On a journey: East Berlin, Germany

On a journey: East Berlin, Germany

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

"Hanging from the Edge", CUBE Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Fulton Hall, U of C, February 3 '13

I attended a performance of the CUBE Contemporary Chamber Ensemble in Fulton Hall at the University of Chicago, thinking that with the Super Bowl in a few hours, hardly anyone would be attending this concert. How wrong I was! There were many people there, ranging from established professor-types to curious young musicians like myself. 

The program consisted of:

-untitled interactive improvisation for steel sound sculpture (2012), percussionist, and computer, Ben Sutherland & Howard Sandroff

-Spiral Density (fixed media) for oboe and electronics (2013) (World Premiere), Sarah J. Ritch

-Figment IV for solo viola (2008), Elliot Carter

-In Freundschaft (1977), Karlheinz Stockhausen

-Palaver & Palliative for English Horn and keyboard (2013) (World Premiere), John Elmquist

-Elegy for solo viola and piano (1987), Patricia Morehead

-Tephillah for clarinet and computer controlled audio processors (1990), Howard Sandroff

Performers were Patricia Morehead, oboe & founder of CUBE, Michael Hall, viola, Alejandro T. Acierto, clarinet, Philip Morehead, piano, and Ben Sutherland, computer. 

The pieces that caught my attention were Elegy and Tephillah. Elegy was written by Patricia Morehead to "express [her] anguish for...a close relative who has an incurable mental disorder", and these emotions were effectively communicated. Ranging from lyrically mournful lines to sudden spurts of disorganized notes and gestures, the piece was sensitive and discerning. Michael Hall did a fine job interpreting Elegy, with a clean and straightforward performance. 

Tephillah ("prayer" in Hebrew) was the real draw of the concert. The work was composed to reflect the "seemingly disordered and spontaneous manner in which a service is conducted by Orthodox Jewish men of the Ashkenazic tradition", and was made up of a traditional clarinet part, performed by Alejandro Acierto, and a computer-generated clarinet part, performed by Ben Sutherland. Program notes also state that the piece is in three movements; I hadn't noticed any movements per se, but rather, changes in musical characters (i.e. active and jumpy suddenly eased into a meditative state). 
Alejandro had to begin twice due to start problems with the computer's part (voila! modern repertoire can yield modern problems), but that seemed to have had no effect on his concentration or delivery. The computer-clarinet part was often a looped mirror of what Alejandro had previously played, acting at times as a background drone. The piece was well-conceived, but Alejandro's delivery truly brought it to life. He plays with a smooth and warm tone, and had a large dynamic range, which is one of the qualities I love most about the clarinet. His gave off a reflective and attentive air, and wasn't afraid to take his time while playing a phrase. 

The Jordan Years / The Congregation / The Skinny @ Subterranean, February 1 '13

Nine of us piled into a five-seater car on a snowy, blistery night, and headed for the Subterranean for a fun show put on by The Jordan Years, The Congregation, and The Skinny. The Skinny was already playing when we arrived around 9:30 PM, and showcased skillful chemistry as well as the most complex songs of the night, with psychedelic rock chord progressions and clear jazz influences. All proficient musicians, they put on a good show but didn't need to employ any stage antics in order to do so, which I greatly appreciated. I wish there'd been a larger crowd to add some energy to the room.

The Congregation, led by Gina Bloom's powerful soul-inspired voice, reminded me of a raucous 60s soul/rock wedding band, the sort that gets everyone dancing. Some may take the comparison to a wedding band as an insult, but I write it as a true compliment - a band that can get everyone moving is always a good one. Sometimes, Bloom overpowered until the brass and sax would jump in, but perhaps this was due to the acoustics of the venue. She, along with guitarist Charlie Wayne, appeared as the musical centerpieces of the band. 

The Jordan Years also has its roots in soul, but with a darker sonority and more instrumental intricacy than most soul offers. Wes Restless, whose solid falsetto took me by surprise, had an impressive dynamic range and fine control over his chords. One of the best musicians that night was the organ/keys player, whose name I can't recall and is unfortunately not mentioned on their website. His solos were everything a good solo is - virtuosic, melodic, developed, and confident without trying too hard. 

The Subterranean is a laid-back, Chicago-styled neighborhood venue, with vintage dark wood, no pretension, lots of Big Ten folks, and cheap beer. There are three floors: the first is a hall for DJs and spinning, the second is at the main stage level with the main bar in back, and the third is a gallery with high ceilings, a smaller bar, and has good views of the stage and main floor. Acoustics aren't always the most balanced, but the stage isn't far up from the main floor, which is nice for bands and their fans. I would be careful if wearing heels/drinking while playing there; the twisty and narrow staircase to the green room looks perilous. 

"Voices", Ensemble Dal Niente @ Nichols Hall, MIC, January 31 '13

I attended a concert program entitled, "Voices", and presented by Shanna Gutiérrez, the flautist of the Chicago-based contemporary chamber ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente. She created a program of seven pieces, consisting of four world premieres, two U.S. premieres, and a 'classic' in the contemporary flute repertoire. Here's the list:

- (2009) (US Premiere) for solo flute and electronics, Olga Krashenko (b. 1983)

-Zungenspitzentanz (1983) vom 'Samstag aus Licht' for solo piccolo, Karlheinz Stockhausen 
(1928-2007)

-Dizzy Divinity I (1985) (US Premiere) for solo flute, Horatiu Radulescu (1942-2008)

-An exceedingly clear absolution engine (2012) (World Premiere), Ray Evanoff (b. 1984)

-Still Life (2012) (World Premiere) for soprano, flute, and cello, Jamie Leigh Sampson (b. 1984)

-Letterludes (2012) (World Premiere) for alto flute, guitar, and percussion, Frederick Gifford (b. 1972)

-Sur le debris (2012) (World Premiere) for bass flute and electronics, Francisco Castillo Trigueros 
(b. 1983)

I really liked Zungenspitzentanz, Still Life, and Sur le debrisZungenspitzentanz, or "a dance for the tip of the tongue", reminded me of Der kleine Harlekin, a piece for solo clarinet, which I heard played by my friend in Germany, clarinetist Merve Kazokoglu. The unusual entrance/musician-turned-stage-character who breaks the fourth wall were intriguing, and held the audience's interest. Still Life was based on the idea that anxiety, isolation, and panic can exist behind a facade of calm, or a 'still life'. Soprano Amanda DeBoer Bartlett delivered a compelling performance. Sur le debris took amplified gestures from the bass flute, and, via looping and 'disintegrating' the sound with electronics, manipulated the gestures into permutations and extensions. For example, Shanna clicked on the keys without blowing any air into the flute, and Trigueros' electronics manipulated the key percussion into vivid clicking sounds that caused my mother to turn excitedly to me, saying that she hadn't expected to hear a piece that "resembles my [often upset] stomach." My only complaint during Sur le debris is directed at the sound volume of the amplified manipulations. It was sometimes too loud, and bordered on hurting my eardrums. 

Sur le debris caught the attention of my parents, who, while avid music lovers, usually don't attend contemporary chamber ensemble concerts. "Americans like innovation and fresh creativity, and this kind of music will draw them in. They might be bored during Mozart, but their imaginations will be inspired by the non-conforming sounds," mused my mother, reflecting on the concert. I think she's on to something. 

Shanna had a confident and polished stage presence, as did her guest artists. Wardrobe choices were eye-catching but not distracting, and the energy emanated from the stage was vibrant and invigorating, yet poised. I look forward to more Ensemble Dal Niente performances in the future.