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'I do not know if it was due to fact that it was the first CDMC concert of 2010 or because of interest in the program itself and the anticipated performances of the Iberian Cello Octet and mezzo-soprano Elena Gragera, but the fact of the matter is that I had never seen such a great amount of public at a concert of contemporary music. [...] the organizers had to close access to the hall to between 150 and 200 people [...]' | ||
COLOURFUL, INTENSE MUSIC FROM THIS MANHATTAN-BORN MADRID-BASED COMPOSER 'Stripping tonal music of its superficiality, José Luis Greco's music brilliantly expands and exploits instrumental possibilities in a hard-edged Debussy-style impressionist haze haunted by a driven flow of sound and texture and occasionally illuminated by tuneful melodies. Born and raised in Manhattan, Greco has lived in Madrid since 1994 and enjoyed an eventful professional career.' |
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'José Luis Greco (b.1953) is a New Yorker in Madrid working with a Russian chamber group also in Madrid called the Fatum String Trio. His music is highly evocative of all kinds of people and places, from García Lorca to Danbury, Connecticut. He has a sensitive ear for sounds and balance but melody and harmony are his language as well.'
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A COMPOSER IN WONDERLAND Aynor, my angel, slightly unbutton your blouse, 'José Luis Greco lives in a rainbow or in Wonderland or Neverland... Perhaps many composers live there, but José Luis Greco has drawn the map of those imagined lands, he has analyzed its rainbow, even deconstructed and reconstructed it... and he still believes in it... Both operations of analysis and (re)composition are executed with the maximum precision of dreams, of sleepwalkers, with that Ravel-like precision, maniacal, of L'enfant et les sortileges or The Enchanted Garden of Beauty and the Beast, the mathematic precision of Lewis Carrol sending two and three quarters kisses to be shared equally between Gaynor and Amy... complex operations that permit the composer of Wonderland to combine and balance, in the indolent amity of the night, notes and moods both gloomy and despondent, vague and disquieting, turbulent and radiant "I drew near to murmur a 'till soon' in your ear... but I forgot exactly where your ear was and I sought it near the nape of your neck..." wrote Lewis Carrol in a real letter (Ah yes, and happiness?... happiness will be lying in wait, as always, at the hour that the milkmen bring a bit of dawn in their milk jugs, or is it perhaps dreams which distribute the charm of desires fulfilled?).' ...and she tells you that she loves that pallor: "in our land, most of the men are white, we've kept the sun within us..." 'The same "tonality", since his first works, underscores the entire poetic creation of this composer; exploring all the frontiers without allying himself with any of them, the same "modulation" seems to lead from the first bar to the last of his canto; one "harmony", one "cadence", a fragment of melody from a work of today, yesterday or the day before yesterday, are enough to make contact and the composer seems to want to dissolve in the errant memories that surrender the past of some unknown musician. Outside of any "school", of any "sect", the composer knows or intuits that the center of gravity of traditions and the avant-garde is always moving, as are the centers of cities and those of the pleasures. The composer's head is full of science, his heart full of extravagance, and he dances in shantung slippers, naked, amidst his mirrors, to the rhythm of his suitcase keys and the orchestras on the banks of all the rivers... What lovely Antillean, what sumptuous daughter of Zambia does he recall this evening?' ...first, the grand melody, with which cooperate things and perfumes, sensations and pasts, twilights and nostalgias; then, the unique voices which complete and crown that choir. 'A southern comfort, a dolce vita (a dolce vita which is nothing but a sort of perverse nostalgia for the low life) that revels in his past, in his music, in his joy... Southern Comfort is light become the sweetness of an inconsolable afternoon, when irrevocable childhood still seems to fill the adult heart. The décor (the rocking chair on the veranda, the shadow of the fig tree in summer, or whatever you wish to imagine...) remains more or less intact, and a lingering aura of well-being which nothing could erase... And nonetheless the days when the girls danced at the Belvedere (or wherever you chose to remember) are gone. Some old photographs, somewhat faded, provoke a similar sensation. Perhaps the music of this composer without a country, or with two countries, is not contemporary, but rather a book he opened as a child, a book he writes and reads again, surprised, as if it were another's story; he turns the pages like his mother caressed his head... and the lost yesterdays appear or reappear, those of the golden age of arms outstretched, of the beautiful indelible smile... before the house, fields like the sea, the surly smell of the trees, a breeze which stirs the chimes on the porch (six notes) like the budding composer did with his baby's rattle (the same six notes) listening to the clear voices of Nila and her daughter after the downpour, playing in the grass, blue from the rain... all of this floats on the languor of that afternoon, those that love him are here...' |
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'Greco's work [Manhattan in the Mist] was magnificent without needing any explanation, given the directness of its language, penetrating, image-conjuring, admirably moving ... | ||
Dazzling Sonorities '... Manhattan in the Mist by José Luis Greco shows great compositional command and is marked by an enormous expressivity which cannot but leave the listener moved. |
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'Greco's compositions, a work for cello solo [Symbolica], six Essences for violin and piano [Dark Love] and the evening's principal work, 3 Recipes for a Prodigal Life for violin, cello and piano, held the audience under their spell. | ||
'... But the real challenge for the three musicians of the Summer Academy was the interpretation of the contemporary compositions of Greco who was present at the concert, having come to Konz from Madrid. The son of Spanish flamenco dancers, he is celebrated worldwide for his multiple talents. The symbiosis of different art forms is not unfamiliar to him having, for example, performed in Documenta 8 with a Dutch dance-theater company he co-founded. His music is emotion-laden, in turns vivacious and melancholy. And yet, Greco does not make it easy for his audience. Atonal sound-images often engulf the lyrically harmonic passages. The youngest of the compositions, 3 Recipes for a Prodigal Life, will be taken on a world tour after its premiere here at the Mosel.' |
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'... The next piece was Wonderland by José Luis Greco, an American composer who has been living in Madrid for many years. Three sections - Allegro/Andante/Moderato - follow each other without interruption. Greco uses all the "normal" string instrument techniques - harmonics, pizzicato, sul ponticello, tremolos, glissandi, etc. - without having to resort to anything more revolutionary, simply because his music has a lot to say and express. He uses clusters to create an atmosphere of tension, which he resolves with a lyrical passage. He is not afraid to use a tonal sequence as a contrast to an atonal one. He plays effectively with emotions and the unexpected to lead us by the hand to Wonderland, Alice's Wonderland. His music is indeed "contemporary", but without being heavy-handedly so - thankfully. Wonderland is music with a strong emotional charge, but always within a sober and measured aesthetic. The Fatum String Trio recently took this work, along with others [also by Greco], to New York, where they were very well received. Indeed, theirs is an exceptionally good rendition and one listens to the work with great interest. ...' | ||
'The New York composer of Spanish origin José Luis Greco - his parents were the dancers Nila Amparo and José Greco - is neither maniacal nor can he be stereotyped. He simply writes music out of that imperious artistic need to communicate, and he does so with the absolute liberty of someone who has been through it all. What is the style of Greco's works? It depends on which work we are referring to. Thus in his hands composing becomes an exercise in craftsmanship and efficaciousness. Efficaciousness, that is, in achieving the desired goals. In this way the undeniable neoimpressionist atmosphere of the movement from Triptych entitled Perfume (a neoimpressionism of which many artists today partake, and which has been labeled, erroneously, neoromanticism) combines with the expressionist power of Ardor (another of the work's movements), while the evocation of paradise lost in Pastel turns humoristic and playful in I'm Superman! All the works possess the two prerequisites of triumph: public appeal and technical mastery. Both of these factors make listening to Greco's works a delight, sometimes surprising, always arresting. Greco has dedicated much of his time to music for ballet - not surprising given his roots - and it seems to me that his work in this area is akin to the orchestral brilliance and talent of Delibes. The music of one has nothing to do with that of the other, granted, but the two composers share an impeccable technique as well as the creative imagination and ability to exquisitely resolve matters pertaining to ballet. Of this CD, which I have enjoyed so much, I find the liner notes, if not altogether adulating, certainly too laudatory. Who cares if he has received commissions from prestigious orchestras or that some of his works have been considered masterpieces? The words are superfluous because the music speaks for itself and because the same sensation of beauty is transmitted by merely listening to these works. When tonality is called for, it is utilized. When atonality seems necessary, it is not shunned either. When new and speculative parameters demand the foreground, there they are. This is the philosophy of José Luis Greco. An open and hedonistic philosophy. The world of comic-strips and fairy tales also plays a role in his work. A role which seamlessly weaves together Superman and Alice in Wonderland with Hollywood and psychedelia. 'Once again, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria has lived up to expectations. Adrian Leaper has endowed the interpretations with the delicacy and power, according to the moment, that these works demand. We would also like to call attention to the participation of the violinist Mariana Todorova on Ardor.' |
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'FREEDOM FOR MUSIC 'José Luis Greco ... has probably done a thousand things more, which wouldn't fit here. His most recent premiere in Spain, as far as I know, was Symbolica for cello solo, in the last Festival of Sacred Music of Cuenca, performed by Pieter Wispelwey - not a bad endorsement. With such a curriculum vitae, it's not surprising that José Luis Greco emanates freedom from every pore. He seems to do what he damn well pleases with absolute bravado, but without trickery. Civil music, you might say, to be listened to, to be enjoyed effortlessly. But careful now. We've been educated to accept the norm, even the revolutionary norm, and freedom is uncomfortable even from that perspective. Freedom in the sense of an Arnold or a Killmayer, a Kagel or a Turnage, uninhibited by the rules and open to those two indispensable poles: tradition and the present. I have the feeling that this music is little concerned with the future - I mean posterity; after all, life is short and you only live once - it takes it for granted. Destiny, after all, will take its own course. 'This disc is a magnificent sampling of José Luis Greco's music, of consummate craftsmanship and finest grade inspiration. The CD opens with an ambitious work, Triptych (1997-2001), structured in three parts: Perfume, Ardor and Forbidden Tonic. The first is what its title describes, a sum of sensations, fragrances and almost flavors which takes Ravel's Daphnis and Debussy's Iberia as its point of departure, and from there seems to ride a wave of open-air music, full of light and sky. Ardor is actually a formidable concerto for violin and orchestra - Mariana Todorova is the splendid soloist - in which the percussion - whose use is one of the specialities of the house - reminds one of stylized heel-work, introducing another of the unorthodox elements in this amalgam of tightly woven affinities and contrasts which constitute the music of José Luis Greco. Forbidden Tonic is a delightful escapade, with its hint of formal irony and its explicit, transparent and luminous tribute to Edgar Varèse. Pastel (1996) begins blithesome and direct but turns evocative in calm, rather than dramatic, introspection, expectant but untroubled. And of course, a touch of homage: this time one gets a glimpse of Joaquín Turina. In I'm Superman! (1994) everything comes together in a work that is airtight, plenary, seamless. Sensational are the dissection of the Funeral March from the Sonata no. 2 by Chopin, the quote from Mozart's Don Giovanni - needless to say, the Commendatore - the references to Prokofiev, to Spanish and salon music and even to a Sousa-gone-Broadway; and all the while remaining unique. The interpretations of the Philharmonic of Gran Canaria under the direction of Adrian Leaper do justice to this music, which although uncommonly fresh, nonetheless requires a powerful orchestra. To wit, something should be done with composers like José Luis Greco. Their works should be featured on the programs of our orchestras - among other reasons because the audience will enjoy them - and not just once. And those responsible should make sure they're heard abroad, so that the good health of Spanish music can cross borders, so that we may at last take our rightful place in the music world. And hats off to ASV: it took a while, but finally the notes of their Spanish music CDs - in this case written by Pedro Elías, who does a of fine job of putting Greco's work in perspective - are in perfect Spanish [and English, French and German]. All in all, something not to be missed.' | ||
'The unique voice of José Luis Greco 'The solo emerges from the mists at the opening of this concerto. ... This disc gives a good flavour of a distinctive compositional voice. '... It is not surprising that his music has absorbed many influences, but it is essentially 'classical', and the rhythmic influences stretch from Iberian dance and jazz to classical ballet. Moreover, he shows a Mediterranean ear for orchestral colours. |
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'... engrossing readings which conjure up the wide-ranging atmosphere of each work [Perfume, Ardor, Forbidden Tonic, Pastel, I'm Superman!] with pin-point precision. A fascinatingly eclectic collection ...' | ||
'José Luis Greco is a wonder of versatility: actor, dancer and composer capable of cultivating the most diverse genres (from ballet to opera, from children's music to abstract forms). The brilliance and precision of his orchestration owes a lot to his North American musical training. His eclecticism, his skill with collage-technique, his gifts when it comes to creating any kind of music, are his strong points... his music has vitality, sincerity and shows no trace of pedantry, as is the case in the whimsical I'm Superman!' |
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'An "Editor's Choice" in Gramophone Magazine (09/03), this release has all, world premiere recordings of some fascinating, highly individual, orchestral works by the son of the world famous, flamenco dancer, José Greco ... Both the performances and sound are first-rate making this a most imaginative release. High-enders take note!' | ||
'In José Luis Greco's Vanishing Time, ... the harpsichord sounding bright and brash and engaging in some vigorous dialogue with the strings. ...the work was full of vitality and shapely melodies...' |
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'Greco's work, entitled Symbolica, is a composition both sincere and passionate, inspired (undoubtedly unconsciously) by Bach and with an emphasis on communicating rather than ostentatious virtuosity; it has the appeal of the ingenuous (although not facile) and the expressive.' | ||
'This magnificent composer writes living music that moves the audience. Symbolica seems to inhale and exhale and, rather than merely play, the interpreter must breathe with the work from its dark opening C minor chord through to its C major ending.' |
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'The Millares Hall of the Antonio Pérez Foundation (the Old Convent of the Carmelites) is perfect for this kind of concert: in this case a solo cello recital by the great Dutch instrumentalist Pieter Wispelwey, consummate and communicative artist in all respects[...] It was he that premiered the commissioned work, a staple of the Cuenca festival, Symbolica by José Luis Greco. Lasting twelve minutes, it goes from reminiscences of Bach and the frequent use of glissandi to impassioned moments skillfully scored for the cello. The work's vast range of intensity includes a five-note motive, brief cantabile phrases, development in the form of etudes, without ever neglecting the role of virtuosity in the best sense..., and seems somehow to exude the magnetism of tonal polarity.' | ||
'José Luis Greco Premiere |
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'If all the concerts of this series are highly recommendable, they are even more so when they
serve as a showcase for the world premiere of a work by one of our composers. Although born abroad, José Luis Greco
is indeed one of our composers, and it was with the first hearing of his Dark Love (six essences for violin and piano) that the
program, attractive enough thanks to the presence of Mariana Todorova, concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Spanish Radio
and Television, and the Greek pianist Irini Gaitani, was further highlighted. ... As to the composer, he more than satisfied our
expectations. José Luis Greco, without transcendental pretensions but with firm hand, achieves a well articulated
linking - with equal care in the writing for both instruments - in which he mingles, with subtle contrast and uncomplicated idiom,
sections - "essences" - delicately elegiac with others furiously brilliant, as is the ending.' | ||
'I will refer first of all to the premiere of the work by José Luis Greco, ... whose name
we have lately heard quite frequently. ... The work is called Dark Love and is made up of six parts, each one about 3 minutes in
length, responding to a sequence of slow/fast, respectively, but each of a different atmosphere. The composer chose not to reveal
the feelings or states of mind that each part reflects, so I will try to relate what I felt: The first piece, ... all tranquility ... The
second, ... a search for a multiplicity of colors by way of violin virtuosity. The third, beginning with tenebrous harmonics and heading
for the light in a slow crescendo, enshrouding itself once more in darkness. The fourth, a flight alternating between episodes of
bariolage and other technical acrobatics. The fifth, ... begins in a Classical style ( I was reminded of the middle movement of Ravel's
Piano Concerto), but evolves towards a language ever more daring until extinguishing itself in nothingness. And the sixth, ... begins
with violent flashes and leads to a moment of calm, of gentle lyricism, but to provide the work with a staggering finale, it ends with a
bold and brilliant coda.' | ||
'... in his violin concerto, Ardor, composer José Luis Greco demonstrates his great
expressive capacity ... a tremendous success with the public ...' | ||
'Greco once again (Perfume) demonstrates his polished musicianship. In his hands the
orchestra not only "sounds" very good, but also gives the unequivocal impression that the composer has exercised control over each
and every link of the sonoral texture. His inspiration is markedly sensuous: in the music of José Luis Greco movement occurs
as if in layers, or in colors, or in "perfumes" ... it is "plastic" and suggestive.' | ||
'... the new work (Perfume) demonstrates the composer's great technical control in obtaining rich
multi-colored orchestral sonorities ...' | ||
'Greco ... is a musician of solid craft and ideas. Trouble ... has the freshness of originality. The quartet
writing is impeccable and the work advances steadily towards a finale of admirable sonoral and expressive tension ...' | ||
'Trouble ... is a work ... that is complex, descriptive, aggressive, with stunning moments and brilliant
effects, all of which make its audition a fantastic experience.' | ||
'The major attraction of this year's concert was the world premiere of a work by José Luis Greco
(I'm Superman!), a multi-faceted composer of solid achievements both in the world of abstract creations
and in that of applied music, be it ballet - area in which he has harvested recent successes - or in the present
genre of "story with music". Greco presented the score to the principal conductor and board of directors of the
Orchestra of the Spanish Radio and Television who programmed it immediately, confident of the success it would,
and did in fact, attain.' | ||
'Invisible ... is extremely attractive, full of contrasts and with room for a lyricism of the purest kind.' | ||
'The truth is that we went to the theater ... without the slightest intention of writing a single line ... but we could
not resist putting on record the work of José Luis Greco in providing music for Movimiento Perpetuo ... Greco's music,
which we have heard on other occasions ... held our attention constantly, first by its eclectic character - wisely varied -
and also by the power and sensitivity it demonstrated at every moment ... We do not know how much Greco knows
about Flamenco ... the impression was that he dominates its rhythmic structures perfectly, fitting like a glove to the
choreography of Granero, but with very broad perspectives ... it produced in us an irresistible attraction.' | ||
'THE MUSIC, FABULOUS (Mujeres) The music and costumes deserve special mention. The former, by
José Luis Greco, is simply perfect ...' | ||
'LOVE ALCHEMY FROM THE ALHAMBRA WORKS (Cuentos de la Alhambra) ...with stunning music ...
he creates the illusion that there is more than just violence or sex suspended in the atmosphere ... Pure alchemy.' | ||
'... the unpredictable music of José Luis Greco (Azul) ...' | ||
'The most remarkable thing about Azul is the music by José Luis Greco ...' | ||
'... the whimsical and unpredictable music of José Luis Greco (Azul) ...' | ||
'... much more inclined towards the emotions and the achieving of a series of distinct expressive climates
which Greco reveals in Invisible, without at all neglecting to take advantage of the technical-instrumental possibilities
of this singular ensemble.' | ||
'The exciting music is by José Luis Greco (Line Up).' | ||
'... Greco conjures up delicious jazz music (Line Up) ...' | ||
'... the attractive musical composition by José Luis Greco (Line Up) ...' | ||
'... stirring music by José Luis Greco (Line Up) ...' | ||
'The title Breathless is pretty literally worked out by Greco ... the musicians and the audience must
surrender themselves totally.' | ||
'For years I have been a fan of the composer José Luis Greco ... but his music for Mise-en-Cadre
surpasses the boldest expectations; listen for yourself.' | ||
'... the power and intensity of the musical compositions by José Luis Greco, the "Orpheus" of the company
(Private and Public Acts Trilogy).' | ||
'... the music of José Luis Greco ... is as always, first-rate (Mise-en-Cadre).' | ||
'... above all, the magnificent musical compositions of José Luis Greco are very effective (Mise-en-Cadre).' | ||
'José Luis Greco ... a master of creating atmospheres, eclectic and playful (Mise-en-Cadre).' | ||
'... the accompanying musical composition of José Luis Greco sometimes has the character of film
music for a real thriller (Circumstantial Evidence) ...' | ||
'His sound decor, which from the beginning is strongly a part of the movement, is truly phenomenal
(Rapid Eye Movement).' | ||
'The musical contribution of José Luis Greco is essential to the piece (Rapid Eye Movement).' | ||
