You could be forgiven if you thought her new CD, Crossing the Stone, was a musical calling card announcing Finch’s debut. In fact, although this is her first US release, it is her fourth disc of music [following her debut Catrin Finch Harp Recital (2000), Carnaval de Venise (2001), and Coast to Coast (2002)].
The success of this disc is due in no short measure to Karl Jenkins, who arranged most of the pieces on this album for harp and leads the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, which accompanies Finch on most of the disk. The music never sounds precious or fragile as is stereotypical for “harp” music. The music played on here is earthy, gutsy, occasionally ethereal, and certainly appropriate for harp voicing.
There are many different musical styles on this CD, showing off Finch’s prodigious talent to great effect.
The CD starts off with a rendition of Dave Grusin’s classic composition "Mountain Dance". The beat bounces along with Finch’s adroit plucking mirthful melody. It’s a great opening gambit to set the confident tone of the performances on this CD. "Harpers Bizarre" is a quick rhythmed work that could easily accompany a documentary on industry complete with time-lapsed cinematography and quick edits. The Pat Metheny–Lyle Mays composition "James", gets a workout next. True to the original, the arrangement and performance pay due respect to the talents of Metheny and Mays, and yet, imbue the version here with fresh, original vision.
"Crossing the Stone (Tros Y Garreg)", from which the album’s title is derived, is a traditional Welsh song showcasing Finch in a sentimental glow, backed by strings. The song refers to a soldier’s return to his hometown and the anticipation of good memories and putting the past behind. Gorgeous melodies, sweet and tragic together. A transcription of the prelude from Bach’s "solo violin partite no. 3" is played confidently, projecting ease, refinement. Surely, this transcription would please the great master himself. Again, the playing could have you believe that the piece was intended for harp instead of violin. It is interesting here to note that Bach wrote no music specifically for solo harp. The musicality of Finch’s performance shimmers throughout and within this famous work.
The 3rd movement from Steve Reich’s "Electric Counterpoint" is played with each part for harp overdubbed to recreate the full effect of Reich’s piece. It immediately struck me that this performance would be, stylistically and aurally, completely at home on a Jean-Luc Ponty album––Individual Choice comes to mind. Although Finch states, in the liner notes, that the complex rhythmic patterns made bringing this work to fruition the hardest track to record on this disk, it nonetheless doesn’t show.
Mastery makes all things appear effortless. You’ll be tapping your feet and bobbing your head in no time grooving to it. "Café Vamp Latino", written by Jenkins, is rollicking good fun, full of humor, bouncing 5/4 rhythm! and arch melodies. It sounds as if Danny Elfman (The Simpsons theme music) or David Stewart (no, not the Eurythmics guy, but the one who was in National Health and with Bill Bruford in the 70s and 80s). Rather than run through the rest of the tracks on this album, I’d like to mention two more tracks. Finch and company do their take on Debussy’s "Claire de Lune". It is performed with the intention of sounding like someone perusing the FM dial, tuning back and forth, and––what’s that beautiful music?––“discovering” Claire de Lune for the first time. (Think the beginning of Pink Floyd’s track "Wish You Were Here".) It’s clever and adds something new and refreshing to the old chestnut. There is a French voice-over as DJ discussing Debussy. It is a little distracting, but fortunately is only present at the beginning and end of the track.
The last track, an arrangement for electric harp, is the DeBeers diamond commercial, sorry…"Palladio for String Quartet", written by Karl Jenkins. It is remixed into a club mix. Finch allows that it is “the most experimental track on the disk.” I love experimentation and pushing the envelope, and I even approve of the dance remix, but because the music is fully engrained as music for a commercial, it took me three auditions to get past the “commercial” juxtaposition to hear it for the music only. That said, it is catchy, but the remix doesn’t approach gonzo: no block-rocking beats or heavy drum and bass. It’s more Chip Davis (think Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas albums). Now, if Fatboy Slim had gotten hold of it…! Actually, hearing this auditory experiment made me fantasize briefly about what a collaborative effort between Finch, Evelyn Glennie, and the grand master flash of electronica, Klaus Schulze, would sound like. (Very, very good indeed.)
Harp music is frequently exploited for Christmastide and jollity. Happily, Crossing the Stone smashes through those banal expectations and delivers a wallop of outstanding musicianship, adroit arrangements, and shrewd selection of titles to best show off Finch and her ensemble players. Do yourself a big favor, buy this disc. You deserve it. It will likely supplant all other CDs in your carousel CD player for quite a long while. Catrin Finch deserves no less. Highly recommended, without reservation.
