CD Feature/ Iiro Rantala: "Piano Concerto"

When „Life’s a box of chocolates“ as Forrest Gump remarked, then maybe music’s a crate of apples. For ages, Pop and Rock musicians with a knack for Classical music have been trying to please their mothers by putting together orchestral works, which would get listeners back into the concert hall – maybe they should leave the job to Classical composers with a knack for Pop and Rock. With a background in the 20th century piano repertoire and a long-term membership in Finland’s most active Jazz ensemble, Iiro Rantala should seem just the right man for the job – and you never know what you’re gonna get.

In Rantala’s world, there are nor stylistic boundaries or superimposed barriers – as a musical market vendor, oranges and pears are all fruit to him. That’s why, apart from title track, which makes up for more than half of the recorded time on the album, there are three other, powerful pieces on this disc, which tear down the walls so carefully placed by the guardians of good taste – especially the spicy “Tangonator” with Jaakko Kuusisto on Violin should see even the most traditional audience jump from their seats in extasy. And yet, it is the tripartite Piano Concerto, which makes the strongest impression: From the dark and labyrinthine first movement, which meanders like a snake through a nightly brook to the brittle, hushed and whispered second part, this is a feast for fans of great melodies and romantic key changes. Orchestra and Piano are in close contact at all times, creating a spaceous, wide sound – did someone say “Sound Track”? And just when you thought you’d heard it all, Rantala loosens the tie completely in the grand finale, which jumps from a hot-blooded, folk-induced motive to a full-blown big band session, complete with an improvisational part.

You’ll need a sense of humour to appreciate all of it, but there’s no doubt that these wild mood swings, this emotional roller coster ride, this fire work of the senses is the most outrageous and exciting thing we could imagine being performed in a classical concert hall at the moment. Or on a Rock stage, for that matter. So next time you buy a CD, avoid your usual box of chocolates and go for that crate of fresh and juicy apples. And take a big bite!

Homepage: Ondine Records