VASALLO: Vivi In Infernum; Lumen et Tenebras; De civitatibus; The Vertigo Series; Never Odd or Even; The Atheist; Lamentation; Inconsolable; The 5 Stages of Grief; Falling Into You; Howling Winds; Emergence of the Kraken; The Network; unidentified track. Amy Boyer, Lisa Landis, soprano; Elizabeth Calame, Mart Low, alto; Sean Cooper, David Zelenka, tenor; Alexander Kadaruch, bass, cello; Rodrigo Cortez, Curtis Kent, Jeff Patterson, bass; Nick Vasallo, bass, organ, conductor; Ryan Rey, Jeremiah Massey, guitar; Israel Santiago, Andrew Walker, trombone; Daniel Ferrera, clarinet; Arthur Storch, conductor; Carl Stanley, trumpet; Matt Payne, synthesizers; CSUEB Percussion Ensemble; Lawrence Granger, cello; Irene Gregorio, I-Wen Wang, Dominic Serrano, piano; Tommy Folen, David Lockhart, double bass; CSUEB Trombone Ensemble. Ars Nova 105. 49 minutes
Nick Vasallo is a doctoral student. These pieces were written when he was an undergraduate and as a master’s student. They are competent and accessible. No pretension, except in The Vertigo Series, which sounds like the Blood, Sweat & Tears cover of “Sympathy for the Devil”.
Nothing objectionable here. Vasallo stays within whatever style he picks for a given piece, and he adept at a wide range of styles, indeed. No individual voice is detectable here, but that may come. Good, clean performances.
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I found Vasallo on MySpace and bought the CD after being intrigued with the samples on his page. This CD is definitely a ride throughout his various styles. I actually like this approach towards composition as it keeps me on my toes and doesn’t get boring. A lot of other modern classical music can get a little tiresome and redundant. After hearing “The Burning” multiple times I actually “do” hear his voice seeping through, there is always a sense of mystery/darkness in his music.
This composer’s tendencies echo Joseph Schwantner’s eclectic pallette in the early 80′s. Schwantner was criticized a bit for changing from a very academically minded serial style to a more audience friendly sound. I heard Vasallo in 2007 and what struck me was the effectiveness of what he had to say…or a better way of putting it; Vasallo writes in a way that a majority of listeners can understand, but what gives it a modern flavor is the way he conveys it. Most of his pieces are under 6 minutes but they can say as much as a piece twice that length. I see this with more and more young composers today, I think this trend is a strong reflection of our society (and the effects of technology). The only criticism I have with Vasallo’s music is I want larger ensembles, I have yet to hear a work for orchestra or large chamber.