Ferdinand Rebay
Bergmann Edition: Score and separate parts (20, 12 and 16 pages respectively)
Here is yet another book in what could very well be one of the most important sets of publications in the recent times, for this forgotten man’s music is nothing short of excellent, involving, and like nothing else you will have seen or heard before.
This work is in five movements, beginning with Seguidilla, set in D Major with a dropped D 6th. It is quite short, with the main theme beginning on the flute, harmonized via some very clever arpeggio writings on the guitar, and then the guitar plays the second time through the theme, mostly in block chords with some semi – quaver flights of fancy from the flute. A quick coda and its over – if anything it’s a bit short, as I could have done with it being a bit longer! With the 6th string back on E , the second movement Spanisches Tanzlied ’No Quiero Casar Me’ is set in A Major and as the title suggests , has a lovely dancing melody , again beginning on the flute and then swapping from flute to guitar and back again, via some imaginative flourishes on both instruments that are variations on the original melody. Back to dropped D 6th again for the third movement Variationen Uber Ein Portugiesisches Volkslied. This is set as a Theme and two variations in D Major, with the opening theme as a guitar solo. The first variation then heralds the entrance of the flute playing what is a slight variation of the theme, atop some thoughtful and beautiful passages on the guitar. Variation No2 takes us into the tonic minor and slows down to a Lento before resuming in the Major key and opening tempo for a final version of the melody, ending with a calm coda that ends pianissimo. Variation No4 Andalusisches Lied (Cancion de Maja) is still a dropped D 6th, but set in Bb Major, and moves swiftly along. It goes twice through a dancing melody with some friendly harmonies before reaching a quiet but happy conclusion. The final movement Castilianischer Bolero (Volkslied Aus Spanien) is set in D major again, and begins with some tambora on guitar chords underneath a dancing melody on the flute. The tambora then turns to Rasgueados for a return of the tune now largely an octave higher on the flute. A contrasting middle section with two main ideas then briefly intervenes before a final return to the opening theme still accompanied by Rasgueados takes the movement to a very climactic and optimistic conclusion.
This is a lovely suite, full of engaging melodies and warm friendly harmonies and every movement is quite short, so would fit really well into a duo recital providing the players are very good, because both instruments need excellent players to do this full justice.
Chris Dumigan