the frenzied percussive radicalism of "Ionisation", the humor of "Tuning Up": sit back and be blown away. If you believe there's a place in music for police sirens, anvils and sleigh bells, this is for you.

First, let me state that I am a long-time Varese fanatic. I first heard Ionisation live at a contemporary music concert in my town when I was 12, and I was hooked. I immediately bought the old Robert Craft double album on Columbia and played it until there were scratches on the scratches. So I was overjoyed to see a modern "complete" recording with up to date sonics. For the most part, I haven't been too disappointed with the performances either.

Chailly is great on much of this music. Ameriques and Arcana are sonic extravagazas. And this is the best recording I've heard of Nocturnal and Ecuatorial. Chailly does a good job with the chamber pieces of the 20s and 30s, though I agree with other reviewers, Boulez is much clearer on Ionisation. Chailly misses some of my favorite parts, and I find it hard to hear the first snare drum theme. (I'm also quite partial to Craft's version, but I don't think it's available anymore.)

I also must add to the chorus of exceptions on the questionable material. The orhestrated version of the solo song has no place on this CD. It doesn't sound like Varese, more like Debussy, and though the song is quite impressionistic, I think we presume too much to orchestrate it and pass it off as "complete" Varese. And neither Tune Up nor Dance for Burgess really add much to our understanding of Varese, and are of questionable value. I suspect that Varese would have destroyed them completely had he been able. Much better to have a recording of the revised version of Ameriques. The revision is so extensive, that a side by side comparison would be illuminating.

All in all, I like this CD. Chailly's take on Varese is big and passionate, something that I think both Boulez and Craft miss. Abravanel comes close to this passion, but Chailly wins because of the gorgeous sonics. I highly recommend this CD to those interested in exploring the unique sound world of Varese.

Edgard Varèse's music has been accorded only a marginal place in the mainstream musical community despite having long held a strong, resonant influence on many important creative musicians of the 20th century. Thus, a new release of his music is well deserved, particularly in light of the failures of earlier recordings to present Varèse's music with the necessary sound image. To this end, Chailly's performances are well-achieved (although some rhythmic errors compromise performances of the large orchestal works Ameriques and Arcana). In particular Chailly seems to appreciate Varèse's sense of dynamics, which are best played to the extreme. The sound quality and sense of energy and vitality are this recording's best features. Unfortunately, Varèse completed only about a dozen works in his mature period, which presents a significant challenge to the recording company (this is a 2 CD set). The producers seemed to think that the best approach would be to pad the recording with ill-considered works such as "Tuning Up", "Dance for Burgess", and an orchestration of Varèse's early song, "Un grand sommeil noir" (which also appears in its original version. "Tuning Up" and "Dance for Burgess" were completed by Chou Wen-Chung, a notable composer and the executor of Varèse's musical estate. Both projects had only been dabbled with by the time Varèse died, and I imagine that had his health been better he might have abandoned both pieces altogether because neither seems to advance his creative project. Varèse was notoriously draconian in his editorial capacity and he would routinely toss out the works with which he was dissatisfied. That the above-mentioned works existed in any state was more likely an unfortunate result of his compromised capacities at that late stage in his life, and I cannot help but wonder whether Wen-Chung's "completions" do not take advantage of Varèse in his weakened state for a less-than-noble cause. The orchestration of the early song is entirely pointless and innappropriate but to provide more fodder for the recording; again, not a noble cause. One could find similar fault with the inclusion of "Nocturnal", given that Varèse never satisfactorily completed it; however, at least some version was performed during his lifetime so it seems reasonable to manifest a version for our benefit (the one heard on this recording is another completion by Wen-Chung). It seems odd that the producers would have gone so far as to include as many as four questionable inclusions to this recording given the fact that a more interesting and responsible avenue was available: why not include both versions of "Ameriques"? The reconstituted first version of the score is presented here, a formidable effort requiring 142 performers. Varèse reorchestrated this work in 1929 for slightly more reasonable forces, which is the version most often heard. Still, it has never been a common work, and the opportunity to view both versions, side by side in a similar light, as it were, would have been captivating indeed.

For those music lovers who grow weary of the same old agendas practised by contemporary artists, even those who are considered to be the "cutting edge" of jazz, electronica and modern classical, discovering the creations of Edgard Varèse is an ear-opening exercise of note. Varèse moved way outside of accepted music theory, fashioning sound sculptures of astounding contrast and brutal beauty, invoking the disdain of the musical establishment and hinting too closely at dementia in the opinion of less adventurous listeners. His compositions for orchestra have a muscular and other-worldly quality that dabblers in "found sound" and electronic sythesis can oly dream of, while his groundbreaking electronic works served as a blueprint for decades to come. Watered-down inspiration can be found in the works of latter day film score composers such as Ennio Morricone, but this collection showcases the mother lode!

Here are two discs with some of the most exciting 20th-century music around. Chailly and the Concertgebouw give definitive readings of Varèse's complex pieces, some written for a huge orchestra, and recorded in typically opulent London sound.

My favorites are, without a doubt, "Ameriques" and "Arcana," two explosive showpieces that will give your sound system quite a workout. But far from being merely loud, the scores have many beautiful textures (including quiet ones) scattered throughout the orchestra, and Chailly captures much of the glittering detail.

I even like "Tuning Up," which may seem like a less substantial work to most ears. To be fair, if the piece is not the last word in Varèse's imagination, it is clever enough for its short duration, and as with everything on this disc, the orchestra sounds superb and totally undaunted. Their virtuosity is both satisfying and thrilling, especially in such seldom-performed music.

Make sure your neighbors are away before turning up the performance of "Ameriques," though - the last few pages will blow your roof off.

I suspect Varèse would have loved this collection.

Riccardo Chailly once said Varèse was going to be the Brahms of the XXI Century. I really don't know if he will be right or wrong, specially because of the very conservative auditoriums we have all around the world, but it should be this way, as the french composer has died too many years ago and his music should be understood but most of the public. It's sad to know that composers, like the own Mahler said, use to be years, decades, even centuries in advance to the general public .

Anyway, it's very important for the popular knowledge of this composers to have recordings like this, in which everything works perfectly as if it was a clock. After many years having some good recordings conducted by Boulez (Sony) and Nagano (Erato) mainly, we have now the possibility of listening one of the most musical and technical orchestra & baton of this time: The Concertgebouworkest and Riccado Chailly.

Most of the versions in this 2CDs set are the best I know, specially the orchestral works, played with conviction and precision by the Concertgebouworkest, an orchestra that had some problems with Mr.Chailly when they begin to play this, for them, `rare' music. The way Arcana sounds its incredible, full of power, mistery and perfection, the performing of Ameriques is breathtaking and I can only compare it with the truly outstanding version by Pierre Boulez with the CSO for DG. Deserts is a new dimension in Chailly's hands, really terrible and full of dark emotions.

Of course, there are little things that could be a bit better, like the Spanish sung in Ecuatorial, better sung in Nagano's version, but generally the performing is marvellous and the instrumental and ondes Martenot's playing in this piece is perfect in Chailly's version.

The ASKO Ensemble versions are outstanding too, showing a very modern Varèse. The performing of Ionisation, that great jewel, listened with a good Hi-Fi system is a experience not to be lost.

The recordings are very good, not outstanding, as it sounds like distant sometimes, but clear and with good definition, of course better with good electronics.

Booklet and presentation of the box is marvellous too; as it has to be in real event in recorded music in the last decades.

Having all of Edgard Varese's music in a double CD album is really a treat for twentieth-century ears. This is a treasure-trove of amazing sounds, of works written by an articulate yet passionate composer in whose vocabulary the word "compromise" had no place. This double CD album confronts the listener with an orchestral palette built mainly on winds and percussion, Varese's favorite instruments. The resulting sonorities, as far as articulation, phrasing, dynamics and sheer acoustic impact, have lost none of their raw, primeval power. The album is blessed with the unrelenting commitment of two excellent Dutch groups, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the ASKO Ensemble. Their playing, under Riccardo Chailly's baton, is a good reminder of just how good performers from the Netherlands can be. Their renderings of such modern classics as Ionization, Inegrales, Hyperprism, Deserts and Density 21.5 are impeccable. Another asset in this album is the fact that some of Varese's scores were revised and edited by Chou Wen-Chung, who was the composer's friend and disciple. Listening to this collection of Varese's complete works is not only a powerful, joyous experience, but also a reminder of where some of today's means of musical expression originally came from.

Being a long-time Var'se fan, I'm nothing less than thrilled with Chailly's superb collection of the complete works.

The performances could not be more compelling. They combine utter precision with incredible drama and passion. Plus, the sound engineering is as good as it gets. With fine stereo equipment, one can hear incredibly accurate soundstage and astonishingly realistic detail. It's recorded in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, one of the world's greatest concert hall acoustics. Audiophiles, this is your ultimate test CD set!

This album includes the premi're recording of the original 1918-21 version of Am'riques. It turns out to be full of surprises to those familiar with the usually-performed revised version: boat whistle and crow call in the percussion section, a huge band of offstage brass, and several minutes of utterly different musical material towards the middle. While the reasons for Var'se's revisions are understandable, the original version is certainly worth hearing, and here it receives a stunning performance.

Also appearing in premi're are the works Tuning Up (1947) and Dance for Burgess (1949) -- the former written for Boris Morros' film "Carnegie Hall", the latter a brief piece written for a Broadway play starring Burgess Meredith.

Among performances of more familiar works, I especially appreciate 'cuatorial (1932-34). This is unquestionably the best recording available. The bass soloist, Kevin Deas, proves how much more effective the solo voice version is than the choral version (given the right singer, of course). Deas brings his part fully to life, making complete dramatic and musical sense out of the various special espressive effects called for in the score (nasal tone, mumbling, slides, etc). The Concertgebouw's Maarschalkerweerd/Flentrop pipe organ (three manuals, 60 stops) is a welcome asset, especially compared to the pathetic electronic substitutes heard on certain other recordings!

About the only possible disappointment would be the pieces with pre-recorded tape, Po'me 'l'ctronique and D'serts. The sound quality is rather dim, making one wonder if these original master tapes (used for this album) have deteriorated over the years... would a copy of a subsequent copy actually have sounded better? And yet, one cannot argue with the definitive historical value of these source documents.

In short, this album is a MUST for all Var'se fans, as well as for any who wish an ideal introduction to the music of this seminal genius of the 20th century.

PS in re Robin Edgerton's review: Var'se was a French emigr', not Czech.

This complete works of Varèse, superbly performed and recorded, is a fine accomplishment. My only disappointment was its version of Poème Elèctronique being the sole representation of that ground-breaking work that still holds up for me today as one of the finest pieces of electronic music yet created. It is interesting to be able to hear the version in this collection, which appears to be a loving restoration of what must have been primarily the raw, performing version, to be further enhanced during its performances in a very large space? What I miss in the present version is the more clearly heard textures of its huge sound palette; the resonant and often humerous interplay between them, and its dramatic sweep as it was presented on a sparcely documented stereo mix that first appeared on a Columbia Records LP, later reissued on a CD, now out of print. That one is surely more like an actual performance, presumably mixed to re-create as well as possible then what it might have sounded like over its four hundred loudspeakers in the Philips Pavillion. I hope there will be further reissues. To me the CBS version's drama and energy are more like that of the performances of the other pieces in this wonderful Complete Works set. -Curt Wittig

The compositions of Varese represent the door into the existential aspect of 20th. century music. Varese freed music from all but it's essence- the nature of sound, itself, and it's relationship to the sound before it. Music became the flow of sounds through time. This compilation of his complete works allows one to delve, piece by piece, into the unique expression of Varese's genius (no"crutches",here) and gain a comprehensive perception of it.