Like many film composers of his generation, Schurmann was classically trained. And he was as comfortable writing for the concert hall as he was for film.
The showcase work on this release is Schurmann's Piano Concerto. It was written in 1972 for pianist John Ogdon. Schurmann had previously composed a set of bagatelles for Ogdon. His goal with the concerto was to showcase Ogdon's talent.
He succeeded. And in the process he created an incredibly challenging concerto for other pianists. Schurmann's language is highly chromatic but never spills into atonality. The solo passages are often quite complex, yet easy to follow.
Two of the selections rework Schurmann's film scores. But they're not merely recycling, or creating suites from film cues. Rather, Schurmann revisits the material to create something different. And something better suited for concert audiences.
Romancing the Strings is based on his score for the Disney series "Dr Syn – Alias the Scarecrow." Schurmann's atmospheric themes reminded me of Schoenberg's "Verklarte Nacht." One with a more positive take on romance, that is.
The Man in the Sky is subtitled a concert overture. And how. The original 1957 film was about a test pilot. And the swoop themes and heraldic trumpets signal a flight into high adventure. What a great way to open a concert -- and an album!
Some film composers run out of steam trying to write music longer than a few minutes. Not Schurmann. These large-scale works are well-constructed and beautifully orchestrated. As one might expect.
Gerard Schurmann: Orchestral Works
Piano Concerto; Gaudiana
Man in the Sky; Romancing the Strings
Xiayin Wang, piano
BBC Philharmonic, Ben Germon, conductor
Chandos CHAN 20341
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