CONTENTSCONTRIBUTOR BIOS: Evan Hause, 3 LIVE EVENTS
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The Re-emergence of Public Works David Cleary ‘PUBLIC WORKS NEW MUSIC CONCERT,’ Brian Fitzpatrick: Elegy to Rope; Hesitations #1 & 2 ~~ David Macbride: Two Sonatas (After Scarlatti) ~~ Thomas Schuttenhelm: "an essential reflection" (movement 2 only); "A Repeal of Reticence"; Sonata for Classical Guitar; Whirl ~~ John Surovy: Four Songs on Texts by Mark Strand; Three Rilke Songs; "A Winter’s Tale." Paine Hall, Harvard U., Cambridge, MA October 26, 2002, Public Works has periodically given concerts in the Boston area since the late 1990’s, but their roots go back a decade earlier. Formed in 1986 at the University of Hartford’s Hartt College of Music, this consortium type group was originally a student-led series created by faculty member David Macbride and pupils in the department. Its current membership consists of emerging composers who graduated from the school, many of whom have put down roots in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The group’s mentor composed the best work heard at their most recent concert. While the Two Sonatas (after Scarlatti) by Macbride clearly owe something to the music of the Rococo harpsichord master—one hears, for example, passages in parallel thirds and energetically aristocratic gestures in measured eighth notes—there’s more afoot here than mere toadying. These works demonstrate a sensitive ear for contrasting keyboard textures and bubble with barely suppressed fire, adroitly harnessing all this to satisfyingly balanced structures. They are the first entries in what Macbride projects to be a sizable collection of single-movement sonatas. If the rest are as good as these, it will be a set well worth experiencing. Series regulars Brian Fitzpatrick, John Surovy, and Thomas Schuttenhelm filled out the rest of the program, respectively contributing two, three, and four selections—and surprisingly, all produce music with similar stylistic fingerprints. Predilections for tonally focused harmonic languages (often leavened with polytonal elements), modest durations, infusions of elements from popular idioms, and phrases constructed from altered ostinati and other patterned material are encountered with regularity. If this concert is any indication, Surovy demonstrates a particular fondness for vocal idioms. Four Songs on Texts by Mark Strand, "A Winter’s Tale" (both for soprano and piano), and Three Rilke Songs (for soprano, violin, and guitar) exhibit kinship to the Barber-Rorem songwriting school, though the texts set gravitate more toward the morbid or disagreeable sort preferred by turn-of-the-century Viennese Expressionists. Their evocative accompaniments are their best feature. By contrast, Schuttenhelm seems to especially enjoy penning music for the guitar, an instrument he plays with much ability. His writing in "an essential reflection" (a duet for two guitars, of which only the second movement was heard), "A Repeal of Reticence" (a viola/guitar duo), and the Sonata for Classical Guitar takes full advantage of this idiosyncratic instrument’s strong points, replete with intricate passages in harmonics and graceful patterned textures. Whirl was this composer’s odd man out this evening, a single movement entry for Pierrot ensemble. Rather than delving into the Broadway stylings of Surovy or the blues influences of Schuttenhelm, Hesitations No. 1 and No. 2 for marimba solo and Elegy to Rope for piano alone show Fitzpatrick possessing a sympathetic ear for jazz. The latter selection contains a thoughtful balance of improvised and written out sections. But despite some positive points, one also encounters less attractive features in the music by this threesome, including a tendency towards square rhythms and phrase structures as well as an at times parlor piece feel high on sentiment and low on vigor. Performances ranged from good to poor, with strong contributions put forth by guitarists Schuttenhelm and Scott Hill, violinist David Santucci, percussionist Ray Dandurand, pianists Macbride and Miles Goldberg, clarinetist Juliet Lai, and soprano Heather Petruzzelli (whose voice generally projected quite well and featured respectable diction). |