Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77
Earl Maneein: Dependent Arising
- I. Grasping at the self.
- II. The crows already knew of your grief. They will carry him home.
- III. Gate gate pãragate pãrasamgate bodhi svãhã.

Please note: All text between quotation marks is from the composer's own booklet notes.

Blown away ... utterly blown away by the devastating emotional impact and visceral power of Earl Maneein's Violin Concerto titled "Dependent Arising". As with the Violin Concerto by Dmitri Shostakovich which was a reaction to and refutation of the 20th century, Earl Maneein's work is a reaction to and refutation of the 21st century and all of its terrifying, nihilistic prospects. The first movement is aggressive, edgy and most of all resolute. "The soloist in this piece has to push his or her own voice over the orchestra in the most relentlessly aggressive way." The slow second movement is highly lyrical, expressive and melancholy. "In early Buddhist traditions, monks would sit in meditation at a graveyard where bodies were left to decompose in open air. At one point during this guided meditation, the monk would be instructed to visualize a crow feasting upon his own corpse." Needless to say that at this point the music is gut-wrenching. The third and final movement (Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone well beyond, Enlightenment that may be realized) stretches the orchestra and soloist to their energetic and dynamic limits and even beyond. "This movement is meant to embody wrath as a transformational tool." I'm surprised the violin strings didn't catch fire. And it all ends in the most brutal yet glorious fashion.

And here's the jaw-dropper: According to his website bio, Earl Maneein is a violinist/violist/composer/arranger whose personal work stands at the somewhat unlikely crossroads of Western Classical music, Heavy Metal, and Hardcore Punk. But hey, I myself now being of a certain age, still very much enjoy listening to the music of Progressive Rock bands like King Crimson, ELP, Genesis, Goblin, etc ... I've always felt that there is a strong angst-driven correlation between it and 20th century Classical music. And here's something else I wasn't aware of until now even though she has already released over 25 recordings: Rachel Barton Pine is also a Heavy Metal music fan. So much so that she's arranged and performed some of her favorite songs on the violin. Speaking of the Maneein concerto in the booklet notes she quotes: "As a metalhead, the build-ups to the most aggressive moments of the cadenza are particularly satisfying." It's obvious that she connects with the turmoil within this music, and she plays the hell out of it. Her profound expressive touches in the slow movement as well as her over-the-top energy during the more furiously elaborate passages are impressive. And she exhibits the same level of bravura in the Shostakovich concerto, especially within its final "Burlesque" movement.

I believe the Earl Maneein work is presented here in its world premiere recording, as it was commissioned by conductor Tito Muñoz and written for Rachel Barton Pine. Don't be scared away or put off by the Heavy Metal factors. This violin concerto, in its expressive outbursts, very much reminds me of one of my favorite 20th century violin concertos, the work by William Schuman. And like the Schuman and the Shostakovich, it's very much a musical expression of its time. Now if I can only find my socks ...