Review of Concert

The Composers’ Series Presents—Last Picture Show: Music of Robert Ceely

Tuesday, February 3, 2004, 8:00 PM
Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA

This tribute concert, presented on the occasion of Robert Ceely’s retirement from the New England Conservatory, contained a chronologically wide-ranging clutch of this composer’s music that proved both splendid and unusual. Why unusual? Three reasons: most of the works were for acoustic instruments, were couched in a less spiky harmonic idiom, and were brief or consisting of brief movements.

Ceely is one of America’s finest practitioners of electronic music; given this, it was surprising to see only one such selection, Frames (1978), on the program. It’s a great listen, too—cheeky, ebullient, vibrantly multi-colored, cast in an imaginatively etched two-part structure. Also exhibiting binary form (both halves linked by a brief woodwind cadenza), Giostra (1984) imparts good variety to its disjunct oboe/piano writing, pushing the music through lyric or aggressive landscapes with ease. Fanfare (0125) for Brass Quintet (1992) neatly smooths its tightly concentrated clangor with sly touches of heraldic demonstrativeness and neoclassical chatter. And the solo piano work Extensions (2000) expertly morphs its pointillist basis idiom into something keenly aware of linear logic and cogency. Neither this nor any of the aforementioned items exhibit the "dry as dust" dictum some feel must automatically come with non-triadic compositions.

The two vocal selections heard, Five Contemplative Pieces for Chorus (2000) and Two Songs (2003) for baritone and piano, while perhaps more dissonant sounding than many items for such forces, were even more obviously scalar oriented than anything else encountered this evening. The latter partakes of syllabic voice writing and restless keyboard accompaniment figures without seeming tortuous. And Ceely nicely delineates a broad range of emotional shadings within the choral work’s overall pensive tone; its predominantly linear textures, while madrigal-like, contain several luscious resultant verticals.

Two worthy examples of early Ceely were also encountered. Modules for Septet (1968), while the grittiest, most fractured opus heard, ably tempers its flinty sonics with aleatoric procedures, colorful hues, and persuasive unfolding. A student work, the String Trio (1953) sounds like nothing else from this composer’s pen. Found here are pure, pellucid melodic ideas and a sound world notably perfumed with wafts of Stravinsky, Bartok, and Webern; this trio’s expressive slow movement is Ceely’s only foray into serialism. Both are strong listens, not dull juvenilia.

Rounding things off were brief homage works from former students Dan Bassin, Joe Johnson, and David Rakowski composed specially for the occasion.

Performances, many involving New England Conservatory students, were extremely good, dedicated to bringing out the artistic and linear virtues contained in Ceely’s sometimes rugged exteriors. Special citations go to pianist Shen Wen, singer Brian Church, oboist Jennifer Slowik, and conductors Jason Sabol and Jeremy Kember for particularly noteworthy contributions.

As retirement gifts go, concerts such as this beat a gold watch and testimonial rubber chicken lunch any day. Bravo to Ceely and his players for a top-notch presentation.

--David Cleary