CONTENTSCONTRIBUTOR BIOS: Evan Hause, 3 LIVE EVENTS
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After Cage, Flight David Cleary ‘AFLAME IN FLIGHT.’ Milton Babbitt: The Widow’s Lament In Springtime (1950) ~~ John Cage: The Wonderful Widow Of Eighteen Springs (1942) ~~ Robert Cogan: Aflame In Flight (1999-); Portrait Of Celan (2001); Pozzi Escot: Aria Ii (2001); Violin Concerto (2002) (First Movement Only); Music Of Mozart. Performers: Alison D’amato (piano), Jennifer Ashe (soprano), David Fulmer (violin), Joan Heller (soprano), Jon Sakata (piano), The Soria Chamber Players (Orlando Cela—cond). Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA. October 30, 2002, New England Conservatory faculty Robert Cogan and Pozzi Escot annually present an evening of works by themselves and distinguished composers whose music they enjoy—and, as in years past, the pleasure quotient was high on tonight’s installment. The first half contained an especially inspired programming sequence, beginning with The Widow’s Lament in Springtime (1950), a soprano-piano duo by Milton Babbitt. Demonstrating mild influence of Webern, it’s a relatively early piece from this composer’s portfolio that expertly subsumes disjunct linear writing and fragmented piano textures into a warm, soft-spoken overall context. While brief, it’s substantial and very enjoyable. John Cage’s The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs (1942), scored for the same pairing, could not be more different. Here, the keyboardist spends the entire composition rapping on different parts of a closed-up piano while the vocalist sings a simple, almost folk-like melody that restricts itself to a greatly limited number of diatonic pitches. It’s every bit as brief as the Babbitt and a sweet charmer. What followed, Escot’s Aria II (2001), could simultaneously be heard as both homage and self-assured entity. This work deftly combines live and pre-recorded soprano lines, sometimes in canon, to well-thought-out purpose. It initially pushes material every bit as tonal as Cage’s against passages as angular as Babbitt’s, smooths things out in the center of the piece to restricted-range consonance, then gradually returns to the dissonant/consonant dichotomy at work’s end. It’s wonderfully clever and effective. The other Escot selection, the first movement of a Violin Concerto (2002, a work in progress) is curious yet intriguing, consisting of dense, long-held chamber orchestra chords over which one hears rhapsodic solo violin writing. Your reviewer is interested to see how the other movements will interact with this one. The stronger of Cogan’s two compositions was Aflame in Flight (1999-), an entry for solo violin. Like much of his music, it consists of an open-ended collection of fragments that can be played in myriad combinations. But the three movements project strong and appealing basis personalities regardless of how the snippets are presented—respectively special-effects fragmented, dramatically assertive, and passionately expressive. Briefly put, it’s a worthy showpiece any fiddler can enjoy playing. His seven-song soprano/piano cycle Portrait of Celan (2001) sets highly charged poetry by mid-20th century writer Paul Celan. High Expressionist and deeply felt, it demands significant agility from its chanteuse, who not only sings text but also interpolates vocalise-style passages and occasional special effects throughout. The persistent feel of anguish becomes too much of a good thing after a while, though—more contrast or fewer songs would have kept the impact hard-hitting. Performances were generally good. Singer Jennifer Ashe showed a startling variety of abilities in the Babbitt, Cage, and Escot, sporting a voice that could sing with exquisite subtlety or full sound equally well and in particular possessed a sturdy chest range. While Joan Heller’s soprano instrument does not contain the power it once did, it is still a marvel of flexibility, varied colors, and meticulous diction; Cogan’s cycle benefited much from her talents. Pianists Alison D’Amato and Jon Sakata provided excellent support for this vocal pair. Special bravos are reserved for violinist David Fulmer, who played like a man possessed—stage presence, tone, bow control, and finger technique were simply stunning. Sad to say, the Soria Chamber Players, led by Orlando Cela, struggled a good bit with chord voicing and balance in Escot’s concerto. |