Violet Archer. Canadian Composers Portraits. Toronto: Centrediscs, 2002. CMCCD 8502. $20.00. Two compact discs. Disc 1: Documentary produced and presented by Eitan Cornfield (4&:26). Disc 2: Sinfonietta (CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, John Avison, conductor) (16:OO); Trio no. 2 (The Hertz Trio) (1357); String Quartet no. 3 (University of String Quartet) (2055); The Bell (CBC Chorus and Orchestra, Geoffrey Waddington, conductor) (2 1:5 1).

Montreal-born composer, performer and her student days at Yale; Trio no. 2 (1956- teacher Violet Archer (1 9 13-2000) had a 57), from her professional years in the tremendous impact on musical life in United States; Sinfonietta (1968) fkom her Canada, an impact that has been years; and String acknowledged widely: among other Quartet no. 3 (198 1) completed after her special awards and distinctions, she was retirement. While Archer herself suggests recipient of several honorary doctorates in the liner notes that the Sinfonietta, (McGill, University of Windsor, and performed capably by the CBC Vancouver University of ) and the Order of Chamber Orchestra, "may possibly be Canada (1983). Most recently, she was classified as neo-classic," the selected as one of the fist ten composers straightforward metric, phrase and formal to be represented in the Canadian Music organization places it certainly in that camp. Centre's Centredisc Portraits series. Perhaps most noteworthy is how Archer's eight-year experience as percussionist in the The sound quality and the quality of Montreal Women's Symphony, founded in performances on the Violet Archer 1940 by conductor Ethel Stark, reveals itself Portrait is somewhat mixed. AU of the in her playful and precise writing for the performances are reissues (all but Trio snare drum and triangle. As one might No. 2 from the 1983 Radio Canada expect, Trio no. 2 receives a solid and Anthology of Canadian Music (ACM confident performance by the Hertz Trio, 17)), although the liner notes mention who performed it on an extensive tour in only that the recording of The Bell is a 1982, including London, Rome, Moscow, historical recording, taken from Leningrad, Israel and New York. "original mono master tapes." The opaque recording quality of The Bell The least convincing performance is The does contrast with the other works, most Bell, by the CBC Chorus and Orchestra, notably the very clean Trio no. 2, conducted by Geoffrey Waddington. presumably from the Hertz Trio's 1991 Balance between the orchestra and the release. The documentary also exhibits chorus is rather heavy on the side of the a range in the quality of sound, although orchestra, the diction is poor and intonation the discrepancy in this case adds texture at the beginning of the second movement is and a sense of historical placement of weak. But the work itself is compelling. particular excerpts. Based on John Dome's Sermons and Devotions, the cantata uses baroque rhythms Repertoire on the CD comprises four and a contrapuntal texture within a non- substantial works ranging over a thirty- tonal harmonic environment (described by year span in Archer's compositional Schulman in ACM 17 as bearing output: a cantata, The Bell (1949), from Hindemith' s "neo -baroque thumbprint ") . Although in shape and rhythm the under-represented in the field of melodic writing evokes baroque composition. Hindered by attacks on their gestures, the frequent use of unison virtue (Barbara Strozzi), lack of access to octave passages in both the orchestra professional positions (Elisabeth Claude and the chorus, sounds rather chant-like. Jacquet de la Guerre), fathers who thought Through orchestration, Archer achieves the profession unsuitable to women (Fanny a large-scale ternary form overarching Mendelssohn Hensel), and the demands of the four movements of the cantata: the motherhood (Ruth Crawford Seeger), the first movement and the linked third and most insidious of all barriers has been the fourth movements of this twenty-minute much discussed "Woman Composer work comprise for the most part Question," debated in print as recently as orchestra and chorus together, while the 1973 in High Fidelity Magazine. Although sizeable (eight-minute) second no one today would suggest in print that movement is completely a capella. women are biologically unsuited to the profession of composition, the question still The most exciting work and lingers in the woman-composer label. In performance on the CD is also the most Schulman's interview, excerpted in recent representation of Archer's output Cornfield's documentary, Archer's surprise on the disc, her String Quartet no. 3 and impatience are apparent with a from 198 1. Abandoning a strict sense of description by a Montreal critic of "veritable metric organization, but retaining a masculine strength" in her music, rather rhythmic vitality and contrapuntal craft, than the "feminine" qualities one might Archer embraces an expressionistic expect: aesthetic. The energetic and thoughtful performance by the University of It never even occurred to me for a Alberta String Quartet is the highlight of minute that I was writing feminine all four recordings on the CD. music or masculine music, I just felt that I was writing music and I still Perhaps most valuable on the Archer feel the same way. I am just writing Portrait is the documentary produced music. and presented by Eitan Cornfield. Employing numerous excerpts from In the Cornfield documentary we are Archer's works and commentary by fortunate to learn more about Archer's Archer's friends and former students attitude, from her students. We hear an echo (notably composers Robert Rosen and of the same impatience, this time with the Allan Gordon Bell, Jean Coulthard- 'woman composer' label. When asked in scholar William Bruneau, and pianist class one day what it was like to be a and Banff Music and Sound woman composer, she apparently answered: administrator Isobel Rolston), Cornfield provides a vivid context for Archer's I'm a composer. I happen to be a own words, mostly edited selections woman and that's one thing, but I'm from Michael Schulman's interview in not a woman composer. I'm a ACM 17. Compared to other sectors of composer. I'm an artist first. That the music profession, except for perhaps drives my life. conducting, women are still greatly We also get a sense fiom Archer's Schulman's interview with Archer as students and fiends what she was like as well as short lists of the people a teacher ("a dynamo"), a friend interviewed for the documentary and of ("loyal"), and a person ("lonely"). the works from which musical excerpts are taken. I would also like to see more The accompanying booklet to the detail about the actual recordings, CD-set is good, particularly the specifically an indication of when the commentary about the works presented recordings were made, particularly since (again, most of which is quoted directly the four recordings included are reissues. from the notes of ACM 17), but more detail would improve its usefulness. For instance, track numbers for the works Since the recordings are all reissues, are located on the back of the CD case, the set will be most useful for those who but are not provided in the liner notes do- not have already, and cannot now get, beside the tempo indications and timings the Radio Canada Anthology. But the for the individual movements. Although context provided by the documentary incipits are given for the documentary, makes the Violet Archer Portrait a track numbers and timings are not valuable acquisition for any collection. provided at all. More information about the sources for the documentary would Jennifer Bain be most helpful for those who would like Music Department to follow up on items they have heard. Dalhousie University The notes couM provide reference to