David Rakowski: Winged Contraption, etc

David Rakowski is an interesting, inventive, and well-schooled composer; his concepts are involved and engaging, he realizes them well, he is studious and hardworking. Rakowski is also prolific -- his best-known work is his collection of piano etudes, which currently run to 88 in number -- and his credentials are unassailable, winning numerous prizes and capable of claiming Milton Babbitt, Paul Lansky, and Luciano Berio among his mentors. BMOP's David Rakowski: Winged Contraption combines that interestingly named 1991 orchestral work with his Persistent Memory (1997) and the Piano Concerto (2006) he wrote for pianist Marilyn Nonken. Rakowski has a grip on his stylistic language, which superficially can be said to be based in expressionist techniques, but is certainly more lightweight and individualized than that would imply. However, despite the presence on the disc of a work called Persistent Memory, this music tends to pass through one ear and out the other; there isn't anything memorable about it. That may well be Rakowski's intention, to make music that assumes a different shape and form every time you hear it and not to leave a lasting impression, so that it appears fresh every time. For some listeners this will work, but for others it leaves the ear kind of thirsty. Nevertheless, there is no doubting the passionate dedication on the part of the participants in this recording, particularly Nonken, who contributes a note on Rakowski's Piano Concerto that is both heartfelt and illuminating. The sound recording and quality of performance are excellent, although for some reason these BMOP discs will not play on certain CD players, which is odd as there appears to be nothing special about the CD format itself.