How on earth do you categorise a disc like this? Wagner himself used to moan about walking into St. Mark's Square in Venice and having to acknowledge execrable performances, usually of his Rienzi Overture, played by the local bands outside the cafes.The performances on this disc are anything but execrable. But otherwise the situation is much the same. This is a band, playing outside a cafe in St. Mark's Square in Venice, with all the ambient sounds going on around.
That said, I have to admit to a huge affection for this recording - and that from a devoted and purist devotee of the Meister's works for many years. Uri Caine is a phenomenon. His recordings of Mahler, of Bach's Goldbergs and Beethoven's Diabellis are ear-opening, shifting and changing the original material to cast new light on the composers' works. I believe they are always respectful, despite including outrageously bluesy versions of some of the Goldbergs, for example, or sharp, acrid Klezmer views of Mahler.
These Wagner arrangements, however, are relatively straight, given the accordion-led cafe band instruments available. And the music is played without send-ups or irony - judicious tempos are chosen throughout and the instrumentations always enhances the music played.
And then city adds moving touches of its own - cafe society hums along with the Pilgrims' Chorus from Tannhauser, the Venetian church bells add their clamour to the climax of the Meistersinger Overture. Caine and his group are afraid of nothing. Forget 'Apocalypse Now': you simply haven't experienced the Ride of the Valkyries till you've heard it played by a small cafe band in the open air in St. Mark's Square.
I would urge you to listen to this disc with an open mind. Chances are you will either love it or hate it. If you've ever been to Venice, the odds for loving it probably improve. I find it very moving in its integrity to the composer's intentions, despite its remoteness from what he had in mind for this music, as well as in its evocation of place. Remember, this was a city that Wagner loved and where he died.
