Month: October 2023

Awards, CD Review, CDs, Composers, Contemporary Classical, File Under?, LPs

Eno Voiced and Voiceless

Brian Eno – solo tour, FOREVERANDNEVERMORE and FOREVERVOICELESS

This past Saturday, Brian Eno played the first show of his 2023 tour at the Venice Biennale Musica. The Guardian posted a review of the concert, indicating that it spotlighted Baltic Sea Philharmonia Orchestra, an opportunity presented to Eno as part of his winning Venice’s Golden Lion Award. The centerpiece of the concert was The Ship, a compelling piece that was recorded for Warp in 2016. Eno’s song catalog was also explored, mostly recent material, but reaching back to 1977’s “By This River,” from his fantastic album Before and After Science. 

Eno’s concern with the environment has played an important role in two recent recordings, FOREVERANDNEVERMORE (Universal, 2022),  which consists of songs about environmental collapse, and its 2023 companion, FOREVERVOICELESS, instrumental versions of the material. Eno’s voice has darkened since the days of “By This River,” but it remains an expressive instrument. “We Let it In” is a persistently repeating melody that morphs over time with the addition of vocal harmonies. “Garden of Stars” uses overdubbed vocals throughout, with text rhythms shifting, quick glissandos, and the instruments playing a long crescendo of sliding tones and repeated notes on strings. “There Were Bells” is perhaps the most emotively I have heard Eno sing in some time. With distant thunder as a background, Eno croons, modulates his vibrato, and leans into a fluid sense of rhythm.

 

FOREVERVOICELESS is quite moving in its own right. Where pop artists often lay down an instrumental bed, adding vocals last, here Eno removes the vocals and reworks and remixes the songs as instrumentals, frequently as commentary on the former by the latter. “Inclusion” is a highlight, mixing Eno’s classic ambient approach with sustained upper-register string melodies, bubbling prog textures, and a lyrical cello solo. “Sherry” and its complement “Chéri” takes a smoky, chromatic vocal melody and, in its remix, allows chords and bassline to create a gentle, undulating piece, almost like a 4/4 version of a Gymnopedie by Satie. Over time, the melody is revisited, with chromatic scales mimicking Eno’s vocal inflections. The song “Icarus or Biérot,” with a harrowing vocal referencing the former’s fall,  is reconfigured as “Who Are We?,” with the synth chordal ostinatos given an edge that provides a more syncopated construction. Occasional bell-like timbres provide boundaries for the sections. Gradually, sinuous strings and high sine tones embellish the soundscape. A disjunct tune wends its way through, completing a thoroughly new impression of the music.

 

Both recordings sound fantastic on vinyl. As a pair, they demonstrate Eno’s talents as a songwriter, and also remind us of the intricacies that lurk beneath their surface. FOREVERVOICELESS is one of my favorite releases of 2023.

 

-Christian Carey

 

by Christian Carey
CD Review, Composers, Contemporary Classical, File Under?

Justin Dello Joio – Oceans Apart (CD Review)

Justin Dello Joio – Oceans Apart (Bridge Records)

 

Composer Justin Dello Joio enjoys a top flight slate of performers on Oceans Apart, his latest recording for Bridge. The title work is a piano concerto, performed live here by the Boston Symphony, conducted by Alan Gilbert, with Garrick Ohlsson as soloist. A short bit of applause is left on the tail end of the recording, otherwise one would never be the wiser. The quality of the rendition and recording are excellent.

 

Dello Joio conceived of Oceans Apart when watching surfers being challenged by massive waves. The concerto translates this image into a piece with a muscular orchestration trying to overwhelm the soloist. The scoring is vivid and varied, with imaginative use of harp, percussion, muted brass, and string effects to create the undulating feel of the surf. As the piece builds, it swells and indeed threatens to subsume the pianist. It is appreciated that Dello Joio has his own take on “water music:” no ersatz Debussy here. 

 

Ohlsson is a marvelous interpreter, undertaking the role of vying against the orchestra instead of, as is traditional, being supported by it. That said, in places where the soloist is intended to blend in with certain cohorts of the ensemble, such as pitched percussion flurries, shimmering and well-coordinated passages result. His solo turns reveal formidable virtuosity. The final cadenza finds the pianist challenged over and over again by violent interruptions, which is succeeded by a supple denouement. Not to overstress the program, but I have to wonder if the surfer went underwater. Oceans Apart is one of Dello Joio’s best orchestral pieces to date, with a versatile language and well-planned trajectory. 

 

The other two works on the CD are for chamber forces. Due per Due is played by NY Philharmonic principal cellist Carter Brey and pianist Christopher O’Riley. The first movement, “Elegie (To an old musician),” is dedicated to Dello Joio’s father, Norman Dello Joio. One can hear a clever co-opting of the elder composer’s use of pantonality and dissonant counterpoint. At the same time, Justin Dello Joio’s voice is an unmistakable part of the piece; it is far more intricately shaped and complexly hued than any piece by his father. The second movement is a moto perpetuo, but one that is far more developed and intricate than many pieces written in this style. Brey and O’Riley are an excellent pairing of performers. One could easily imagine them recording and touring a program of contemporary works.

 

Blue and Gold Music concludes the recording (the title takes the colors from Trinity School, a K-12 preparatory school that Dello Joio attended). The American Brass Quintet and organist Colin Fowler are ideal interpreters for the ebullient, fanfare-filled piece. It demonstrates how far Dello Joio can stylistically stretch while retaining his own distinctive approach. Copland-esque Americana with a twist is an ideal vehicle for the American Brass Quintet, and Fowler is a good addition to the proceedings.

 

The concerto is one of my favorite works of 2023, and the entire recording is highly recommended.

 

-Christian Carey



by Christian Carey
Concert review, Contemporary Classical, Los Angeles

Wicked GOAT in Pasadena

On Sunday, October 1, 2023 the Pasadena Conservatory of Music presented Shred, the first of two Wicked GOAT programs scheduled for the 2023/24 season in their Contemporary Music for Young People concert series. Barrett Hall was filled with a capacity crowd that included a gratifying number of well-behaved youngsters. A variety of contemporary compositions, dating from from 1959 to 2020 were presented, including pieces by John Adams, John Corigliano, Jennifer Higdon and Andrew Norman. Top Los Angeles area musicians were on hand to perform the seven pieces that were accessible, lively, abstract and engaging. All were thoughtfully programmed and constituted an excellent introduction to contemporary music for all ages.

The first work on the program was Short Ride In a Fast Machine, by John Adams. This was composed in 1986 and is one Adams’ more popular pieces. For this concert, the four-hands piano arrangement of 2018 was performed by Kathryn Eames and Nic Gerpe of the Pasadena Conservatory faculty. This opens with a series of fast arpeggios in the upper registers accompanied by syncopated rhythms in the middle registers. Powerful chords soon appear among the technically tricky passages. All 20 of the fingers on the keyboard were kept busy and the intensity of the sound added to the feeling of speed and power. There was excellent coordination between the two players given the intertwining phrases, broken rhythms and forceful dynamics. A strong finish and an unexpectedly sudden halt brought the Short Ride In a Fast Machine to an appropriate ending. The audience responded to this lively and engaging piece with vigorous applause.

Kaleidoscope (1959), by John Corigliano followed, performed by Ms. Eames and Mr. Gerpe now seated at separate pianos. Kaleidoscope was written over 60 years ago, but this is a decidedly abstract piece and remains relevant as contemporary music. John Corigliano is a highly regarded composer, who, at 85, continues to be an important influence. The work starts out with sharp, rapid passages in each piano, filled with complex rhythms and layering. Close coordination by the players keeps this fast section cohesive. A slower stretch appears and this allows the listener to catch a breath. The level of abstraction here remains high but is generally more melodic. The slower tempo and calmer rhythms make for a more stately and less severe feeling. After this brief respite, the tempo and dynamics again pick up and the broken rhythms and multiple layers return with a forceful and confident feeling. Kaleidoscope continues to be an effective piece and the audience seemed to appreciate it despite its formidable complexity.

Zoom Tube (1999), by Ian Clarke was next, performed by Sarah Wass. This piece is scored for solo flute and proved to be something completely different. Ms. Wass offered a few preliminary remarks to the audience describing some of the extended techniques and pitch bending that is included in Zoom Tube. This began with a soft rushing sound of air, absent of any musical pitch. Soon, a few familiar notes could be heard among the blowing sounds and the rattle of key pads on the flute. Ms. Wass manged also to hum a few tones into the air stream. The rhythms were lively and the sounds issuing from the flute were a collection of the familiar and the unusual. A ghostly melody could be heard underneath the airy sounds along with conventional musical notes. A sudden ‘yeow’ was vocalized by Ms. Wass, just before the piece concluded. The preponderance of unfamiliar flute sounds in Zoom Tube did not seem to discourage the audience, who appreciated the effort by Ms. Wass in bringing this unusual music to the stage.

Perhaps the most relentlessly abstract piece on the program was Dual Velocity (1998), by Pierre lalbert. This was performed by Nic Gerpe on piano and Timothy Loo, the excellent cellist of the Lyris String Quartet. Mr. Gerpe opened with a few preliminary remarks describing the complex rhythmic patterns, independent lines and the inclusion of quarter tones present in Dual Velocity. Accordingly, the piece opened with a few soft cello notes followed by a rapid rise in the dynamics, the tempo and the increasingly convoluted rhythms. This created an exotic, almost middle eastern feel. The piano then entered with mysterious, short phrases that rapidly devolved into complicated patterns both fast and very abstract. The two instrument lines were completely independent, adding to the already intricate texture. The coordination between the players was all the more remarkable given the technical challenges present in the playing. There were slower sections but these always gave way to faster stretches that tested the limits of the performer’s virtuosity. Dual Velocity is a strong dose of the complexity typical of contemporary new music and the masterful playing heard in this concert did much to keep it intelligible.

Dash (2001), by Jennifer Higdon was next, and this was performed by Sarah Wass on flute, Pat Posey on saxophone and Katelyn Vahala, piano. Pat Posey offered some preliminary comments stating that the piece was “Fast, like a race…” And so it was. The rapid opening of notes running up and down the scales set a torrid pace as all three instruments contributed to the frantically busy feel. The rushed feeling in the music was in keeping with the composer’s intention of evoking the fast pace of our contemporary life. No doubt many parents in the audience could relate. The rhythms were engaging, intricate and always hasty, adding to the flat-out scramble. The saxophone added a warmer timbral touch, making the overall feeling just that much more relatable. The three performers exhibited excellent technique and coordination in this very challenging piece.

Running Spring (2020) was next, composed and realized by Los Angeles – based Alexander Elliott Miller. This was performed on electric guitar in conjunction with a formidable amount of digital processing. Miller explained that this piece was inspired by his penchant for long distance running during the pandemic. Accordingly, Running Spring began with a number quick plinking sounds, evoking perhaps the first few steps of a run. These seemed to be looped and the rhythms suggested continuous movement. More sounds were added, building into a nice variety and the piece continued at a steady, comfortable pace. There was an introspective feel to this, much like the way jogging lets the mind focus on ideas and the abstract. A faster tempo marked a sprint to the finish. Running Spring puts many different sounds under the control of a single player, impressively expanding the creative possibilities.

The final work on the concert was Gran Turismo (2010) by Andrew Norman. This was scored for eight violins and enlisted the services of most of the best string players in Los Angeles. All were conducted by Jens Hurty. A good thing the ensemble had a conductor, because the piece began as a fast scramble of sounds that nicely evoked the chaotic starting of a motor car race. All the violins seemed to have separate lines, only occasionally connected by related rhythms. Overlapping phrases rapidly piled up one upon another, creating a wonderfully abstract texture. The virtuosity and control that was on display here was exceptional and great waves of sound washed out into the audience. Gran Turismo was in the same lane as the earlier Dash, both being effective commentaries on speed combined with recklessness. The audience responded to the tremendous effort fut forth by the eight violinists with heartfelt applause.

This GOAT concert was as complex and abstract as any, yet managed to be accessible and entertaining to an audience that was generally not familiar with contemporary music. A post-concert reception afterwards in the garden was a chance to meet and greet. Pasadena Conservatory students were on hand to perform popular music covers and their playing was both impressive and polished.

The GOAT concert series are a fine outreach to the community. The next GOAT concert will be Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 4:00 PM.

The violinists performing Gran Turismo were:

Alyssa Park
Marena Miki
Shalini Vijayan
Kyle Gilner
Aimée Kreston
Andrés Engleman
Sara Parkins
Elizabeth Hedman

by Paul Muller
CD Review, Contemporary Classical, Minimalism

John Luther Adams – Darkness and Scattered Light

Cold Blue Music has announced the release of Darkness and Scattered Light, a new CD of solo works for double bass by John Luther Adams. The album contains three pieces that capture the impressive grandeur of nature from the unconventional perspective of the double bass. Darkness and Scattered Light is extraordinary music, masterfully performed on this CD by the late Robert Black, a long-time collaborator of the composer. John Luther Adams is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer whose work has long embraced the natural world and chronicled its unsettled relationship to humanity.

Three High Places is the first work of the album and its three movements revisit string quartet music first heard on Adam’s 2015 CD, The Wind in High Places. On that album, the needle-sharp pitches in the violins and craggy passages in the lower strings brilliantly captured the Alaskan winds in all their snowy magnificence. Three High Places was originally composed for solo violin and Robert Black is the first to play it on double bass. Adams writes that this piece “…contains no normal stopped tones (created by pressing a string against the fingerboard of the instrument). Instead, all the sounds are natural harmonics or open strings. So, the musician’s fingers never touch the fingerboard. If I could’ve found a way to make this music without touching the instrument at all, I would have.”

“Above Sunset Pass” is the first movement of Three High Places and was inspired by one of the most fiercely inaccessible places in North America. Sunset Pass is located in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge near the shore of the Arctic Ocean in the very far north of Alaska. The area is uninhabited, has no roads and is reachable only on foot. It would be hard to imagine a more forbidding place, especially in the winter. The opening of “Above Sunset Pass” is a combination of deep, sustained tones with slow moving notes in the middle registers. As lovingly played by Robert Black, there is a suitably distant and lonely feel to this, but it is never intimidating. Despite the obvious climatic intensity of Sunset Pass, the music is beautifully warm and welcoming. With its broad foundational tones and primal harmony, “Above Sunset Pass” has a hospitable feel and powerful pastoral sensibility that invites the listener to experience the extreme Alaskan nature on its own terms.

“The Wind at Maclaren Summit”, the second movement, follows, and this is a portrait of another Alaskan high mountain pass. This begins in a deep rumbling with a bouncy melody in the middle registers that is active but never rushed. There is a layered and mystical feeling to this, skillfully played and very effective. High pitches fly by that suggest the stinging wind in a snow squall. The string quartet version includes many sharp tones but the double bass version here is wonderfully burnished. Despite its roiling texture, “The Wind at Maclaren Summit” manages to evoke the intensity of mountain storm without the menace.

The final movement is “Looking Toward Hope” and this opens with low, growling sounds and a rugged texture accompanied by an elegant smoothness in the middle registers. Overall the feeling is warm, solemn and marvelously expressive, especially in the deepest tones of the double bass. There is a sense of craggy magnificence, as if looking at a rugged mountain face. All the movements of Three High Places deliver a compelling musical argument that counters our traditional adversarial relationship with nature. The compassionate viewpoint of the music and the sensitive playing by Robert Black bring a new level of expressive power to this important conversation.

Darkness and Scattered Light is the second work on the album and this is scored for five double basses. All parts are performed by Robert Black. This opens with a deep and sustained tone that is somewhat rough around the edges. More notes join in, long and low with a gradual crescendo – decrescendo dynamic. The tones move in phrases that layer into each other and this produces a somewhat alien feel. The piece continues in this way, the phrases multiplying in a series of comings and goings. There is mystery but also a sense of power in their movement and tone. The texture of five double basses overlapping is impressive to the ear and evokes a sense of greatness.

By 7:30 a bit of tension has seeped in, with the phrases rising in pitch. The anxious feelings increase as the notes climb higher and higher, finally arriving at a hint of desperation. The pitches soon turn lower again, with the rough edges of the opening. By 13:00 every voice is now active in the lower registers, and express a more confident feel. Some of the pitches are very low, more like a grumble or a growl, and all are reduced in tempo with simplified phrasing and a smaller dynamic change. These sequences trail off with a solid, grounded feeling before fading out at the finish. Darkness and Scattered Light is a marvel of massed double bass timbre and resonance, masterfully played by Robert Black.

The final piece of the album is Three Nocturnes, scored for solo bass and employs the standard double bass tuning of perfect fourths. The piece was commissioned by the Moab Music Festival and the premiere performance was by Robert Black, to whom the work is dedicated. “Moonrise” is the first movement and opens with a deep, grumbling chord and continues with slow, deliberate tones. The sounds are sustained and darkly mysterious. The very lowest notes occasionally have a brassy timbre and sound almost as if they came from a euphonium. The chords gradually rise in pitch – just as the moon rises – but overall the sound is deep and satisfying. Towards the finish, the tones are less mysterious and more purposeful, just as the moon seems to sharpen itself in the clear night sky as it ascends above a hazy horizon. A long sustained note marks the finish.

“Night Wind”, the second movement, follows, and this is filled with rapidly jumping notes and arpeggios played over several strings. A nice groove develops that enhances the active feel. There are no sustained notes and this makes an effective contrast to the smooth bass lines present in the other pieces. There is the sense of the organic, as if listening to the buzz of busy bees. This is elegant playing; always precise and accurate despite the brisk tempo and widely scattered range of the notes.

“Moonset” is the final movement and this nicely book-ends the piece. High, thin notes open along with a series of deeper sounds in the lower registers. “Moonset” proceeds at a slow and deliberate pace with an interesting contrast developing between very high and very low tones. Everything takes place at opposite ends of the normal registers, always with a solemn and serious feel. The playing is extraordinary; reflective and thoughtful, but never melancholy. Towards the finish the tones soften somewhat, as if the moon is disappearing into a murky horizon while trying to maintain its previously bright countenance. Robert Black and “Moonset” stretch the expressive limits of the tones that can be conjured from the double bass.

Darkness and Scattered Light artfully extends the environmental dialog that is the signature theme of composer John Luther Adams while at the same time establishing a lasting testament to the expressive virtuosity of bassist Robert Black.


Darkness and Scattered Light is available from Cold Blue Music, Amazon and other music retailers.



by Paul Muller