A Chinese Poet speaks Chinese. But what does he say? (rough paraphrase of Schoenberg). In light of recent letters to the Editor concerning the value and communicability of music by composers such as Fitkin, Glass et al, one could easily imagine the above quotation serving as a battle cry for all those who wish to segregate 'that kind of music' to the soft furnishings department. However, does all music have to be imbued with a deep and meaningful message? Generally, I consider myself fortunate enough to be able to cope with a wide range of musical styles whether endowed with message or not, but I have to confess to being completely bewildered by the music of David Stoll.
First I should mention that every composition on this disc relates to (I am reluctant to use the phrase 'is inspired by') ancient Vedic tradition and Sanskrit texts. We are told, for instance, that the three movements of the Piano Quartet in A refer to three invocations from the Upanishads, and that the sub-text of the Piano Sonata is a story taken from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. We are also informed that the trio from the second movement of the Piano Quartet uses traditional chant. So why on earth does all the music presented here sound like a refugee from eighteenth- or nineteenth-century Germany? You could be forgiven, for instance, for thinking that the third movement of the Piano Sonata is a variation on Ride a Cockhorse to Banbury Cross in the style of Beethoven's Les adieux Sonata, but on reading the booklet-notes we discover that the music actually reflects Yajnavalkya's description of the Purusha and the cycle of rebirth.
Further to that, I can best describe the music contained on this disc as being like a magical mystery tour where even the driver doesn't know where he is going. If you are looking for spiritual, Vedic enlightenment your time will be better spent strolling down Oxford Street in the hope of meeting the Krishna followers—at least their music and chanting stem from real Vedic traditions. If this is new music give me Fitkin and Glass any day!'