Anna Stegmann is a most inspiring, inventive and passionate recorder player. Achieving international recognition for her virtuosic performance of Vivaldi’s Concerto in C, a respected educator as recorder professor at London Royal Academy of Music, also well-known for her European tours with her own ensembles, Stegmann’s series of imaginative short on-line presentations emerging from COVID lockdown years also add to her unique artistry in the recorder world. In Australia for workshops and a concert tour, her teaming up with violinist Jorge Jiménez has opened up a refreshingly different approach to performing music from the Middle Ages to the present day, with a most courageous and unique program revealed in the intimate space of Tempo Rubato.
Composers and program curators seem to be highly attracted at the moment to themes of astrology and cosmology, as recent developments in technology take our imaginations beyond previous limitations. The music cosmologist is now linked to new possibilities of time, space and imagery; music is a time-traveller. Stegmann and Jiménez fused an intriguing variety of connecting elements and cosmic references for Círculos: A Journey through the Zodiac. Círculos (Spanish for Circles) and the constellations in Western astrology were just one literary reference for this project.
The musical program was thoughtfully designed into 4 “sectors”: Air, Earth, Water, Fire, each consisting of a fluid menu of musical works loosely associated with the key elements to life and humanity on earth. Within each of the four “menus” was a re-occurring electronic “soundbite” from Stockhausen’s work Tierkreis (Zodiac), a composition consisting of twelve melodies, each one representing a sign of the Zodiac. Composed in 1974/1975, this was indeed a fine example of musical spatialization, from this ground-breaking composer. These recurring electronic samples delightfully included his 12 colourful and playful musical boxes, each one centring on a different pitch. While Stockhausen considered the character of the (Western) Zodiac signs and the personalities of people born under them, tonight’s settings on recorders, violin and vielle was not programmatic.
Between each recorded Stockhausen piece, superbly contrasting pieces smoothly connected sections of the journey, with some of the oldest music of the fifteenth-century -Faenza Codex, by Jacopo de Bologna showing Stegmann’s atmospheric medieval woodwind colours against Jiménez’ earthy and quirky bowed vielle. Stockhausen’s soundscape Gemini-Mercury followed with the development of a gently atonal waltz over a violin folk-like rhythmic ostinato.
Weaving and bending, contemporary modal music developed from playful Celtic dance rhythms and spacious themes from Chick Corea’s enchanting Children’s Songs Nos. 15 and 6. Stockhausen closed the AIR menu with a long final breath of air on the recorder against electronic bells, music box and silvery percussion.
A low electronic hum brought the depth and breadth of EARTH to light, with plaintive, low bass recorder notes and rustic string colours felt from the Balkan folk songs of Bartok: Ruthenian Song, Pillow Dance and Rustic Dance. This duo look great, sounded great, and the audience could not keep back early robust applause. Stockhausen’s Taurus led sympathetically into further Bartok Duos: Menuetto, Teasing Song (more experimental with freely plucked violin accompaniment) and the gentle sensual Maramaros, the last piece aligning more to Venus the goddess of love, the bringer of light. Most delightful then came the contrapuntal and high-spirited piece Per quella strada by the late-Medieval Flemish composer Johannes Ciconia. Beautiful bowed string playing on vielle from Jiménez were heard over a low electronic growl from earth, as webs of atonality emerged, grew and blended in gorgeous tone colour.
Following intermission, the third segment WATER brought us Telemann’s Fantasia No. 1 for unaccompanied recorder. Bubbly and expressive with warmth and passionate phrasing, embellishment and technical authority, the opening Vivace was textbook perfection. Jiménez joined in for an energetic and lively Allegro, with Inventions Nos. 6 and 10 by J.S. Bach completing this joyful and admirable presentation. The simplicity of Stockhausen’s recorded music box twinkled and shone gently as the influence of the Moon brought us the most circular of elements in musical design – the ground bass. By one of the most important Spanish guitarists and composers, Gaspar Sanz, two Baroque dances, Espanoleta and Passacaille, were most elegant, strong and earthy, rhythmic and flavoursome, grounded and colourful. Sanz’ piece Canarios – a jig-like folk dance from the Canary Islands was a most vivacious folk dance.
The fourth section FIRE brought new colour with Jiménez’ solo violin for Aries/Mars, and Stegmann added a sky-blue harmonica for some fun and brightness for Sun/Leo. Sets of variations by Corelli on the intriguing sixteenth-century tune La Follia brought us first a very beautiful hearing on bass recorder, and then how smoothly Stegmann changed recorders with never a glitch in breathing or pitch accuracy as acceleration and excitement developed.
This was a wonderful showcase of outstanding teamwork, imagination and shared commitment from a creative duo, bringing us new concert experiences.
Photo supplied.
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Julie McErlain reviewed “Círculos: A Journey through the Zodiac” performed by Anna Stegmann (recorders) and Jorge Jiménez (violin, vielle) at Tempo Rubato on January 23, 2025.
