Perpetual Motion

Surprising classical arrangements--on banjo!

Of all the instruments with which one could choose to record an album of classical music, the banjo has got to be one of the most awkward. Technically, it can’t sustain pitches, and culturally, it unfortunately carries the baggage of the back-country ¨hillbilly¨ popular perception. Despite these handicaps, Bela Fleck manages to make the best sort of crossover record. It’s not so much about cultures clashing as it is a group of great musicians having a bit of fun with some lovely music.
When Fleck plays alone, he takes the instrument to its lyrical limits, but eventually the banjo’s plinkiness can be wearying on the ears. When paired with more resonant instruments like the marimba or violin, however, this perceived weakness actually becomes a strength.
The most successful pairing is with Joshua Bell in Chopin’s Mazurka in F-Sharp minor, Op. 59 No. 3. In this arrangement, Fleck accompanies rather than leads, which allows Bell to supply all the romantic whimsy the piece needs.

Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck has certainly broken more boundaries than any other picker in recent memory, from his early days performing bluegrass-inspired folk compositions on Rounder in the late '70s to his quirky jazz freak-outs with the Flecktones throughout the '90s. In late 2001, this peculiar innovator released an album of banjo interpretations of classical works by Bach, Chopin, and Scarlatti. Before classical purists roll their eyes, they must remember that the banjo hasn't always been seen as the instrument of choice of backwoods musicians in the Appalachian mountains, but as recently as the 1940s was used as a primary rhythm instrument in all manner of parlor music. That being said, Perpetual Motion is a bright and unique take on several well-known classical pieces (Moonlight Sonata, Bach's Cello Suite No. 1) as well as a number of interpretations of Bach's two-part and three-part inventions. These light and brief inventions act as buffers between the longer, more dramatic pieces, but end up serving as some of the highlights of the album. With Fleck often accompanied by Evelyn Glennie on marimba and Appalachia Waltz musicians Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer on violin and bass, these short, delicate pieces weave in and out of the album, proving that the banjo can be seen in a different light altogether. Fleck's picking is uniquely unparalleled in that he can so easily dip his feet into so many different genres with an instrument that is so quickly pigeonholed. The album drifts easily into the background, which is not necessarily a detraction but, knowing the fire that Fleck can unleash from his fingertips, it would have been nice to have a few more impassioned numbers on the album. The closest the ensemble comes to really making some noise is the final track, Paganini's Moto Perpetuo (arranged in a bluegrass style), which is not necessarily more forceful, but is certainly faster and louder.