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School Of Music, DePaul University

New Music DePaul:

Concert Hall, DePaul: 7 May 2010

Marc Embree, narrator; Cory Tiffin, clar; Aurelien Pederzoli, violin; Russell Rolen, cello; George Flynn, piano

String Quartet: Austin Wulliman & Aurelien Pederzoli, violins; Doyle Armbrust, viola; Russell Rolen, cello

Julia Bentley, mezzo; Kara Bancks, clar; Kuang-Hao Huang, piano

1) George Flynn (1937-):

1a) American Howl Quartet (Part I) (2010) for narrator, clarinet, violin, cello, piano. Much appreciated second hearing. The first, at Green Mill a few weeks ago, left me a bit puzzled — the Ginsberg poems are so dramatic, the presentation seemed to be missing the drama and variety. Much improved in this performance. I am looking forward to the complete version (hopefully later this year, George says).

1b) American Enchantment (2003) for string quartet. Lovely, interesting piece – who knew George was a Romantic?

2) Shulamit Ran : ‘Apprehensions for voice’ (1979) for mezzo, clarinet & piano.
Poem by Sylvia Plath

Four mini-operas. As usual, Julia delivers powerfully. The dramatic texts are often in contrast to equally dramatic music. Maybe not supportive, rather combative it seemed. When can we hear this again? When can we hear more of Shulamit’s music?

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The History of the Violin: Music for Two Violins from Baroque to Contemporary:

Nichols Concert Hall, Music Institute of Chicago, Evanston IL

10 May 2010

Matthew Albert & Andrew McCann, violins.

Spectacular performances in a spectacularly empty hall — maybe 12 people in attendance. With so few people absorbing the sound, the sound quality is very very rich – great for the music, a little tough for their spoken introductions.

1) Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 – 1767): ‘Gulliver Suite’ (1728). If I understood correctly, this was composed two years after the book was published.

2) Bela Bartok (1881 – 1945) / Luciano Berio (Luciano Berio (1925 – 2003): selected eight, alternating, from:: 44 Duets / 34 Duets.

Introduction:: They play a CD of one of Bartok’s field recordings .

You hear and read a lot about both of these compositions, but I have never heard them live before, so this was the first big treat of the evening.

OK guys – now we need to hear both of them complete.

3) Eugene Ysaye (1858 – 1935) : Movement 1:: ‘Sonata for Two Violins Solo, opus posthumous’. Nice , but 1 movement was plenty.

4) Robert Fuchs (1847 – 1927): ‘Phantasiestucke fur Zwei Violinen’ (1915)

Nice,

but the reason I came to the concert:

5) Stephen Hartke (1952-): ‘ Oh Them Rats Is Mean in My Kitchen’ (1985) .

A chance to hear again, one of the 100 highlights of last year’s Ojai Festival. Spectacular playing and dancing – we would enjoy this again and again.

They play a short CD excerpt of the blues tune that inspired Hartke. If I understood correctly, he used the title but not the tune

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Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

John Corigliano Festival

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall::: 14 May 2010

Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Mallory Thompson, Cond
Symphonic Band, Ryan T Nelson, Cond

About 75% full – the largest audience I’ve seen here in a decade Live webcast

Start your Festival with a Bang – literally. The warnings that greet us at the door about the gunshot at the end of Symphony No 3 ‘Circus Maximus’ are really silly, John points out in his introduction — “…. the orchestra gets much louder…….”.. He was not kidding.

1) ‘Festmusik der Stadt Wien’ (‘Festival Music for the City of Vienna’) (1943) for 10 trmpts, 2 tuba, 7 trmb, tympani. Recycled RStrauss, missing the rest of the orchestra.
Not much fun or passion. Startling how raw the sound is tonight – my seat is in the balcony – - they rarely sell enough seats to open the balcony. They have raised the canopy about 8′ , but all of the sound absorbing curtains (except the one at the rear wall of the balcony) are still in play position. Might have been a nicer sound quality if the curtains had been stored, but then , louder too — which is definitely not needed

2) John Corigliano (1938-):

2a) ‘Gazebo Dances’ (1972) for wind ensemble, tympani & 7 percuss. His adaptation of a piece he wrote for piano four-hands. Clever pieces and his recognizable voice. This ensemble sounds better here than the RStrauss ensemble.

2b) Symphony No 3 , ‘Circus Maximus’ (2004) for:: on-stage: symphonic band and winds, piano, harp, tympani, 5 percuss, 1 Davy Crockett rifle;

in the audience chamber: ~ 20 brass & percuss & sax in the aisles and upper rows of the balcony, NU Pep band in the lobby, then marching thru the Concert Hall Main Floor aisles.

John made several interesting points in his introduction: His first thought was it had to be composed as a ‘surround sound’ piece. Followed quickly by the thought , it had to composed for symphonic band – they have the time and the desire to rehearse, whereas the modern, main-stream orchestra may have neither.

So before a single note was written, he designed the architecture of the piece

It is not a tone poem describing the place in ancient Rome / the entertainment presented there.

Rather, he considered the government of Rome’s attitude / response to danger on the horizon — ….just entertain the population and everything will be just fine…. —
and composed this piece in the musical language of America 2000s. Do you think there are any parallels? Entertaining ourselves into oblivion?

You have to hear this live.

Several times, the orchestra plays at Rock n Roll levels (and beyond) (with no sound system needed); but the dialogue that goes on between the orchestra on stage and the individual musicians in the audience is often delicate and moving. Musics of party-time, of madness, of fear and anger alternate constantly. Trumpet fanfares, saxophone sirens quartet, hunting horns, emergency vehicle sirens and the final gun shot. What more could you want for your evening’s entertainment.

Way way way over the top. Fabulous night (once we get thru RStrauss).

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MAVerick Ensemble

Flat Iron Arts Building, Gallery 222: 15 May 2010

about 40% full

William Jayson Raynovich, cello; James Baur, guitar; Jennifer Leckie, violin; Andrea DiOrio, clarinet; Lisa Goethe-McGinn; flute

Composer Tomi Raisanen (missing accents) from Finland is here. His music will also be performed at Fulcrum Point’s concert next week.

Music here sounds great. It is lively enough, clear and loud. But, the Milwaukee Avenue street noise, the CTA trains, really damage the evening badly for me. The musicians accept it. I do a lot of (silent) swearing.

Wonderful selection of music for solists and small ensembles:

1) Joan Tower: ‘Wings’ for solo clarinet.
2) John Tavener: ‘Chant’ for solo cello.
3) Ned Rorem: Suite for Guitar solo.
4) Seth Boustead: ‘Intone’ for cello, violin & guitar.
5) Sciarrino: ‘Omaggio A Burri’ for flute, bass clar & violin.
6) Tomi Raisanen: a) ‘Forged” for solo Guitar; b) Diabolic Dialogue’ for clar & cello.
The boisterous pieces (eg ‘Wings’) work much better than the barely audible ones (eg ‘Omaggio A Burri’). But you don’t want an evening of only loud, brash music. Who knew Ned Rorem wrote music for solo guitar? A very nice discovery. Seth’s piece is quite beautiful.

We get to hear some more of Tomi Raisanen’s music at Fulcrum Point next week. I really like the idea of the guest artist being presented by more than one ensemble.

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Chicago Cultural Center: Sunday Salon Series:

Preston Bradley Hall: 16 May 2010

The Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS) 21st Annual All Chinese Music Concert:

CFAS Chorus: Hakka Chorus & Bartlett International Chorus; Rita Lopienski, Cond; Laura Frederickson, sopr; Wen Ming Leiung, piano

Alexander Li, erhu; Haysun Kang, piano

Gerald Carey, flute; Shirley Trissell, piano;

Desiree Ruhstrat, violin; Marta Aznavoorian, piano;

David Cunliffe, cello; Marta Aznavoorian, piano;

Katherine Jui Chang, solo piano

Fulcrum Point New Music Project: Stephen Burns, trmpt; Jeff Handley & Brandon Podjasek, percuss.

1) Music for Chorus (piano accompaniment):

a) Tang Hwa Ying: ‘Spring Guests’
b) Yee San Tsai: ‘ Green Mountain, Water and Splendid Scenery’

2) arranged by She Yie Zhang & An Guo Shu: ‘A Flower’ for erhu & piano.

3)Yang Qing: ‘Away’ (Julia Liu Beijing Composition Competition Winner) for flute & piano.

4) Fu-Tong Wong: ‘Dance in E’ for violin & piano.

5) Chen Yi: “Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in” for cello & piano.

6) Chen Peixun: ‘Variations on Guangdong Folk Themes, “Butterflies Flying in Pairs”, for solo piano.

7) Vivian Fung: ‘Chanted Rituals’ for trumpet and 2 percussion. This was the second hearing – Fulcrum Point programed it on one of the Hong Kong programs a couple of seasons ago. Lively and dramatic and great to hear again

An excellent, varied program and a good audience. Interesting that some of the pieces sound ‘Chinese’ and some do not. CHAS sponsors composition competitions – see the web site – and is eager to program the new music coming out of the competitions.

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Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

John Corigliano Festival
and
Alice Millar Spring Festival Concert

Alice Millar Chapel : 14 May 2010

Northwestern University Brass Ensemble, Gail Williams, Cond;
Men of the Alice Millar Chapel Choir & Ensemble, Stephen Alltop, Cond

Tahirah Whittington, cello;

Micah Dingler, tenor; Margaret Wilson, piano;

Eva Ryan, flute; Erin Ponto, harp;

Margaret Wilson, organ;

Daniel Pesca & Wei-Han Wu, pianos

Stephanie Stockstill, sopr

John Corigliano, post-performance talk back

I had not been to concert here since 1992. All wood pews, seating 500 – 600 on the flat Main Floor. The balcony at the rear is for the organ and chorus. Very tall. Beautiful stained glass in the side and front walls, glowing as we enter for the 7pm concert.

1) Corigliano:

a) ‘Fancy on a Bach Air’ (1996) for solo cello.

b) ‘Utah Fanfare’ (2000) for brass ensemble.

c) ‘Of Rage and Remembrance’ (1991) for chorus, mezzo solo; 12 hand-held tubular chimes, 4 cello & 4 dbass each side of the stage; 1 percuss; 1 off-stage boy sopr

d) ‘Amen’ for double chorus

2) Schubert: song ‘An die Musik’ for tenor & piano

3) Corigliano:

a) ‘Fanfares to Music (1993) for Brass Ensemble (includes a quote of ‘An die Musik’)

b) ‘Voyage’ for flute & harp (1988).

c) ‘Psalm 8 for Four-Part Chorus of Mixed Voices and Organ.

d) ‘Chiaroscuro’ for Two Pianos, tuned one quarter tone apart (1977).

e) ‘Forever Young’ from “Mr Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (2000) for soprano & choir

Good room for this program. It is resonant enough for the chorus and brass ensembles, and the duets are clear enough. Very nice program

Micro-Tonal Spring:

The big discovery was ‘Chiaroscuro’. CUBE’s concert in April, celebrating John Eaton’s Birthday included a jaw-dropping performance by Sebastian Huydts of Eaton’s ‘Microtonal Fantasy (1961) for 2 grand pianos, tuned (a quarter-tone?) differently. He played both pianos simultaneously.

Corigliano’s piece also uses two pianos, (tuned one quarter tone apart) but requires two players. Near the end, one of the players shifts to the other piano, for a four-hands segment, then returns to his piano for the raucous finale.

We need to hear more in Chicago from the micro-tonal department

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