Kinsella’s compositions to date include vocal and choral works,
ten symphonies, two violin concertos, a cello concerto, four string quartets and
many solo and chamber works. He has received commissions from such bodies as The
Irish Chamber Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Dublin International
Piano Competition and The Arts Council of Wales.
John Kinsella is a member of Aosdana http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie
and his works have been recorded by Chandos and Naxos as well as the RTÉ lyric
fm and Irish Chamber Orchestra labels.
His Symphony No.10 which was premiered by The Irish Chamber
Orchestra www.irishchamberorchestra.com
with conductor Gabor Takacs-Nagy http://gabortakacsnagy.com at the University
of Limerick, Ireland on 9 February 2012. It
is the same forces that have now recorded this symphony for Toccata Classics
www.toccataclassics.com coupled with Kinsella’s Symphony No.5 with
the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra www.rte.ie/orchestras/nationalsymphonyorchestra
conducted by Colman Pearce www.rte.ie/orchestras/nationalsymphonyorchestra//colmanpearcebiog.html
with
Gerard O’Connor (baritone) and Bill Golding (speaker).
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I never cease to be surprised by the fine discoveries that are brought to us by Toccata Classics and this new disc is no exception.
Kinsella’s Symphony
No.5, The 1916 Poets (1992) sets poems by three Irish poets, Joseph Mary
Plunkett, Thomas MacDonagh and Patrick (Pádraig) Pearse, all of whom were
involved in Irish revolutionary politics. Plunkett was a poet, journalist, MacDonagh
was a poet, playwright and educationalist and Pearse an Irish teacher,
barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist. All were leaders of
the Easter Rising in 1916. All were executed for their part in the Easter
Uprising.
A horn opens the Larghetto
– Allegro with a little motif echoed
by a second horn and leading to an orchestral climax before the voice of speaker,
Bill Golding enters with Plunkett’s The
Stars Sang in God’s Garden. Golding reflects the emotion and drama of the
verses matched equally by the orchestra. A rapid violin motif around the words Lest my poor songs be fugitive before
the music quietens as the orchestra moves forward, building slowly in drama as
baritone, Gerard O’Connor enters with Now,
my son, is life for you, the opening of MacDonagh’s Wishes
for My Son. He has a firm, rich baritone voice and brings much intense
feeling to the texts.
With intense drama the orchestra continues, Colman Pearce drawing
much sensitive playing from the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, providing a
feeling of intense, barely controlled passion and fervour around the words But I found no enemy. Golding re-enters at
the words But for you, so small and
young, Born on St. Cecilia’s Day, O’Connor concluding this poem before the gentle
orchestral coda.
A rapid viola motif opens the Largo as timpani quietly sound and the orchestra rises with rasping
woodwind and brass. The baritone enters with MacDonagh’s In an Island. The combination of Gerard O’Connor’s strong, rich
baritone voice and the pensive orchestral writing is quite compelling with
hushed brass, before a rising viola motif leads the coda.
The Presto has a swirling,
flowing orchestral theme before the baritone enters in Plunkett’s See the Crocus. There are some lovely
woodwind flourishes in this, the shortest movement.
The final movement marked
Largo – Allegro, lasting some 19 minutes, opens with a beautifully affecting melody for orchestra, an
intensely yearning theme for strings that momentarily turns darker before
resuming its yearning flavour. There is definitely a sense of uncertainty,
caution, an underlying tension, as well as some particularly intense discords.
When baritone, Gerard O’Connor enters with the words The beauty of the world has made me sad, the opening of Patrick
Pearse’s poem The Wayfarer, he is full
of intense feeling, his voice ideal for this passionate music. There is a very fine orchestral passage
between the sung texts. If this is the least cohesive movement then it is, in
many respects, the most emotionally telling. When Bill Golding enters with
Pearce’s O Little Bird, he adds so
much with his fine shaping of the words.
The baritone briefly enters with These will pass before the speaker continues with O Lovely Head, another fine poem by
Pearce. Golding rises in drama for Pearce’s Why
do ye torture me, a terrific moment. Kinsella’s orchestral writing, no mere
accompaniment, is superbly done in this section. O’Connor returns to Pearce’s The Wayfarer and the words These will pass, Will pass and change, will
die and be no more, the mood not lifting until he arrives at the words Things young and happy and an orchestral
section that continues to raise the mood though still with some passion. Gerard
O’Connor returns to conclude that poem with And
I have gone upon my way, sorrowful,
another terrific moment, full of emotion. A horn is heard again, reflected by a
second horn before the orchestra rises up dramatically with the horns and the speaker
joins for Pearce’s last poem I see His
blood upon the rose building, superbly to the final line of text. Bill
Golding has such a fine musical sense that one doesn’t feel that the speaker’s
part is in any way out of place. The orchestra continue to rise to a pitch
before the horns return for the hushed, tense coda.
This enormously rewarding symphony is a very striking,
emotionally intense work to which Gerard O’Connor, Bill Golding together with Colman
Pearce and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra bring an outstanding performance.
John Kinsella’s Symphony
No.10 (2010) is in three movements and is performed here by the Irish
Chamber Orchestra conducted by Gábor Takács-Nagy.
A long held clarinet note and a little clarinet motif leads
us into the Largo – Allegro energico
where other woodwind join before pizzicato strings take over in a rhythmic,
syncopated version of the motif, with drums adding to the rhythm as the
orchestra moves the music forward. The theme develops around the orchestra with
some particularly fine woodwind and brass phrases as the music becomes more
dynamic. A chiming orchestral motif intrudes momentarily before the strings
lead on with brass adding texture and brilliance before the unexpectedly quiet
coda.
Clarinets open the Largo
– Andante before brass quietly join the strings as the music is developed.
A little staccato motif appears a number of times before the music suddenly
rises up, dramatically. The music soon drops to a lovely passage with high
strings and a brass theme that leads a very distinctive orchestral passage with
quivering strings and percussion. Eventually the music falls to a quiet section
featuring a horn which is then is joined by other brass before the quiet coda.
The final Allegro
energico has a light and fast moving opening as the music bounds along with
occasional brief quieter pauses. The woodwind and brass dominate this music
that is full of restrained energy, particularly in the quiet moments. There is
some terrific brass and woodwind flourishes before, halfway through, timpani
drive the music through more distinctive orchestral textures. This leads to a climax
with some terrific orchestral playing as the theme is shared around before the
music slows and broadens to the coda.
This is a terrific symphony, full of energy, fine
orchestration and a great forward momentum, finely played by Gábor Takács-Nagy
and the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
The recordings could not be better. There are excellent
notes from Séamas da Barra, complete with musical examples, a commentary on his
symphonies by the composer as well as full English texts.
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