Boyd McDonald / Joseph Petric / Peter Lutek: Joseph Haydn: Heretic Threads
Astrila Records

One definition of heretic reads “one who differs in opinion from an accepted belief or doctrine,” which, in the case of this double-CD release, would seem to more apply to the material Peter Lutek contributes than his collaborators. Whereas fortepianist Boyd McDonald and accordionist Joseph Petric serve up relatively straightforward readings of Joseph Haydn's keyboard music on Heretic Threads, Lutek dishes out an audacious electroacoustic reimagining that connects the dots between his fellow artists and the Austrian composer.

The release—produced, engineered, and mastered by Lutek, with editing credited to all three artists—opens with McDonald performing three Haydn works, the Sonata in F Major, Hob.XVI23, Sonata in E Minor, Hob.XVI34, and Fantasia in C Major, Hob.XVII4. Born in 1932, he plays an instrument that Haydn himself might have played, McDonald's relationship with fortepiano stretching back to 1980. Among other things, he holds the distinction of being one of the last living students of Nadia Boulanger and lists Darius Milhaud, John Cage, and Stefan Wolpe as composition teachers. That Haydn's music and the fortepiano are natural bedfellows is borne out by the performances, which are reverential yet nevertheless marked by the personality of the performer. While the stateliness of the material never gets lost, McDonald attacks the pieces with the gusto of a barroom pianist, and consequently the opening movement of the F major sonata plays like a jovial romp. Even the “Larghetto” that follows sparkles, the plaintive tone of its phrases offset by the delight one senses McDonald felt executing them. Throughout, he eschews metronomic perfection for a more personalized and dynamic expression, his handling of the “Adagio” and “Finale” from the E Minor sonata perfect illustrations. Such an approach makes the three settings feel fresh as opposed to relics dusted off for one more tired run-through. The centuries fall away as the fortepianist digs into the pieces, breathing new life into them with enthusiasm.

A long-time collaborator of McDonald's and, in fact, the instigator of the project, Petric performs the same three works as the fortepianist, a move that makes for a fascinating comparison study (interestingly, Petric sat in on McDonald's recording of the material, which can't help but have had an influence, however small, on his own performance). Fresh from the attention he deservedly received for his 2022 release Seen, the accordionist brings a kindred flair to his readings, his fingers dancing nimbly in giving voice to Haydn's melodies and patterns. The accordion is particularly effective at capturing the intricate counterpoint that makes the composer's music so visceral and engaging. The affection Petric feels for the material comes through in his inspired rendering of the F major sonata's “Allegro moderato,” and, like McDonald, the accordionist makes the material feel newly born in these attentive readings. An intimate quality enhances his assured performance of the E Minor sonata's “Adagio,” so much so that one could visualize it being played in someone's living room or on a back porch. Smartly, no trickery's been added, with Petric showing that his instrument's natural timbres are well up to the task of capturing the essence of Haydn's music.

The focus shifts somewhat from melody to tactility for Sintering, Lutek's twenty-seven-minute electroacoustic travelogue, though generous amounts of melody do surface when parts of the others' recordings are plundered and put through the digital shredder. Fragments of fortepiano and accordion appear amidst the whirr, flicker, scratch, and grind of electronic machinery, the result a perpetually shapeshifting dynamo. Sintering isn't a noisiest, even if an occasional snippet of noise arises; it's instead a panoramic exploration of creative possibilities that emerge when McDonald, Petric, and Haydn collide. Don't be surprised if you're reminded of Carl Stone's similarly discombobulating creations as you listen to Lutek's.

April 2023