Track Listing

1. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Overture
2. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Serfdom lamentation
3. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Mother conceives child
4. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Pharaoh's daughter bathes in the Nile, finds the baby
5. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Procession
6. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Pet of the court - Political intrigue
7. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Moses among the workers
8. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 1. Moses buries the taskmaster in the sand
9. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Conversation with God
10. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Moses meets Aaron; Command of Moses for the waters
11. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. March through the Red Sea
12. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Restlessness
13. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Aaron's desperation
14. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Joshua's pleading
15. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Bacchanal
16. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Return of Moses; breaking of tablets; Moses falls on the arm of Joshua
17. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Moses walks among the people; commands some to be killed
18. The Man from Midian, ballet for 2 pianos, C. 97: Part 2. Gathering of people
19. Sonata, for violin & piano, C. 117: Un poco allegro
20. Sonata, for violin & piano, C. 117: Andante appassionato
21. Sonata, for violin & piano, C. 117: Lento; Scherzo
22. Sonata, for violin & piano, C. 117: Allegretto deciso

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #256065 in Music
• Released on: 2007-02-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Fresh and Lyrical
In any discussion of 20th-century music, certain names--Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Britten, etc--crowd to the front of the room. But a more thorough examination of the era reveals many more fine composers. Stefan Wolpe is among those, and his reputation has grown over the decades since his death. This CD presents music composed in the first decade of Wolpe's time in America. "The Man From Midian" is a ballet, scored for two pianos, on the subject of Moses.

Ballet scores can be problematic, restricted as they are by the need for short tableaux. In the case of some composers--Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev come to mind--scores never escape those restrictions. They're always "ballet music". Wolpe instead found an opportunity. The score plays as an integrated suite, exploring various scales and formal mechanisms. It's more innovative than a first hearing would indicate, and nicely explores the sonorities available from two pianos. Of course, if one prefers to listen to music programmatically, the story is ready-made. Some of the processional music reminds me slightly of Britten's "Burning Fiery Furnace", which came much later.

The "Sonata for Violin and Piano" doesn't really break any new ground, but it's still a well-made piece in a unique voice. It's quite vigorous and dramatic. Although Wolpe was born in Germany, the Sonata doesn't sound particularly German, or American, or any other particular nationality. Wolpe has successfully breathed in the musical air from all around. It's a nice piece.

The peformance comes from the Group for Contemporary Music--not so much a specific assemblage of performers as a sort of clearing house for first-rate musicians. The readings are excellent, and the recording--while a bit reverberant--is excellent. Thanks again to Naxos for giving these excellent readings a second life.