Dello Joio’s Blue Mountain was commissioned by the director of the Norwegian Wind Ensemble in honor of the 100th anniversary of the death of Edvard Grieg. It uses several solo string instruments, some percussion, and as you can see, a lot of winds. The composer decided to focus on a rather morbid psychological aspect of Grieg, his contemplation of his own demise a few weeks before his death, and the meeting he had with fellow composer Percy Grainger, whom Grieg thought played his music as no other. Grieg feels he may be going mad during his final moments, and is afraid that he and his music will be forgotten and silenced forever.
I do not know if this aspect of his life has any basis in reality or not, aside from the meetings with Grainger, which most certainly are historical. But I did find the opera somewhat unsettling, and not exactly what I would have called a tribute to him on his death anniversary. Much of it lacks the cheery, even life-affirming spirit of the Norwegian’s own music, and is basically an expressionist take on the psychology of a dying man. The brief snippets of Grainger’s own recording of Grieg’s Piano Concerto come as blessed relief in this turgid and somewhat depressing opera. I cannot say that it entirely lacks lyrical qualities—there are moments of soaring expression and pseudo-rapturous imagery, but it soon descends into more quasi-tonal vocal declamations that by their very nature seem incapable of any emotive design but disorientation, not unlike much of what Schoenberg accomplished in his atonal and mannered works. I actually like some of those, but this one lacks the sort of innate attractive subject matter to make one want to return to it. A shame, for I like Mr. Dello Joio’s piano CD on this same label very much.
The forces all play very well, and the composer must surely be pleased with the effort. Hopefully you know by now whether this sort of music appeals to you or not.
— Steven Ritter
