Month: April 2024

Contemporary Classical, File Under?, Premieres

Candice Hopes releases new single: “In the Upper Room”

One of Sequenza 21’s friends  is the “Diasporic Soprano” Candice Hoyes. A versatile vocalist and songwriter, she sings everything from opera to jazz to pop adjacent new music.

Her new single, “In the Upper Room (For Mary Winnifred)” for soprano, piano, and bass is out today and available on Bandcamp. Mary Winnifred was Hoyes’s grandmother and a mentor figure for her.

 

The song is part of the inaugural Lincoln Center Social Sculpture Projects “Sadah Espii Proctor’s adrift: the bayou project, curated by the incredible Joyous Pierce,” which can be viewed April 26 – May 8, 2024 at Hearst Plaza. It is Hoyes’s Lincoln Center debut as a composer.

by Christian Carey
CD Review, early music, File Under?

C.P.E. Bach Symphonies on Harmonia Mundi

Carl Philip Emanuel Bach

Symphonies from Berlin to Hamburg

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

Mayumi Hirasaki and Georg Kallweit, concertmasters

Harmonia Mundi

 

Carl Philip Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) was the middle of Johann Sebastian Bach’s three surviving sons. His music occupies the period between the baroque and classical, often called the galant or rococo style. It truly is a transitional era, with the development of the orchestra, symphony, and a move toward more homophonic textures. Several recordings of his works have recently been issued, and it is nice to see this talented composer having a moment. 

 

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin is a conductor-less ensemble led, as was the custom then as well, by its concertmasters Mayumi Hirasaki and Georg Kallweit. Their latest recording for Harmonia Mundi is a program of seven of C.P.E. Bach’s symphonies, Symphonies from Berlin to Hamburg, written for strings and continuo. Three date to early in his career (from 1738-1768), when he was in Berlin writing for the court, and the rest from the period of 1768 onwards, when he was Kapellmeister in Hamburg. 

 

All of them are cast in three movements – fast-slow-fast – and, as one can gather from the number of them on a single disc, are significantly shorter than those of the classical era. Their first movements are kinds of proto-sonatas, in which thematic development is truncated and themes are presented quickly and succinctly. 

 

That doesn’t mean that C.P.E.’s orchestral works are lacking in invention or surprises. There are also a number of harmonic shifts where a quick transition – in the C major H.649 symphony with just a single bass note – turns the music sideways. One trick that I particularly admire is the foreshadowing in the second movement of material that is reimagined for the last one. 

 

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin recorded the program over a significant time period, with younger players, such as concertmaster Mayumi Hirasaki, joining part way through the process. This has led to a well-considered and exquisitely well-prepared recording. Symphonies from Berlin to Hamburg is not only an excellent introduction to the symphonic approach of the galant style, it is a compelling document suggesting that C.P.E. is a worthy successor to his famous father and precursor to the classicism of Haydn and Mozart. Recommended.

 

Christian Carey

 

 

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

Philip Glass Solo – 88 keys at 87 (Review)

Philip Glass Solo
Philip Glass, piano
Orange Mountain Music

This is the second piano album made by Philip Glass. Solo Piano (1989) contains some overlap of tracks with the latest recording, Philip Glass Solo (2024), but there are distinct differences between the renditions on each. At 87 years of age, and in demand from opera houses, symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, and filmmakers for a steady spate of new works, a solo performance recording might seem like an unnecessary addition to Glass’s catalog. But it is in those aforementioned differences found in the music that he shares a different vantage point on his work.

Timings suggest tempo and, in the case of Glass’s music, tempo fluctuations. “Mad Rush,” a work that many pianists have interpreted, here appears like it is being created before the listeners’ ear, lasting a few minutes longer than the previous recording, with a sense of suppleness that belies the motoric fashion many adopt when playing it. “Opening” has a pulsation to the ostinato patterns that shimmers, different voices accentuated in the texture to create a gesture akin to windmills instead of, again, motors.

Four of the “Metamorphosis” movements are programmed. Here, there is a positively Romantic ambience that in “Metamorphosis 1” recalls the shifting appearances of Schumann’s “Papillon.” “Metamorphosis 2” has soaring high melodies like those of Chopin, while thunderous bass, modal mixture, and hemiola give a Brahmsian cast to “Metamorphosis 3.” “Metamorphosis 5” is girded with chromaticism of a Lisztian variety.

“Truman Sleeps” is one of the most memorable sections of Glass’s score for The Truman Show. Here, he builds from a delicate, rubato opening to virile verticals and a gripping, arcing melody. The piece’s coda moves the material down to the bass register, its chord progression both eminently memorable and vintage Glass.

-Christian Carey

by Christian Carey
Concert review, Contemporary Classical, Los Angeles

Cold Blue Music – An Afternoon of Double Basses and Piano

On Saturday, April 6, 2024 the Santa Monica Public Library and the Cold Blue Music recording label presented a concert titled An Afternoon of Double Basses and Piano. This was the latest incarnation of the Soundwaves series of new music concerts, now back in business after the Covid pandemic. The library auditorium was undergoing some renovation, so this concert was held in the nearby Edye Theater at the Broad Stage, part of the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. There were three works presented: Darkness and Scattered Light, by John Luther Adams, featuring five double basses, Flying, by Christopher Roberts, for three double basses and Tiny Thunder by Nicholas Chase, a world premiere for four-handed piano.

The first piece on the program was Darkness and Scattered Light, by John Luther Adams. This work appeared on a Cold Blue CD in 2023 and is scored for five double basses. In the Cold Blue recording the late Robert Black, a highly regarded bass player and member of Bang On a Can, performed all five parts separately. These were then precisely mixed for the final realization, no doubt taxing the masterful skills of even a Robert Black, who subsequently received a Grammy nomination for his efforts. For this concert, the work was performed live with five individual double basses: James Bergman, Christopher Roberts, John Graves, Hakeem Holloway and Jeff Schwartz. All were conducted by Nicholas Deyoe..

Darkness and Scattered Light was inspired by the natural changes in the character and quality of light during 24 hours of a winter solstice. The piece begins with a deep, sustained foundational tone. More long notes enter with the layers of sound building as the dynamic rises and subsides. The overall effect is like the swelling and surging of ocean waves. The languid feeling persists as the piece continues with individual phrases multiplying in a series of entrances and exits of the five basses. This piece is all about sonority, power and the shaping of the texture. At times it seems as if the sound itself is in slow motion. Occasional phrases comprised of very high pitches are heard rising above the lower tones, and this makes for challenging playing. The coordination of the five double basses by Nicholas Deyoe was outstanding given the varied layers and many changing contours of the music. As the piece neared its conclusion the sounds became deeper and richer as each of the basses dropped out in their turn. Darkness and Scattered Light is an ambitious work given that its viewpoint is so firmly fixed in the lowest registers. The sculpting of such deeply rich bass sounds make for an unusual and compelling listening experience.

Flying, by Christopher Roberts, followed, and this is the fourth movement from a larger work, Trios for Deep Voices, drawn from experiences in the jungles of the Star Mountains region of Papua New Guinea. Flying is scored for three double basses and was performed on this occasion by James Bergman, Jeff Schwartz and the composer. The piece opens with a high pitched melody from a single double bass that establishes a lovely feel that is consistently upheld throughout. The other two basses join in with busy lines, filling the air with a roar of notes from the lower registers. There is an almost nostalgic feeling as the repeating cells develop into a satisfying groove. The deep harmonies that emerge are especially effective.

As the piece continues, one bass provides a solo line with somewhat higher pitches while the two others add to the actively repeating patterns below. Good coordination between the players keeps all of this on track and the result is a pleasing warmth with an optimistic sensibility. Flying radiates affection with a pleasant sincerity that only the double bass can conjure.

The final work on the program was Tiny Thunder by Nicholas Chase, a world premiere. This is an extended piece for piano, four-hands, performed by Bryan Pezzone and Jennifer Logan. Often a four-hands piece will feature a lot of technical flash, as if the composer is determined to keep 20 fingers in constant motion. Tiny Thunder is a refreshing departure in that it is a softer and more intimate experience. The opening is a series of quiet, single notes that seem to hang in the air. A call and response develops between the two players, but this is never hurried or insistent. As the piece proceeds, lovely spare harmonies develop from minimal musical materials held to a modest tempo. There is a quiet, settled feel to this with solemn chords rising up from the lower registers.

At times, the four hands become more active with a light melody that compliments the continuing lower chords. At other times, only single notes are heard in each part, simple and solitary. Towards the finish, trills and ornamentation swell into a more active texture, adding another level of elegant expression. At the finish, the tempo increases and strong chords rise up from below with some discord in the harmony. The dynamic builds up to loud for the first time with active, repeating lines from both players. A sudden stop to the music ends the piece. A long, reverent silence was observed by the audience before the enthusiastic applause. Tiny Thunder is an idealized piece for two friends who enjoy playing together without need of musical fireworks or fortissimo dramatics.

The return of the Soundwaves concert series after the covid pandemic is a welcome contribution to Santa Monica cultural life. The next concert will feature the Joe Baiza Quartet at the Santa Monica Public Library on May 4.

by Paul Muller
Concert review, Contemporary Classical, Los Angeles

Brightwork newmusic – I Will Learn to Love a Person

On Saturday, March 30, 2024 Brightwork newmusic presented I Will Learn to Love a Person, a concert of new music at Boston Court Pasadena. Brightwork musicians Aron Kallay, Stacey Fraser, Brian Walsh and Nick Terry contributed excellent performances of works by noted composers.. The six works on the concert program dated from 2012 to 2024 and featured unusual combinations of vocals, piano, woodwinds and percussion.

The first piece on the concert program was Wagon Wheeling (2012) by Tom Flaherty and written for Aron Kallay. This piece was inspired by those old western movies where the camera frame rates gave the illusion of wagon wheels running backwards. This was scored for piano and percussion and opened with a steady rhythm in the vibraphone reminiscent of a trotting horse. This increased in volume just before a sharp cymbal crash signaled the entrance of a independent piano line that add a fresh sense of movement. This developed into a nice groove that occasioned a relaxed, mellow feeling. As the piece proceeded, a strong beat in the piano engendered a more purposeful feeling. The precise playing of Aron Kallay on piano combined with Nick Terry’s animated percussion, produced an interesting texture. Differences in the rhythms between the two players evoked the perception of a new tempo, much as the variation in velocity of the wagon wheels in those old films.

A forceful series of solo passages on the tom-tom and cymbals added some power before falling back to a softer, mysterious feel from the piano and marimba. Wagon Wheeling is more about rhythm and pulse than harmony or melody, and there was an engaging variety to the many sounds produced by just the two players. With Wagon Wheeling Flaherty effectively deploys what is available from the sonic palette of piano and percussion.

The second work on the program was Murmurations (2018) by A.J. McCaffrey, scored for piano and clarinets. A murmuration is a large flock of birds who swarm together in close-order aerobatics, almost like a fast-moving cloud that darts off in unexpected directions. Murmurations opened with a bright arpeggio from the clarinet, evoking bird calls and a magical atmosphere. The piano supported in the lower registers and the clarinet line morphed into soft and sustained tones above. The arpeggio was repeated by the clarinet, but its opening optimism was offset by a series of dark chords in the piano. The contrast between the bright passages and the darker accompaniment created a sense of fast-moving uncertainty.

As the piece continued, the passages in the clarinet became progressively more agile and complex . As the dynamic increased, the clarinet culminated in a series of sharp shrieking sounds, expertly played by Brian Walsh with power and excellent control. Meanwhile, the piano persisted with chords in the lower registers. The clarinet seemed to be trying to break out from the uncertainty with a more subdued and lighter sound, but never quite managed to escape before a quiet finish ended the piece. Murmurations delivers a surprising amount of movement and emotion from the piano and clarinet duo.

Lost Borders, (2024) by Pamela Madsen, followed, and this is from the last act of Why Women Went West, her multi-media chamber opera. Why Women Went West is based on the story of Mary Austin Hunter, a 19th century mid-westerner who journeyed alone across the continent to California in the early days of the settlement in the American far west. The opera is partly about the dangers and rigors and of traveling cross country in that era, but more generally about Austin’s extended odyssey of self-discovery. The program notes state that the opera chronicles “ …Mary Austin’s escape from persecution to transformation of white woman’s privilege and passion for preservation of nature, history, and indigenous culture.” Lost Borders is a sort of summing up of Ms. Austin’s metamorphosis over her lifetime in the west.

Stacey Fraser has sung the soprano lead in Why Women Went West and has the skill and stamina to carry the part. Lost Borders opens with quiet, pensive chords in the piano and marimba, accompanied by a dark bass clarinet line. A briefly spoken narration opens the story. The soprano vocals begin, mostly in the middle registers, but turn quietly powerful – “Save me, O Lord…” is heard. As the piece continues, the instruments combine to build a darkening mood. Strong, solitary beats from the percussion add a bit of tension. Ms. Fraser’s expressive singing has to work against the somber texture in the accompaniment. For all of that, the scoring for just four instruments masterfully supports the complex and changing flow of emotions in the text. Lost Borders is only a small part of an opera worth experiencing in its entirety.

After a short intermission, Xarja (2017) by Kareem Roustom was next, and this was scored, unusually, for voice and percussion. The text is taken from from the “Waterfire” muwashshah by Al’Ama al-Tuttli (d. 1126 Tudela, Spain) and other poets of that era. ‘Xarja’ is a Spanish translation of the Arabic word for ‘exit’ or ‘final’. In the program notes the composer writes that, in some ways, the piece is a metaphor for the present evolution of music: “Like the grief stricken lover, ‘death is my state’ can be applied to the musical language I’ve been using for sometime. However, out of ‘death’ comes ‘rebirth’ and the opportunity to begin anew.”

A slow beat on a hand drum opens Xarja and this develops into a pleasant groove. The soprano voice entered in a quiet, conventional line and there was an engaging interplay between the vocals and the percussion. The tempo increases and the tones of the vibraphone are heard as the voice rises in dynamic and climbs higher in pitch. Drama was added with a soaring soprano line from Ms. Fraser, the result of equal parts of vocal power and control. The complex texture was a good contrast to the opening and impressive given just the two performers. At one point Nick Terry was bowing the vibraphone plates and this proved to be both exotic and very expressive. Towards the end of the piece the performers were clapping and stamping their feet in a stirring finish. Xarja manages to extract the maximum passion from the unorthodox pairing of voice and percussion.

A Sonatina (2016) by Bill Alves followed, performed by Aron Kallay and Stacey Fraser. Inspired by “A Sonatina Followed by Another”, a 1921 poem by Gertrude Stein, the composer writes in the program notes, “I have extracted lullaby-like bits of the text that often seem to refer to her life partner, Alice Toklas.” A Sonatina opened with a nice running piano line and a solid vocal entrance that lifted up sustained tones. There was an intriguing feel to this and the format aided comfortably accessible listening. The piece darkened somewhat as the running piano line slipped into a lower register. The drama increased as the piece proceeded, and when combined with the vocals, a lovely overall sound was the result. A Sonatina is skillfully crafted music with this performance by Fraser and Kallay, equaling the intentions of the composer.

The final piece on the concert program was I Will Learn to Love a Person (2013), by Chris Cerronne. This is a song cycle about personal relationships as expressed in music with each section quickly following the last after a brief silence. This was performed by Aron Kallay on piano, Brian Walsh playing clarinets, Nick Terry on percussion and Stacey Fraser, soprano. Two quiet notes from the piano opened the piece with the vibraphone entering in the same register. The resulting mix was immediately effective and had a haunting feel. The soprano enters with words about a relationship, deepening the mystery. The clarinet joins in, supporting the vocals with a sequence of sustained pitches.

A series of continuing tremolos in the piano and clarinet followed, producing a pleasingly active texture. The voice enters, now stronger and with more confidence. As the piece proceeds, the dynamics become softer as the soprano sings quietly declarative vocals against sustained notes from the rest of the ensemble. The many emotions present in personal relationships are heard throughout this piece, always with a skillful and refined nuance. Later, the interweaving of the voice and instruments is beautifully expressive. After a short return to the tremolo texture, the emotional energy increases as the voice rises higher in pitch and stronger in tone. The close coordination of the performers and their attention to detail make I Will Learn to Love a Person an exquisitely intimate artistic journey.

This concert confirms Brightwork newmusic as one of the top ensembles performing in Los Angeles. The addition of vocalist Stacey Fraser this season has expanded their artistry to new levels.

by Paul Muller
Concerts, Contemporary Classical, Los Angeles, Review

Wicked GOAT – Stories

On Sunday, March 24, 2024 the Pasadena Conservatory of Music presented the second in this season’s Wicked GOAT concert series of Contemporary Music for Young People. The concert is free to the Conservatory community and every seat in Barrett Hall was filled with eager faces and proud parents. The theme for this occasion was Stories and a stellar group of Los Angeles-based performers were on hand to bring four new music compositions to life, including a world premiere. Sopranos Hila Plitmann and Elissa Johnston brought their extraordinary voices to the stage, and this was the first Wicked GOAT concert to include vocalists. Alyssa Park and Timothy Loo of the Lyris Quartet accompanied, along with Brian Walsh of Brightwork New Music and Conservatory piano faculty members Nic Gerpe and Katelyn Vahala. Jane Kaczmarek contributed her excellent narration for the final piece. Three of the composers were in attendance and gave introductory remarks in person and the fourth, Paul Moravec, addressed the audience via video.

First on the program was a world premiere, The Poetry of Nature (2020), by Gernot Wolfgang. Wolfgang noted that he composed this during the long months of Covid isolation and that for him, nature is a religious experience that starts three miles from the trail head. The piece is a cycle of four songs about nature with texts taken from well-known poets and sung by noted soprano Hila Plitmann, accompanied by pianist Nic Gerpe. Daylight and Moonlight, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was first, and this began with strong piano chords and soft vocals. Hila Plitmann’s pure tone and clear diction perfectly fit the direct language and thoughtful images of the Longfellow poem. The text was displayed on a large screen while Ms. Plitmann’s supple voice allowed the words to comfortably fill the performance space at all dynamic levels. The haunting and elegant feeling of this music made for an effective portrayal of moonlight and daylight.

The next song was based on Blue Butterfly Day, by Robert Frost. This opened with a series of rapid, fluttering figures on the piano and solid vocals, all in a good balance. Ms. Plitmann’s voice was effective over an extended range and demonstrated a carefully controlled intensity at all pitches. More impressive, perhaps, was the fact that she sang the entire song cycle from memory. Rumors from an Aeolian Harp, by Henry David Thoreau, followed. This was quiet, cautious music at first, reserved and introspective. A strong soprano passage reached up to the back row of the hall, confirming Plitmann’s extraordinary vocal skill and control. As the piece proceeded, it alternated between soft and forceful, always with just the right amount of power from the vocalist.

The final song of the work was based on Afternoon Upon a Hill, by Edna St. Vincent Millay. This was upbeat and full of motion with many changes to dynamics and tempo in the piano line. The brightly expressive feel was nicely captured by the fine coordination between Gerpe and Plitmann. A quietly effective ending brought this piece to a close. The Poetry of Nature is a solidly contemporary piece, yet accessible to all audiences.

The second work on the concert program was Three Folk Songs (2016) by Gabrielle Rosse and this was performed by soprano Elissa Johnston accompanied by Katelyn Vahala of the Conservatory piano faculty. The texts were drawn from traditional folk songs, the first being Black is the Color followed by Pretty Little Horses. Black is the Color opened with slow, dark piano chords that created a dramatic setting. The soprano vocals were very expressive, aided by the rich fullness of Ms. Johnston’s voice. The words floated out to the audience with a lush warmness that provided a strong foundation for the easygoing melody. When called for, Ms. Johnston could summon a powerful sound with good dynamic range, but the warmth in her voice always came through in the music. As the piece proceeded, there were often changes from quiet to strong but these were skillfully navigated and always under control.

The second piece, Pretty Little Horses, was quiet and almost like a lullaby. The haunting feel of this piece was delivered with careful attention to nuance and detail. Rosa de Sal (2020), by Reena Esmail, followed, and this was also performed by Johnston and Vahala. The text was by the poet Pablo Neruda and sung in Spanish. The piece opened with a quiet piano figure as the soprano entered in a low voice. The piano moved to a smoothly active line, adding a sense of drama. The vocals followed the accompaniment with beautiful singing and a soaring passage that filled the space with a robust sound. As the piece proceeded, the dynamics often changed between loud and soft with Ms. Johnston in complete control. All of the vocal music in this concert struck a fine balance between contemporary abstraction and accessibility for the listening audience.

The final work in the program was the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tempest Fantasy (2003), by Paul Moravec. This was an instrumental piece scored for piano, violin, cello, and clarinets with Nic Gerpe returning to the piano. There were five movements in all, a meditation on the characters of The Tempest, by William Shakespeare. Before the various movements were presented, Jane Kaczmarek’s brief narrations were invaluable for establishing an Elizabethan ambiance. The words were delivered without a microphone, but her rendering of the Shakespearean texts was clearly understood, even in the far upper reaches of the audience.

Of all the pieces on the program, Tempest Fantasy was easily the most intense. “Ariel”, the first movement, set the pace with a fast tempo, broken rhythms and an energetic feel. Only masterful coordination among the players kept this piece on track, and a nice groove soon developed. “Prospero”, movement II, was in sharp contrast with long, sustained tones and languid harmonies. An expressive violin solo rising above the texture, inviting a questioning feel. A steady tutti section towards the finish proved darkly dramatic. The sense of mystery deepened in “Caliban”, movement III, with Brian Walsh’s bass clarinet adding a brilliantly sinister touch. Violin and cello combined in a halting melody that featured excellent coordination between the players. As the tempo and complexity increased, all the players joined in a purposeful tutti section at the finish.

Movement IV, “Sweet Airs”, was just that with quiet piano chords underneath a lovely violin solo by Alyssa Park. The other instruments joined in to create a fullness that was introspective and almost nostalgic. The dynamics rose and the rhythms became more active, only to fall back to a slow and graceful finish. “Fantasia”, movement V, was the rousing climax to the work and this opened with rapid piano passages. The cello and clarinet soon joined in, adding to the excitement, and a smooth, declarative violin line arced over the active texture below. As the piece progressed, the rhythms seemed to deconstruct into separate, broken lines that further increased the choppiness. At one point, Timothy Loo could be seen almost jumping out of his chair in an attempt to keep his cello in the mix. The intensity increased before falling back, and then increased again just before the finish. The “Fantasia” movement was quite a ride and put an exclamation mark on Tempest Fantasy.

Afterwards, a group of Conservatory students skillfully performed covers of popular music during the post-concert reception held in the assembly hall. The Wicked GOAT concert series is becoming a fine tradition for the Pasadena community and continues to facilitate the appreciation of new music to a growing audience. Altogether it was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

by Paul Muller