Peter Mennin’s music shows extraordinary polish and craftsmanship, and follows an unusually straight evolutionary path from his diatonic/modal youth right through to the more dissonant, violent idiom of his Ninth Symphony (yes, he was another one of those guys who managed only nine). What never changed, though, was his use of counterpoint to enliven his musical textures and create an irresistible sense of momentum in both slow and quick movements. In this respect he sort of resembles Honegger rubbing shoulders with Sibelius, though Mennin’s rhythms tend to swing a bit more freely than the former and his harmony became far more adventurous than the latter. All of these qualities shine through the music on this marvelously played and recorded issue.
Symphony No. 5 features prominently on one of Howard Hanson’s famous Eastman recordings for Mercury Living Presence, and the Concertato “Moby Dick” (inspired by, but not illustrating the novel) has had a couple of previous outings on disc. David Alan Miller’s performance of the symphony has every bit as much thrust as Hanson’s (timings are almost identical), and even more bravura, while this is as fine a performance of the Concertato as any. He’s especially effective at building those long, arching lines of melody in both symphonies’ central slow movements into intensely passionate climaxes, and he similarly whips their allegros up into a fine lather.
Make no mistake, Mennin’s music “speaks” emotionally, even if the themes aren’t of the conventionally tuneful type. The finale of the Sixth Symphony offers a perfect instance of the composer’s ability to create instantly memorable musical ideas whose development makes perfect logical sense and carries the listener along, however fast, dissonant, or otherwise complex the surrounding musical fabric. Mennin’s achievement has yet to be given the acclaim that it surely deserves, but there’s not a note on this disc that falls one millimeter below the highest standards of craftsmanship, sincerity, and inspiration. Excellent, realistic sonics complete a very pleasing picture indeed. A must.
