[nec] shivaree

Thursday, November 3, 2005, 8:00 PM
Williams Recital Hall, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston , MA

So what's the difference between Stephen Drury's two malleable-membered groups, the Callithumpian Consort and [nec] shivaree? Other than the official blessing bestowed on the latter by the New England Conservatory, it would appear not much. But this is a good thing, as [nec] shivaree aims to acquaint student level players with Drury's and Callithumpian's wide-eyed, take-a-chance exploration of deserving fare divorced from Uptown's well-beaten path.

To this end, look no further than solitary and time-breaking waves by John Luther Adams. Scored for a quartet of spatially separated tam-tams, it consists of a texture of rolling sound from these instruments that ebbs from location to location as one or more players ratchet their volumes up and down. The dichotomy inherent to a series of subtle gradations within an at times deafening gong roar proves compelling. And unlike some other works in this vein, the piece makes its point without duration overkill. Sofia Gubaidulina's Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings fills its half hour onstage with imaginative writing shot through with extended techniques, free notation, sound mass textures, microtones, and similar avant-garde thinking. Yet it all coheres nicely into a fascinating personal statement that rivets the attention despite a somewhat flabby formal sense. And except for those times when Gubaidulina purposely creates a sludgy effect, the scoring is surprisingly lucid.

Even the two more mainstream composers heard here were represented by relatively unusual music. Carl Ruggles's early Mood (Prelude to an Imaginary Tragedy) for violin/piano duo, a posthumous realization by John Kirkpatrick from this composer's sketches, is one of the master's rarely encountered selections. But it's every bit as worthy as his better-known stuff -- short, flinty, ably constructed, and compelling in the extreme. Listening to the Sonatine for Flute and Piano again illustrates why the then 21-year-old Pierre Boulez was considered a prodigious young talent. It's a work of high drama and brash energy that commands and merits the listener's attention. And unlike some of his later works, which get mired in dogmatic thinking and densely undifferentiated textures, the Sonatine feels free, spontaneous, and exhilarating. With Pli Selon Pli , Sur Incises , and Derive I , it forms the core of must-hear music from this gifted if erratic tonemeister.

Performances were splendid. Special mention should be made of bassoonist Adam Smith's wonderfully controlled and well paced playing (featuring excellent control in high register and multiphonic passages), flautist Jessi Rosinski's flashy virtuoso execution and robust tone quality, and violinist Gabriel Boyers's rock steady finger and bow technique. Pianists Yukiko Takagi and Tanya Blaich furnished noteworthy supporting platforms, while Drury ably conducted the Gubaidulina.

In short, a first-rate evening all around.

--David Cleary