The music of German émigré composer Ernst Toch featured on this disc shows a fertile mind at work. Toch often is often compared with Hindemith and Krenek, and though less well known, his work certainly deserves attention. It’s not in any sense revolutionary, however it comes across as well-heard and sparkling with invention and wit.
Composed to be choreographed, the Tanz-Suite assays many moods in a blunt fashion. From the non-stop breakneck filigree of the first movement, to the quiet pensive second, to the finale with its raging climax, this piece has something for everyone. It sounds like less-heavy-handed Hindemith or the darker side of Milhaud, though it never would be confused for either. There are points in the faster portions where you might suspect Toch of composing on autopilot–perpetual motion and nothing besides–but on the whole the piece is a colorful and complete work from the pen of a truly competent musician.
The Concerto for Violoncello and Chamber Orchestra is more successful, yet here (as in the suite) Toch saves his best music for the end, making for a somewhat tepid opening. The adagio, gorgeously played by soloist Susanne Müller-Hornbach, is too long and too slow, however the fiery last movement more than makes up for it. Though more carefully wrought than the Tanz-Suite, this piece also demonstrates the composer’s range: he can create elegiac, thoughtful music, but also can be catty, even vulgar at times (in a healthy sense).
Conductor Gerhard Müller-Hornbach gets a big orchestral sound from the Mutare Ensemble and manages the works’ multiple moods with skill and appropriate abandon. He is not aided by the relatively dim sonics, which make the disc a less-than-robust listening experience overall.
