Hitchcockian vertigo

Vertigo - who doesn't think of Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller when they hear this word? A movie that revolves around a policeman (James Stewart) who suffers from a fear of heights after a traumatic experience. A movie, by the way, in which Bernard Herrmann's congenial music plays a central role. The young Austrian composer Philipp Manuel Gutmann has now also prefixed one of his latest works with the name "Vertigo" and subtitled it "Bagatelle for piano". In June 2021, he won the Audience Award of the 1st Days of New Piano Music Graz.

Philipp Manuel Gutmann was born in Zwettl (Lower Austria) in 1993. He studied composition in Vienna (with Dirk D'Ase) and in Zurich (with Kaspar Ewald and Isabel Mundry). Despite his young age, he can already boast a considerable oeuvre. It includes stage works and symphonies as well as chamber music and numerous works for choir. And he seems to have a particular soft spot for wind orchestras.

Back to his piano piece Vertigowhich actually refers to Hitchcock's film. It begins "slowly and menacingly" with repetitive figures that gradually increase in tempo and volume. These are joined by melodic fragments that obviously quote motifs from Bernard Herrmann's film music. Chords are alternately broken up and down. On the last page, the calm beginning finally turns into an impetuous chase. The resulting effect really does create a feeling of disorientation, of dizziness.

Pianistic is Vertigo not as tricky as it might seem at first glance. The piano writing is excellent. (The only fingering indication at the very beginning should probably be 3213). In any case, it is not surprising that the audience in Graz was taken with the work, as Gutmann manages to immediately conjure up a dramatic and vivid scene in just a few pages using modern means.

And those who are still unfamiliar with this music should perhaps take another look at Hitchcock's masterpiece ...

Philipp Manuel Gutmann: Vertigo, Bagatelle for piano, D 01 450, € 12.95, Doblinger, Vienna