Ethnic Influences

Today we have an eclectic recital by violinist Daniel Hope entitled East Meets West. Not maybe the most original title to give to the concept but accurate enough. The disk is topped and tailed by two pieces which Ravi Shankar composed in memorium of Yehudi Menuhin with whom he had aha many collaborations. Hope is joined on these ragas by Gaurav Mazumdar on sitar, Asok Chakraborty on tabla and Gilda Sebastian on tanpura. Purists may jibe at the notion but Hope seems to play in the idiom very successfully, even if the length of the pieces is short by calssical Indian standards. the rest of the disk is made up of works played by Hope and Sebastian Knauer on piano and lutheal. The lutheal is a rare piano hybrid originating in 18th century Vienna to add pedal operated percussion and give a supposed Turkish sound which was fashionable at that time. Ravel's Tzigane was originally scorred to include lutheal and is featured here, giving an interesting take on the over familiar gypsy theme. There are also pieces by de Falla, Bartok and Schnittke, the former two having Spanish and Romanian folk influences while the Schnittke is a world premiere recording of a sonata for piano and violin without any obvious ethnic influences. A varied and rewarding listen.