KEY POINTS:
Rating: * * * * *
For a while there, Gareth Farr CDs came upon us in clangorous profusion.
The energy levels were "hi" to "hyper" and even otherwise mild-mannered string quartets came out with the musical equivalent of punching and kickboxing.
Tangaroa is Farr's first release for some time, centred around marimba player Jeremy Fitzsimmons, recorded with TLC in 2004-05 and only now released through Trust Records. You cannot get a more personal glimpse of the composer than this, with Farr writing so beautifully for his own instrument.
A brilliant marimba man, his performances set daunting standards for those who would follow.
Farr's 1997 recording of Kembang Suling with flautist Alexa Still set a benchmark, but Fitzsimmons, paired with Bridget Douglas, puts a new sense of freedom into its first movement even if the third hasn't quite the spring-and-give of the Master.
Fitzsimmons also plays alongside Kristie Ibrahim's vibes in one of two versions of Farr's theme for the TVNZ Duggan series, which has all the pop innocence concert audiences have recently been enjoying in Farr's Ahi Trio.
A more explorative three-movement Dialogue has Fitzsimmons and Ibrahim dispensing a myriad of notes until they resolve issues with a breathtaking game of tag, mallets in hands.
Tuatara, with pianist Dan Poynton, is a hypnotic affair, its thematic material shifting from player to player like a baton in a relay race. Just before the end, tom toms and cymbals add a dash of adrenalin with the finish line in sight.
The real beauties of the disc lie in the solos, showcasing as they do the lulling liquid tone of the wooden marimba. The composer sees his Spook as an elusive creature, and it is certainly ironic that something so technically scary falls so bewitchingly on the ears.
William Dart
