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Multiple Voices for One
David Greenberg, baroque & octave violins
Leaf Music, 2023
Fascination with the Baroque era is as current as ever. David Greenberg, arranger, composer and violinist, continues to showcase his eclectic talents in his latest project, Multiple Voices for One, which is like Greenberg Variations in the style of Bach. The tapestry is threaded with folk-cultural motifs reminiscent of Cape Breton fiddling, Scottish jigs and Klezmer music. Dance-like contours demonstrate the depth of having studied early music at Indiana University and performance with the celebrated Tafelmusik ensemble.
Recorded at Bauman Auditorium in Newberg, Ore., each “mashup” mysteriously exudes one or multiple violin strands. The spice is just right—melancholy spiced with hot-edged dance grooves and syncopation. Energetically reminiscent of the Bach suites (allemande, courante, sarabande, passacaille), Greenberg’s variations, whether jazzy, jig or square dances, elicit the best of Bach.
McG & G captures the feel of a Scottish dance, with embellishments that suggest the use of multiple instruments. Bach’s Partita No. 1 is inspiration for Sleepy Maggie’s Messenger, co-authored with his son Owen Greenberg, Caledonia Corrente and Savage Sarabande, the latter characterized by the deep cello/bass sound. Gloomy and Enthralled, drawing from Bach’s Sonata No. 2, makes us hear the guttural sound of the “octave” violin (also effectively used in Savage Sarabande), while Susan’s Klezmer Corrente (Bach’s Partita No. 2) is infused with Klezmer-style flair. Among the other tracks, Barbara’s strikes as a “reverse passacaille,” with an ascending bassline, reminiscent of bagpipes and a square dance.
The project is a comforting antidote to winter blues, if not a whimsical tribute to each genre and would likely have drawn praise from Bach himself.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
