Lone Star Youth Winds

Andrew Trachsel, conductor

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

June 13, 2024

One often hears and reads about the lamentable state of music education in our country today. Budget cuts which decimate programs that are already struggling to get by, and a seemingly designed intention to minimize the impact of early music education are all very real problems in today’s world. Evidently, Texas did not get the memo, as they are not only thriving, but setting the standards of excellence in music education for all to aspire. There is strong support at all levels, the programs are highly esteemed and a source of state pride, and the young musicians are treated as serious, and not as hobbyists or dilettantes. The Lone Star Youth Winds (LSYW), who blew into Carnegie Hall on June 13, 2024, to deliver a performance that would have been the envy of most band programs, is a prime example of what the Texas model produces.

The LSYW is a featured education program of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra (LSWO). The LSYW is made up of the most outstanding high school (grades 9-12) musicians in Texas. They are placed in a professional environment, with interaction with composers and renowned musicians, and intense sectional instruction from professional musicians. Led by Andrew Trachsel, it would probably be most accurate to liken the LSYW to something between a state honor band and a college level wind ensemble.

Their program, entitled In Two Places, consisted of three segments – first New York, New York, then a segment entitled In Two Places, and finally Texas, our Texas. Each segment had three works. The printed program included a QR code to access the notes, a sixteen-page booklet with detailed information about the works and the composers, which I highly recommend the reader to access: Program Notes.

Before going on, I want to mention a few things that I liked very much, and a few things that I feel are opportunities for this fine group to solidify their stature. First, the good: The listing of the players in the roster alphabetically “as all players are equally essential to the success of this concert” delighted me, not only because it emphasizes the ensemble element, but because it is a truth that almost is never spoken aloud. Having the soloists stand after each piece in itself is not remarkable, but it was done here not as an afterthought or routine, but to give the audience the chance to recognize them and give them a response worthy of their fine playing (and this audience was first-rate in the support and enthusiasm department). Opportunities to refine: There is no need to tune after every single piece, this is something that I would associate with low-level ensembles, which the LSYW is definitely not! Musicians of this caliber can and should be expected to adjust “on-the-fly” as needed. Also, I am puzzled by the conductor leaving the stage after every single piece. I would have expected this only at the close of each segment. It seemed excessive and did not really enhance anything. Mind you, these concerns had no negative impact on the performances themselves. 

On to the music. Conductor Andrew Trachsel took the stage for Part I: New York, New York. All the works have some New York connection (read the notes!). Without much ado, he pushed the accelerator to the floor as the LSYW launched JoyRiDE, by Michael Markowski (b. 1986). This work is a mash-up of Beethoven’s Ode To Joy and John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine. It’s whimsical insanity, and the LSYW captured the spirit and the maniacal energy with perfection. It was a terrific opener! 

After this, it was a good choice to dial it back, and this took the form of A Simple Song, from Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. The best way I could describe this reading was that it was sincere. The ensemble balance was tight, the climaxes were rendered naturally without overdoing it (which is also due to the skill of Maestro Trachsel), and special kudos are in order for the nice trumpet solo work. 

The final work of this segment was Robert Sheldon’s (b. 1954) Metroplex: Three Postcards from Manhattan. Mr. Sheldon writes about Metroplex: “A music portrait of Manhattan’s cityscape, Metroplex opens with a vision of the New York City skyline, evoking looming buildings and concrete canyons. From there, the melody travels to the heart of an urban jazz scene, characteristic of the city’s famous night clubs. Finally, the piece takes us on a wild taxi ride through the heavy traffic of a bustling metropolis. The skyline is seen once more as we leave Manhattan, hopefully to return again soon.” It is brash and loud (of course!) and teeming with unlimited energy. Some listeners have detected influences (e.g., William Schuman’s George Washington Bridge, and Earl Hagen’s Harlem Nocturne), and I would add Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and On The Town to that list, not as any accusation of plagiarism, but hooking the listener with familiar references in a different way. It was a delightful romp to end this segment (and may your taxi rides not be anything like this!).

Moving on to Part II: In Two Places. Suite No.1 in E-flat, by Gustav Holst, opened. Holst is one of the founding fathers of wind ensemble (band, if you must) music, who is still a role model for composers today. This work is a masterpiece that is a must-play for any ensemble that aspires to be considered top-notch. Accordingly, the expectation bar is set high, and there are so many outstanding performances out there to hear, that it is a high-risk proposition to program this work. How did the LSYW measure up? As a whole, very well. Fantastic job tuba section in the opening Chaconne, and I liked the driven, but steady “push, push” quality in the Intermezzo and the vigorous ensemble playing in the finale, March. There was some shaky intonation in the trumpets that I am not going to let slide – that’s the downside of being at a high level. I might have let this pass unmentioned for a less talented group.

Next up was In Two Places, by Haley Woodrow (b. 1984). As Ms. Woodrow writes, the title is both an allusion to her double-life as a musician (performer and composer), feeling “in two places at once,” and the composition’s “struggle” between major and minor modes, but both with similar underpinnings (e.g., eighth-note “motor”). There is also a clear homage to Holst’s E-flat suite. In Two Places was the winner of the 2019 Women’s Band Composition Contest, led by Shannon Shaker. It is a worthy addition to the repertoire, and the LYSW made the most of the built-in lyricism and soaring melodies to deliver a memorable performance that could be a role-model for other ensembles. 

The last work in this segment was the world premiere of Eleanór a Rún, by Julie Giroux (b. 1961). The program listed Ms. Giroux as guest conductor, but she was not in attendance, and it was not announced why she was absent. Eleanór a Rún is a love song composed in the 16th century and recognized as part of the traditional Irish repertoire of unaccompanied ballads known as sean-nós song (the term sean-nós means “in the old way”). The origin of sean-nós singing is unknown, but researchers suggest that it probably dates back to at least the 13th century.

Clarinetist Sophia Kidwell came to the front of the stage and sang the original tune, with some lower woodwinds approximating the drone of bagpipes. If Ms. Kidwell tires of clarinet, she has a future as a vocalist, her voice was absolutely enchanting! After returning to her seat, the performance proper began. Maestro Trachsel led with a sensitive touch. After one verse, harmonized by Ms. Giroux, she decided to complete the story, with the singer successfully courting Eleanór, winning her hand in marriage, and live a happily life until death as soul mates. Ms. Giroux is a composer of great skill and a master musical storyteller. We all fell in love with Eleanór through her writing. The LYSW played this poignant love story with a reverence that reflected a maturity far beyond their years. It is regrettable that Ms. Giroux was not in attendance, both to witness this remarkable performance and to receive the applause that was so richly deserved. 

Part III: Texas, Our Texas was all about composers with strong ties to Texas. All Things So Wondrous, by William Owens (b. 1963) opened. Mr. Owens writes, “To date, Lobe den Herren (Praise to the Lord, the Almighty) endures as one of the world’s most beloved and frequently sung hymns. The original text comes by way of 17th century author Joachim Neander (1650-1680), while the melody is likely derived from German folk music. Taking its title from the second verse of the hymn, All Things So Wondrous fuses the familiar melody with original material culminating in a vibrant work for today’s concert band. The attacks were well-articulated in the opening, the middle section had an extraordinarily rich harmonic setting, and the “fugal” finish was stirring. 

Twilight in the Wilderness, by Christopher Tucker (b. 1976), followed the Owens work. Twilight in the Wilderness is a musical impression of the paintings of Frederick Edwin Church, specifically his painting Twilight in the Wilderness. The work opens with a recording of bird calls, which brought to mind Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus (a work I love), but that is only a passing similarity. Twilight in the Wilderness is pastoral to the core, and there are episodes of great beauty that were played with a naturalness that was captivating. The woodwinds were especially vibrant. Mr. Tucker was in attendance, and came to the stage to accept the congratulations of Maestro Trachsel and the audience for his masterful work. 

Last, but certainly not least in this segment (and the concert), was Symphonic Dance No. 3, Fiesta, by Clifton Williams (1923-1976). Clifton Williams is one of the immortals of wind ensemble music; his music is still as fresh and impactful today as it was when first performed, and his legacy lives on in many of his students who began luminaries of the wind ensemble composing world. If there ever was a Mount Rushmore for wind ensemble composers, Clifton Williams would be there (you can fight amongst yourselves as to the other three). 

This work is an undisputed classic. It is filled with the sounds of Mexico, street bands, bull fights, vibrant colors, and the pride of the Mexican people that are as much a part of Texas as they are of Mexico, but all with the unmistakable “Williams” sound (and not John!). As much as I enjoyed everything, this performance simply was head-and-shoulders above what preceded it. It was as if the LSYW had found a new level of excitement and energy. If it were a race car before, it was a rocket ship now. In a word, WOW! The audience seemed to sense the same and erupted into a standing ovation. Well done, LSYW, I look forward to following your future successes. 

Greg Gilpin, composer/conductor; Christopher Tin, composer/conductor

Holly Sedillos, soprano; Jimmer Bolden, tenor

Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

June 9, 2024

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) ended its 2023-2024 series with a concert entitled “We Sing! We Rise! We Soar!: The Music of Christopher Tin.” The first half featured Greg Gilpin, conducting his own works and arrangements of folk songs. The second half featured Christopher Tin conducting his own works. The Distinguished Concerts Singers came from Maine, Virginia, Oregon, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Texas, California, Canada, United Kingdom, and individual singers from around the globe. They were supported by a large audience who cheered for their stars from start to finish with unabashed enthusiasm, something even this occasionally jaded reviewer finds to be heartening.

Greg Gilpin took the stage for the first half. He is a DCINY favorite (this being his eighth appearance with DCINY), and he is a dynamo with a special talent for working with young singers. I have witnessed Mr. Gilpin at work on many occasions, and have written that he is “‘all in’ – cajoling, gyrating, singing along, whatever it takes to coax these youngsters to heights they probably never imagined possible.” He radiates such positivity and optimism that one cannot help but be pulled into the spirit.

For the sake of completeness, Mr. Gilpin’s works were Gloria in Excelsis Deo (obviously his arrangement of the Latin), We Sing! We Rise! We Soar!, and Hope Is a Waking Dream. The other works were two folk songs, one a Hebrew folk song, and the other from Torres Straits Island, Jacob Arcadelt’s a cappella setting of Ave Maria, and Dance! by Robert Gibson.

It is true that a reviewer who has been assigned to many such choral performances can tire of certain recurring features (the obligatory handclapping, for instance; today it was a clap and stomp “dance” that resembled a haka); nonetheless, I am not going to do the usual “critic” thing and fuss about this and that, but rather focus on the love of music that is alive and well in these kids. As Mr. Gilpin said, “they (these youngsters) are the future,” and knowing that should give us all hope. Whatever these young singers end up doing in the future, they all can be proud of standing on the stage of one of the most famous music venues in the world and singing their hearts out. Their fans gave them a standing ovation.

After intermission, Christopher Tin took the podium to conduct selections from his own works. Soprano Holly Sedillos, and tenor Jimmer Bolden were the featured soloists. This was Mr. Tin’s second appearance as a conductor with DCINY. As a bit of background, Mr. Tin is a two-time Grammy winner whose song Baba Yetu, originally written for the video game Civilization IV, holds the distinction of being the first piece of music written for a video game ever to win a Grammy Award. His Calling All Dawns was the 2011 Best Classical Crossover Grammy winner.

I’m not going to cover this half in linear style, but rather group the selections that come from larger works together. Sogno di Volare is an adaptation of Leonardo da Vinci’s writings on flight. It was originally composed as the theme song for the video game Civilization VI. It is a four-minute soaring journey of the celebration of the human spirit, and it was played and sung with exuberance. It was a great start to this half.

Baba Yetu (from Calling All Dawns), which put Mr. Tin on the worldwide map, had to be a part of this concert, of course. I’ve heard it performed live several times, and many more on recordings and videos. I was not expecting anything revolutionary, but when Jimmer Bolden launched into his solo, it struck me that “this is the way it is supposed to be!” – something I was not at all prepared for.

The Saddest Noise (text by Emily Dickinson), Wild Swans (text by Edna St. Vincent Millay), and Hope is the Thing with Feathers (text by Emily Dickinson) are all from The Lost Birds. Mr. Tin collaborated with VOCES8 in a recording of The Lost Birds. These three selections are all poignant in their own way, with heartbreak, impassioned cries, and meditative, almost fragile melodies. I have previously heard the VOCES8 recording, and it is ridiculously hard to have to compete with those heavenly voices, but the large forces did a wonderful job in projecting all that emotion. The Saddest Noise is a favorite of this listener, and it was very sensitively done.

Iza Ngomso (a Xhosa translation of Longfellow’s Kerabos) and Waloyo Yamoni (“We Overcome the Wind,” a Lango rainmaking litany) come from The Drop that Contained the Sea. Mr. Bolden was again dynamic in Iza Ngomso, but his work in Waloyo Yamoni was the highlight of the evening for this listener. He has a regal bearing and a voice to match! I don’t wish to overlook Holly Sedillos, who was a force to reckon with in her own right. Waloyo Yamoni is a thirteen-minute showstopper overflowing with passion that brought the house down. The last notes had barely sounded before the crowd leapt to their feet in a standing ovation. As seems to be customary for Mr. Tin, his fans attempted to raise the cheering decibel bar to new highs, and they might have succeeded on this occasion. Congratulations to all!

Noise Catalogue: Madeline Hocking, violin; Jonathan Collazo, Dániel Matei, percussion

Knox Peters, visuals

Special guests: Dylan Ofrias & Katherine Fortunato, percussion; Adrienne Schoenfeld, bass; Nacho Ojeda, piano; Austin Philemon, organ; Rea Abel, flute

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New York, NY

June 8, 2024

Noise Catalogue, the winners of the 2023 Dwight and Ursula Mamlok Junior Prize for “significant contributions to the performance of contemporary music,” presented a program of works all composed within the last two years (with a number of them having their world premiere performances) at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on the evening of June 8, 2024.

Noise Catalogue describes themselves as “a contemporary music collective comprised of Madeline Hocking (violin), Dániel Matei (percussion), and Jonathan Collazo (percussion), in addition to the vast array of musicians and artists with whom they collaborate in their unique concert curations.” Tonight they were joined by Dylan Ofrias and Katherine Fortunato (percussion), Adrienne Schoenfeld (bass), Nacho Ojeda (piano), Austin Philemon (organ), Rea Abel (flute), and Knox Peters (visuals).

This was not the type of concert for listeners who are not prepared to be challenged, to open their minds and ears to sounds and ideas that are unconventional, and even to be confused and have their patience pushed to the extreme limits. Even people who are devotees of contemporary music can find it provocative for the sake of being provocative. This is not a criticism, it is important that there are individuals and ensembles willing to push the envelope, and Noise Catalogue has my respect for their commitment to their mission.

Without any preamble, the first half opened with Three Meditations on Music from Luigi Rossi’s Collection (2023), by Reiko Füting (b. 1970). These three short organ pieces explored the idea of tonal decay in a variety of timbres and moods. They were expertly played by organist Austin Philemon.

Compare the way we move (2023), by Molly Herron (b. 1982) followed the Füting. Percussionist Dániel Matei greeted the audience before settling in to perform this work. The “instruments” were a doorstop, a metal ruler, and a broken flowerpot with shards of different sizes placed on a wooden table. The “music” was the sound of the oscillations of the objects when being set in motion by the performer, the sound itself amplified by contact microphones on the underside of the table. The use of everyday objects for this purpose is hardly original, but the actual effect was quite mesmerizing. The probably unintended and unforeseen “addition” of the ambient street noise heightened the effect.

 In our own house, by Alvin Singleton (b. 1940), was next, with Mr. Collazo, Ms. Hocking, Ms. Abel, and Mr. Ojeda. There was much interplay, with insistent motifs and “call and answer” dialogues. It was played with great energy and commitment.

There are two ways to escape suffering it… the second is risky, and demands constant vigilance and apprehension, by Dániel Matei (b. 1994), followed. It had the four percussionists demonstrating their considerable skills as individuals and as an ensemble. There were moments that had a definite drumline vibe that took me back to playing on the DCI circuit. I would not be surprised if Mr. Matei had been in a Drum & Bugle corps in his younger days.

Two works by Madeline Hocking (b. 1995), A chopped tree still splinters to text by Knox Peters, and I look forward to hearing from you (a world premiere) ended the first half. Ms. Peters read her text aloud to A chopped tree, and joined Ms. Hocking in the set-up of a “prepared violin” before joining her in a duet. Ms. Hocking writes in her notes that I look forward to hearing from you was written especially for this event and this venue. All personnel were involved as they were spread throughout the church. Ms. Hocking has talent as a composer- there were moments that had a “soundtrack” sound, and some jazzy piano riffs that sounded improvised, before remembering this is “Noise Catalogue,” and getting back to some more edgy sounds. Other than the Füting work, it was the most accessible piece of the evening.

After intermission, Zakhme, by Bahar Royaee (b.1984), opened the second half. All the players except Mr. Ofrias were involved, and Ms. Peters provided a visual component. The notes tell us the inspiration was the recent Iranian movement called “Woman, Life, Freedom,” a response to “long suppressed social anguish.” Zakhme is the Farsi word for the pick used to play Iranian zithers, and the origin of this word traces back to zakhm, meaning wound. The work begins with the bass being flat on the floor with two strings attached to the bridge as to bind (the oppression?) and the player going at each side of the bridge with a bow in each hand (the wound?). Eventually the binds are removed and the bass is raised to its proper playing position, but with almost all the tension removed from the E-string. The visual component was a painting in what appeared to be various states of completion (there were hints of movement suggesting invisible brush strokes). The concept is ingenious, but there is room for refinement- what the visual had to do with what one heard was at best obscure, and it ended long before the sounds did. Whether this was a miscalculation or intended is not clear, but it was curious. There also comes a time when the message has been received, and further iterations become tiresome. This listener, who generally has the patience for nearly anything, found himself getting increasingly restless, and this negatively impacted my listening experience.

The final work of the evening was theworld premiere of Employee Training (2024), by Thomas Palmer (b. 1997). The performers were Knox Peters (spoken word, projections), Madeline Hocking, Dániel Matei & Jon Collazo. Mr. Palmer briefly spoke, describing his work as a reflection of the inhumanity of corporate culture and the search for humanity within. A more cynical interpretation of what was presented would have suggested this was a Marxist commentary on the evils of capitalism. It’s all in the “eyes of the beholder,” which may or may not please the composer, depending on the reaction. The projected video had flashing of memos in “corporate speak” being edited with increasingly despairing terms, spreadsheets with cells filled with the words, “Keep going, keep it up, keep going, girl boss,” scrolling through at high speed, a photograph of a tract of all identical houses, aerial views of a industrial plant, and employees looking as if they are hypnotized into some sort of worshipful reverence of an unseen force, and canned, fake cheery “hold music” and other mundane instructions being played on a tape recorder. “Training” here is really a code word for indoctrination- Brave New World meets A Clockwork Orange meets Triumph of the Will. Whatever one’s take-away was, it was “worth the ride.” I wish Noise Catalogue great success in their future endeavors.

The University of Texas Wind Ensemble

Jerry Junkin and Cliff Croomes, conductors

Caleb Hudson, trumpet

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie hall, New York, NY

June 2, 2024

A large and enthusiastic crowd was on hand at Carnegie Hall June 2, 2024, for a concert given by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble for their 50^th Anniversary Celebration. This was the third appearance at Carnegie Hall for the University of Texas Wind Ensemble. With five masterpieces, four of which were written by living composers, the concert was a tour-de-force that wowed not only their many supporters, but also this listener who will remember it for a very long time.

The University of Texas Wind Ensemble is one of the ELITE (the emphasis is mine) bands of this country (and one could say of any country). Led by the dynamic Jerry Junkin, himself a living legend in the wind ensemble world, these fifty-six musicians comprise the very best of the best. I have been a “virtual fan” by way of videos and recordings for years, but this was the first time I have had the privilege of hearing them live.

Any regular reader of New York Concert Review is well aware that I am an unabashed fan of wind ensembles. Whatever the age and level of the players, I am always happy to take in a concert. I’m sure a large part of this is nostalgic – I am still very much a “band geek” at heart, and the memories of those long ago days are, and will always be, a huge part of my musical life. Usually I find myself taking an avuncular attitude – offer some insights and words to help encourage young ensembles. To take that stance in this instance would be like offering Einstein some pointers about relativity! If anyone learned anything today, it would have been this listener.

Speaking of learning, the program notes were excellent, with extensive details and background information. The four living composers wrote the notes for their respective works. The program included a QR code to access the notes, a nice touch considering that the length of the notes would have been unwieldy in the printed program. I will summarize some notes, but interested readers can access the full notes here: Program notes .

Enough background – let’s get to it. Opening with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Op 96, one of the mainstays of the repertoire, (some might even call it a “warhorse” at this point) served immediate notice that this was going to be a special afternoon. Brimming with energy, crisp articulated attacks, on-point staccatos, and no hint of “opening jitters,” it was a terrific selection to open. It is Shostakovich in his most joyful mood, with reminders of Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmilla overture sprinkled about.

After the Shostakovich, trumpet soloist Caleb Hudson took the stage for the World Premiere (in this transcription) of David Biedenbender’s River of Time Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble. The title refers to a conversation the composer had with a colleague about the concept of flow of music through time (“the river of time”). Mr. Biedenbender took inspiration from two rather different sources: Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Carlo Rovelli’s The Order of Time. It is a three-movement work (Becoming, Flowing, Crossing) that is not a concerto in the conventional sense. I would not call it a virtuosic showpiece, but that is not to say that any virtuosity is absent – it is there, and it is considerable, but it is almost never overt. It is a cerebral work one might call “sonic philosophy.” The focus on “flow” through sustained lines and the exploration of time call for a technically accomplished player and one with both the grasp of the conceptual goals and the sensitivity to realize them. Mr. Hudson was that player. His purity of tone alone was enough to win me over. My favorite movement was the opening Becoming, which had, as the composer so aptly described, a primordial quality that was mesmerizing. Mr. Biedenbender came to the stage at the finish to accept congratulations for his fine work. As a built-in encore, Maestro Junkin led the ensemble in a spirited reading of the Beatles classic Penny Lane, with Mr. Hudson dazzling the crowd with the famous piccolo trumpet part.

I’m going to express my only reservations of the afternoon here. It was not clear when the first movement ended and the second began. I had the benefit of perusing the score prior to the concert, and though the score is marked attacca, there should be some differentiation of mood. There were also moments when Mr. Hudson was obscured by the ensemble, through no fault of his own.

The last work of the first half was Of Our New Day Begun by Omar Thomas. Of Our New Day Begun was written to honor nine persons who lost their lives to a heinous act of hatred and domestic terrorism on the evening of June 17, 2015, while worshipping at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Thomas wrote that his greatest challenge was finding the balance between expressing reverence for victims and their families, and his strong feelings of bitterness towards the perpetrator of this heinous act and the parts of society that created, and continue to create, people like this perpetrator. Lift Every Voice and Sing features prominently throughout. Mr. Thomas states that it is “known endearingly as the “’Negro National Anthem.’” This is a powerful, emotionally supercharged work written by a highly accomplished composer, who seamlessly pairs his dramatic sense with a keen devotion to tradition.

The anger that gave way to the singing of Lift Every Voice, with clapping and feet stomping, was especially powerful, with the message of “we may be shaken, but we are not defeated, that hope will always be alive in our hearts.” The stomping that returns at the end is the embodiment of the epitaph included in the title page, “Let us march on ‘til victory is won.”

I had heard an early performance on YouTube by a prominent group (which I will not name) that lacked a lot of the passion that Maestro Junkin and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble brought forth in abundance. Usually I can single out a section or a particular soloist for special mention, but such uniformly outstanding playing makes it nearly impossible to do so. Mr. Thomas was in attendance and joined Maestro Junkin on stage after the last notes sounded. The audience gave him a standing ovation for his powerful work. I hope to hear more of his compositions in the future.

After intermission, associate director Cliff Croomes took the podium to conduct Donald Grantham’s Don’t You See? Grantham is one of the “big names” in Wind Ensemble music (Southern Harmony is a favorite of mine). Don’t You See? was commissioned in memory of Stephen J. Paul, a much admired professor of music education, who died unexpectedly in April 2001 at the age of 48. In Don’t You See?, three highly contrasting yet complementary spirituals are employed. The first half of the piece is based on “Death Ain’t Nothin’ but a Robber,” The second half of the piece becomes more hopeful and affirmative with the appearance of “I’ve just Come from the Fountain,” and “Blow the Trumpet, Gabriel.” These two spirituals interact with increasing exuberance until the climax, which features six virtuosic trumpet parts resolving into a fragment of the opening spiritual. Solos abound in this work – alto sax, oboe, and English horn to name a few – and the three trumpeters on the side of the stage were marvelous. It was another winning performance.

Maestro Junkin returned to the stage to conduct the final work of the afternoon, John Mackey’s Wine-Dark Sea, which was commissioned by Jerry Junkin and The University of Texas Wind Ensemble, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music. The title of the three-movement wind symphony Wine-Dark Sea comes from The Odyssey. Mackey’s wife Abby broke this epic down into three episodes, which I will break down even further into the briefest of summaries. I. Hubris– Odysseus is swaggering a bit too much after winning the Trojan War, so Zeus puts him in his place by sinking his ship and killing his crew. II. Immortal thread, so weak– Odysseus is nursed back to health by Kalypso. After seven years, he “remembers” he has a wife and says, “gotta go.” Kalypso’s heart is broken, but she makes him a sail after unraveling the tapestry that she had made as a record of their love. He doesn’t even look back. III. The attentions of souls– the way home is by way of the underworld and it is not pleasant, but he makes it through to the light and home is within his sights.

It is my opinion that John Mackey is already one of the greatest composers in the history of wind ensemble music. Sone of his salient qualities are as follows: Melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic imagination that seems limitless, masterful orchestration, exploitation of the full battery of percussion instruments, including producing special sound effects, and the ability to write some of most beautiful and the most sinisterly vile (even “raunchy”) music with equal ability.

The University of Texas Wind Ensemble obviously was “born” to play this thirty-minute adventure (after all, it was written for them), and they did not disappoint in what was perfection from start to finish. The brilliant sounding French Horns in Hubris, the heartbreaking poignancy of Immortal thread, so weak, and the “burn it to the ground” bombastic The attentions of souls, with the full forces pushing the envelope to near insanity (and it was loud, very loud!) with the percussionists leading the way, was one of the most thrilling things I have ever heard in a live concert. I think Maestro Junkin was having just as much fun as anyone as he unleashed this fury. The audience leapt to their feet with an immediate standing ovation. Mr. Mackey was also in attendance, and came on stage to the roars of the audience, who continued to applaud for him until he returned to the stage for a second bow.

Maestro Junkin offered two encores, Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide (arranged by Clare Grundman), and to the delight of the hometown fans, Deep in the Heart of Texas (with the audience clapping along). A final ovation ended the afternoon in triumph.

This listener has been to countless concerts where aural fatigue set in, and two hours were testing the limit of my ability to remain engaged. Let me say that after two hours and two encores, I would have happily been up for another two hours. That’s how good this concert was, and while I am never going to say any one concert was the best I have ever attended, I have no qualms about stating that this was in the top three, and it has been nearly ten years since I have had such a strong reaction to a concert. Maestro Junkin hinted that a fourth appearance in New York was in the ensemble’s future. I will be there!

Heather Sorenson and Pepper Choplin, composers/conductors

Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

May 28. 2024

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) on May 28th presented a concert titled “These Ancient Words,” featuring two works- Our Father: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer, by Pepper Choplin, and These Ancient Words, by Heather Sorenson. Both works draw inspiration from the Bible for their texts. The Distinguished Concerts Singers for this performance were from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, California, Indiana, Canada, and “individual singers from around the globe.”

DCINY favorite Pepper Choplin (in his 11^th appearance with DCINY) took the stage to conduct his cantata Our Father: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer. As Mr. Choplin stated in his program notes, he had spent countless hours setting the lines of the Lord’s Prayer and contemplating the power of its words. Our Father is a nine-movement “blockbuster” work.

This listener has had the opportunity to hear Mr. Choplin’s works on many occasions. His compositional style is characterized by unfailing optimism, beautiful soaring melodies, abundant climaxes, and avoidance of anything harmonically jarring beyond passing tones. His fans, and make no mistake, he has a huge fan base, seem to be the ones Mr. Choplin writes for. Any concerns that might arise from fusty critics about sounding formulaic are of no importance to him or to his fans. What he writes for his followers is like musical catnip. They simply can’t get enough and are always wanting more.

This is not this listener’s first hearing of Our Father. I reviewed the New York premiere of this work in 2015 (in the version that included narration between movements, on this occasion the non-narrated version was performed). It is always interesting to revisit a work after such a long interval, and I was curious how my reaction would compare to that of 2015. I was surprised that my opinions on what I heard tonight were so closely aligned with my thoughts about what I heard in 2015. The favorites remained unchanged – the big sound of the anthem-like Our Father in Heaven, the poignant and nostalgia-tinged Holy Be Thy Name, the driving energy of Let Your Kingdom Come where the sun breaks through the clouds of doubt, the beautiful, heartfelt Forgive Us, and the uneasy tension of sinister-like chant in Lead Us From Temptation.

Mr. Choplin is a dynamic presence at the podium. He radiates energy to the orchestra and chorus, and they reflect it back in kind. The audience felt that energy, and enthusiastically cheered at the end of each movement. Let’s take a moment to recognize two soloists from the huge chorus, Kesley Mathis, and Jack Branning. After the last notes of the final movement, Thine is the Kingdom, the audience gave Mr. Choplin, the orchestra and chorus a standing ovation. Kudos to the individual chorus directors who prepared their singers well.

After intermission, Heather Sorenson (in her 3^rd DCINY appearance as a conductor) took the podium to conduct her six-movement These Ancient Words. Each movement is musical setting of a word inspired by Scripture passages. This work was commissioned by the family of David Glenn Thompson in the face of his dementia diagnosis, to commemorate his love of family and church choral music. Mr. Thompson was present this evening as a member of the Distinguished Concerts Singers. In her excellent program notes, Ms. Sorenson gives a detailed description of the setting of the six words (Light, Humility, Refuge, Rest, Worship, and Wisdom) and the source of the Bible verses used (John 1:1, Micah 6:6-8, Psalm 46, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 96, and Proverbs 4:1-13).

As I wrote about Ms. Sorenson in an earlier review, [she] has her own unique brand of tonal beauty. She has a gift for melody and making those melodies harmonically interesting. In addition to this, one has the definite impression that the music flows from her with a natural ease, as if it were inevitable.

As much as I would like to go into great detail about each movement, I am going to limit myself to my highlights. Humility had a poignant beauty that was striking. Refuge had a roiling energy that suddenly pulled back for a moment of reflection, only to suddenly burst back forth, finally seeking healing in a serene epilogue. Worship had a martial quality, punctuated with the rhythms of the snare drum, exhorting one to “shout from the rooftops” devotion to the Lord. Finally, the final movement Wisdom was the words of a loving father to his children, and the Scripture for this movement was specially chosen by the Thompson family. It was extremely moving – there were audience members fighting back tears.

Ms. Sorenson led the huge forces (there were more than 200 singers crowding the stage) with considerable skill and with greater confidence than in prior appearances. The orchestra and chorus were outstanding from start to finish, and for such large numbers, the chorus was razor-sharp with good diction and ensemble balance. Special mention goes to soloists Danielle Wojcik and Layke Jones, with a bonus “thumbs up” for Mr. Jones, who once again “brought the house down” as he did in last appearance with DCINY (as a soloist for Ms. Sorenson’s Requiem). After the last notes, the audience immediately leapt to their feet with an extended ovation, which was richly deserved. Congratulations to all!

Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Mozart: Requiem

Distinguished Concerts Singers International; Distinguished Concerts Orchestra

Mark Hayes, Composer/Conductor for Kindness (World Premiere) and The Field

Penelope Shumate, Soprano; Teresa Bucholz, Mezzo-Soprano;

Chad Kranak, Tenor; Christopher Job, Bass-Baritone

David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY

May 26, 2024

In a Memorial Day weekend program billed as Mozart’s Requiem, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented not only that masterpiece, left unfinished by Mozart in his last days, but also new music by American composer, Mark Hayes. It was a thought-provoking concert, with its music spanning over 200 years, bridging the centuries through themes of suffering and love, human and divine.

With the composer Mark Hayes at the podium, DCINY’s chorus and orchestra opened the program with his short work entitled The Field and continued with his lengthier work, Kindness, a Chorale and Fugue in the Baroque Tradition (a World Premiere, courtesy of the DCINY Premiere Project).

The Field was a captivating start, drawing the listener into a soulful text by the 13th-century Sufi mystic, Rumi. Expressing the world’s oneness through the metaphor of a field, the work expresses the need for humanity to transcend language and other barriers and come together. The music and emotion build very early in the piece (some might say surprisingly so) to large, lush sonorities that convey the expanse of a universal “field” – before dropping to quieter levels in the intimate line, “I’ll meet you there” – a moving moment and a welcome reminder that it all starts with individuals. The expanse of the “field” was like a full orchestral embrace. The imitative setting of the words “ideas” and “language” conveyed just the right sense of “clutter” to support the poem’s sentiment of moving beyond them, into a world that is “too full to talk about.” Using familiar hymn-like harmonies colored with the Lydian mode and some motifs reminiscent of spirituals, The Field projected a timeless grace. DCINY’s combined choruses and orchestra performed it with clear dedication.

The next work by Mark Hayes was Kindness, a Chorale and Fugue in the Baroque Tradition. It is an ambitious and lengthy work (around thirty minutes) that sets out, through a rhetorical approach of alternating questions and answers, to solve the central universal problem of “How shall we live?” The responses to the question are many (“We embrace. We welcome all.”), but the answer is essentially and repeatedly “kindness.” It is not hard to see the need for such a project in today’s world, though pulling off such a text has obvious challenges. 

Though Kindness may employ a Baroque rhetorical approach, even inviting a reference in the program notes to Bach’s B minor Mass and Handel’s Messiah, those predecessors had very different texts with certain dramatic trajectories built into them, including highly specific events (the crucifixion, as an example). Though a work avoiding plot lines to focus on a broad concept of “kindness” may be more universal, such a work also risks feeling more generic unless the text is highly specific and the music exceptionally vivid. A text without some dramatic catalysts or opportunities for dissonance or contrasting darkness can lose differentiation and direction – and the listener’s attention. Just reading the text in advance of the concert and knowing this composer’s penchant for steady and sweet consonance, this listener had some concerns. One was that, with the composer setting his own text, that quality might only intensify. Some of these concerns turned out to be justified, and extensive repetition in the text became part of the issue. Such sweeping terms as “comfort” and “compassion” – and yes, “kindness” – can drain of color with each reiteration, rendering the experience rather amorphous.

Some of these concerns, though, were diminished by some effective decisions, including adding tonal relief through several harpsichord interludes. These interludes broke up the choral segments with contrasting keyboard material that included hints of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (as mentioned in the program notes) and textures reminiscent to this listener of Bach’s C minor Prelude from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier.

Alternation of solo voices also helped alleviate a tendency toward the monochromatic – and this was especially welcome with the exchanges between soprano Penelope Shumate and tenor Chad Kranak. One has been impressed for many years by Ms. Shumate’s performances, but Chad Kranak had particularly dazzled in last year’s Messiah with DCINY, so it was great to hear him again in fine form. The subsequent blending of Shumate and Kranak in duet illustrated the text eloquently in the words, “our kindness is magnified” (further reprised by the full chorus). The cumulative energy (signifying the growing resolve to be kind) was achieved well in the latter part of the piece. The final chorus, if extracted, seemed like it could become an anthem of sorts, and the final line “Kindness will change the world” brought the work to an optimistic conclusion. Many in the audience clearly enjoyed the experience, applauding heartily.

For the second half, Jonathan Griffith conducted Mozart’s Requiem in the Robert D. Levin completion. It is not every week that one hears this Requiem twice, once in the famous Süssmayr completion and next in the Levin one, but it just so happened that this reviewer attended the N.Y. Philharmonic’s Süssmayr performance under Jaap van Zweden (also at David Geffen Hall) just four days before the DCINY one. Faced with a feast of possible preferences, this listener will just say that both performances were extremely compelling. There is a message here on the importance of the performers themselves – and certainly on how even a few kernels of Mozart bore magnificent fruit.

The Süssmayr completion has frequently been faulted for not being “Mozartean” enough, for various voice-leading and other weaknesses, and for being too thickly orchestrated, with frequent instrumental doubling of vocal parts. There have been other completions since, but it is Robert Levin’s version, commissioned for a 1991 bicentennial of the composer’s death and recorded a few years later, that has been the most highly regarded alternative since then, with good reason. Mr. Levin chose to work with the Süssmayr version, rather than replacing it completely (a wise decision, given the version’s two centuries of becoming ensconced in our minds), but he created, in his own words “a more transparent instrumentation” derived from Mozart’s other church music (placing the choir more “in the foreground”), in addition to a non-modulating Amen fugue, a newly composed Hosanna fugue – and a host of other subtle and ingenious changes. His work is a marvel of scholarship and musicianship.

The DCINY performance of Levin’s version Sunday did indeed have a transparency in which the chorus was supreme, though undoubtedly some of this was owed to the chorus’s enormous size. (One imagines they might have retained sovereignty through the Süssmayr version as well.) The participating choruses included the Greater Lake Area Chorale, Reclaim Arts Academy Chorale, New Dominion Choraliers Of Prince William County, Belin Memorial United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Yelm Community Choir, Celebration Community Church Choir, First United Methodist Church Of Arroyo Grande Chancel Choir, Jonathan Griffith Singers, Johnson County Choral Ensemble, Weymouth Choral Society, Pilgrim Choir, First Congregational Church, Joyful Band Of Singers, Bach Society Of Dayton, North Decatur Presbyterian Church Community Choir, The Manassas Chorale, SoJo Choral Arts, St. Louis County Community Chorus, Dickinson County Community Chorus, Ipswich River Community Chorus, Stuyvesant High School Oratorio Choir, and the Richmond Choral Society & Arcadian Chorale.  These DCINY choruses constituted, as ever, a virtual army of singers.  By contrast, the chorus with the New York Philharmonic was considerably smaller – though any lack of transparency issues in the Süssmayr score there had been minimized by the superb listening and control of the conductor and ensembles.

DCINY also benefited, as ever, from terrific orchestral players. The Tuba mirum enjoyed outstanding brass playing, and the full forces of chorus and orchestra combined to a thunderous effect, particularly stirring in the Rex tremendae. The dynamic contrasts were striking in the Hostias movement, and the solos were admirable from soprano Penelope Shumate, mezzo-soprano Teresa Bucholz, tenor Chad Kranak, and bass-baritone Christopher Job.

It was mystifying that neither the Benedictus nor the Sanctus (nor Hosanna) was included in the otherwise full printed text of all the other movements – they were definitely heard (though this big double-Requiem week caused one momentarily to doubt oneself) – and they were excellent. Where the text of the Benedictus should have been, your reviewer scribbled “Christopher Job is superb” and “vocal quartet high point.” Whereas the NY Philharmonic had chosen to segue from the Lux Aeterna into Mozart’s profound Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618, this DCINY concert ended on a triumphant note with the Cum sanctis tuis. The audience stood for a loud ovation. Bravi tutti!

“Waldeinsamkeit” (Forest Solitude)

Xiaofu Ju, piano

Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

May 19, 2024

Writers and composers have celebrated nature and its salubrious effects for many centuries, but the concept of the forest might seem out of keeping with the routine of a metropolitan-dwelling musician, who often spends six hours a day imbibing the solitude of four walls and a piano. To be clear, this recital was neither confined nor ordinary. Xiaofu Ju, a cosmopolitan prizewinner with a burgeoning career in China and across the globe, does not play like a hungry competitor; it took only a matter of seconds onstage for him to tap into the wellspring of his own poetry (of which he has published two volumes) and to find himself at one with space and time in the expansive Zankel Hall.

The theme of the evening (literally, Forest Aloneness) drew references to the German Romantic poets, the art songs of Brahms (In Waldeseinsamkeit, 1878), Richard Wagner (“Waldweben” from Siegfried, 1876), and the Transcendentalist Americans Henry David Thoreau (Walden, 1854) and Ralph Waldo Emerson (Waldeinsamkeit, 1858). Romantic or Post-romantic imagery, and miniatures in particular, provide the strongest lure to Mr. Ju and his artistry. He shines in the magic of the understated, pulling us into his psychological stillness. This would explain his affinity for Leoš Janáček and his choice of V mlhách (In the Mists) as a program opener.

The four Czech pieces from 1912 anticipate the aphoristic style and terse phrasing of Janáček’s operas, with more economy of means and a delicate translucence. Mr. Ju’s passion was controlled as he hovered over gently chiming octaves and repeated notes, abstaining from glamor or generic profundity. Although Janáček composed the set during a bleak period in his life, Mr. Ju’s performance of this and almost every other work on his program explored the more desirable spectrum of brightness and optimism.

His guarded energies continued to bloom ever so slowly in Schumann’s nine Waldszenen, Op. 82, as he focused on floating sound rather than on any emphatic pulsation. We heard few echoes of traditional Germanic motifs but, in their stead, a ghostly, chirping, nearly archless virtuosity marked by spontaneous and unbroken counterpoint. Schumann’s unstable frame of mind in 1848 was refashioned here in the hands and sensibility of a captive narrator, uncluttered by neurosis and basking in pristine reminiscence. Herberge (Wayside Inn, often translated as Shelter) plunged ahead with crisply dotted articulations, and Vogel als Prophet (Bird as Prophet) unfolded with wondrous pedals and streams of color. This poetic recitation suddenly brought to mind the Schumann of a promising young Yuri Egourov from ages past, but with a finer brush stroke.

The woodsy premise of the recital became merely a departure point for free association in the second half, as Mr. Ju transported us to Java with the 1907 Book Two of Claude Debussy’s Images. Cloches à travers les feuilles (Bells through the Leaves) might have been a religious vision, such was Mr. Ju’s hypnotic recreation of gamelan timbres which, if placed side by side with French percussion instruments, could have demoted the latter, in Debussy’s words, to “primitive noises at a country fair.” Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (And the Moon Descends on the Temple That Was) simmered in quiet ecstasy, bringing a palpable hush to Zankel Hall, and the line was finally let out for good in Poissons d’or (Fish of Gold), when Mr. Ju attained the summit of a near-disorienting, effervescent frenzy.

By the time we reached Liszt’s monumental Sonata in B minor, the forest was long gone and we were in the presence of a young man. Mr. Ju’s astonishing command of speed and superhuman discipline could make child’s play of double octaves or fugues, and his gossamer runs of spun silk could show him as master of every degree of pianissimo, but this was a lean Liszt B minor, slightly more attuned to a glorious Sposalizio or large character piece than to a symphonic warhorse. One shudders to contemplate what a few years will do to the apotheosis of Mr. Ju’s recap second theme, as he melds the absolute to the programmatic to the Hungarian, when his career has taken certain flight.

Following a program of such import, the pianist chose for encores Bach’s Chorale Prelude Ich ruf zu dir (arranged by Busoni) and, in what amounted to the highlight of the night, Scriabin’s Sonata No. 4 with its blistering chiaroscuro. The concert was billed by the Paulus Hook Music Foundation as a gesture of Sino-American goodwill. One could not imagine a more benevolent cultural gift.

New England Symphonic Ensemble; Preston Hawes, Artistic Director and Concertmaster

Peter Tiboris, Jason Sabino, and Jason Strunk, Conductors

Katherine Henly, Soprano; Anna Kelly, Mezzo-Soprano; Hayden Smith, Tenor; Jason Zacher, Bass-Baritone

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

May 11, 2024

With characteristically grand style, MidAmerica Productions presented a Saturday night concert at Carnegie Hall that included monuments of music by Haydn and Schubert, with a Mozart Overture added for good measure. In a program divided into a chorus-with-orchestra first half and an all-orchestral second half, the program’s first half was devoted to Haydn’s Mass in D Minor, Hob. XXII: 11 (Nelson Mass or Lord Nelson Mass), with choruses from around the country joining forces with the New England Symphonic Ensemble. For the second half, after a breeze through Mozart’s Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro, the orchestra would take on Schubert’s massive Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944 (“The Great”). It was destined to be a memorable evening.

With the world experiencing struggles of all kinds, the programming of Haydn’s eleventh mass, originally entitled Missa in angustiis (Mass for Troubled Times) was a fitting one. Composed in 1798, after multiple defeats of Austria by Napoleon, Haydn created a work of palpable tension, supplication, faith, and jubilation. What Haydn may or may not have known at the time of completing it was that Admiral Horatio Nelson had recently defeated Napoleon in the Battle of the Nile, but, in any case, the news came close to the day of the first performance, and by the time Nelson visited Haydn at the Esterhazy Court in 1800 the moniker Lord Nelson Mass had been well established.

From the austere orchestral introduction to the opening Kyrie, an intense solemnity was set, and from the first ensuing choral tutti, the formidable presence of the combined choruses was established. The first half of the mass was conducted by Jason Sabino and the second half by Jason Strunk – each being the conductor of two contributing choruses. Those choruses were the Century High School Concert Choir and Oregon Chorale from Hillsboro, OR (Jason Sabino, Director), and the Georgetown Day School Choirs and Georgetown Day School Choirs Alumni Ensemble, Washington, DC (Jason Strunk, Director), along with the Southern California Master Chorale, Anaheim, CA (Sheridan Ball, Director) and the Tripoli Senior High School Choir, Tripoli, IA (Chris McIntyre, Director).

It must have been a challenge to penetrate the sound of such a large chorus with orchestra, but four gifted soloists were on hand to do just that, starting with soprano Katherine Henly and following with by mezzo-soprano Anna Kelly, tenor Hayden Smith, and bass-baritone Jason Zacher. These singers clearly constituted great “ingredients” – and the main challenge would be finding the right balance among them, which was most of the time achieved.

Katherine Henly’s tone was pure and true right from the Kyrie but seemed to gain still more comfort and focus as the work developed. Throughout the mass, she seemed to thrive in the slower, sustained lines more than in the rapid melismatic sections, which were occasionally obscured by the sheer numbers. Hayden Smith’s bright tenor emerged as particularly bright and penetrating right from the Gloria, though there were moments when it could be said to have been even a bit too powerful, overwhelming other voices sometimes – in the Quoniam tu solus for example.

In Qui tollis peccata mundi, we especially enjoyed the excellent bass-baritone, Jason Zacher, whose powerful deep register was a joy throughout the mass. Mezzo Anna Kelly was ever vital to the musical texture, but especially notable as a soloist in the Agnus Dei. The choruses were clearly well-trained, and moments of subtle and glacial changes in tone (such as in the Sanctus) were especially impressive. The quartet of soloists was in full bloom as an ensemble by the Benedictus, and the Dona Nobis Pacem concluded the mass with a brilliant sound and hopeful spirit. Bravi tutti!

Peter Tiboris, conductor as well as Founder, General Director, and Music Director of MidAmerica Productions took the stage after intermission. Starting with a precise and spirited rendition of the Overture to Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Maestro Tiboris’ style was energized and yet economical in gesture. It was the assured approach of one who knows the responses of his orchestra and has a wealth of experience behind each decision.

Speaking of decisions, there are many highly debated ones on Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major (“The Great”) which came next – starting with the issue of repeats. Already a piece with an immensity that hobbled early partial readings in Schubert’s lifetime (leaving its rediscovery for years later and complete premiere until 1839, over a decade after Schubert’s death), its vastness also inspired Robert Schumann’s famous phrase “heavenly length” as he worked to advocate for it. The symphony has been performed with a wide range of durations to match the many interpretations, some with all repeats bringing the work to over an hour, others with none but the minimal obligatory return in the Scherzo (closer to forty-five minutes), and lastly some combination of these. This weekend’s rendition was the latter, with all repeats observed in the glorious first and last movements – and given the material and well-conceived performances of the outer movements, that decision felt satisfying.

As many know, the work makes reference to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – directly in the last movement with a quotation from the famous Ode to Joy, but also with arguable connections in the first movement and elsewhere. Schubert had attended the premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth in May of 1824 (the 200th anniversary of which was celebrated last week), and he began sketches of this magnificent work in 1825. The sheer scope owes much to Beethoven, and Maestro Tiboris embraced its expansiveness, as such a noble creation deserves. Moments were chosen to sustain momentum with some tempo flexibility, but never in a way that violated the work’s integrity.

It was undoubtedly because of such surrender to the journey that the large audience remained spellbound for its entirety, from the brilliant horn opening through to the triumphant close. The orchestra members are to be commended for their tremendous stamina through the unrelenting string demands and substantial brass and wind parts. Highlights included, naturally, the oboe part in the Andante second movement (leaving this reviewer sad for the inability to identify or credit any orchestra members, as they were not listed in the program), but then kudos go to every player in collaboration. The finale was especially thrilling, as Maestro Tiboris led a charge of tireless triplet rhythms in an inexorable drive to victory.

The large audience gave a standing ovation, as was richly deserved.

Ian Hobson, piano; Andrés Cárdenes, violin; Jun Iwasaki, violin; Csaba Erdélyi, viola; Ko Iwasaki, cello

Tenri Cultural institute, New York, NY

May 10, 2024

The energy was buzzing tonight at the Tenri Cultural Institute – pianist Ian Hobson is back this evening and has once again curated a program of works by composer Robert Schumann, this time featuring exciting chamber works. The house was packed, and the supportive audience was in for a thrilling performance.

The program started with a piano trio titled Phantasiestüke, Op. 88, which featured violinist Jun Iwasaki and cellist Ko Iwasaki. This work, the latest of the three works performed tonight, dates back to 1842, during his chamber music period, but underwent revisions over the years before being published in 1850. Interestingly, the title “Fantasy pieces” is also used for a solo piano work predating this trio.

These brief movements were delightful. The opening movement, Romance, captivated the listeners with its seductive melody and nostalgic undertones. Mr. Hobson skillfully projected Schumann’s introspective melodies, met with responsive interplay from the strings as they intertwined with the piano, which assumed a protagonist role.

In the second movement, Humoreske, the trio starts with rhythmic unison, gradually unfolding into a canonic section. The trio’s sound was robust, maintaining a healthy pulse throughout. Especially noteworthy was the expansive B-section, offering significant contrast, which the trio conveyed generously. The subsequent section surged with ecstatic energy, and the return to the A-section felt invigoratingly fresh.

The third movement, Duett for violin and cello, was poignant. The featured soloists, Jun Iwasaki and Ko Iwasaki played with intimate tenderness and seamless communication. Transitioning to the contrasting fourth movement, Finale, began with a march. However, some of the contrasting sections felt somewhat long-winded, a quality in Schumann that can be a challenge to overcome.

The next piece on the program was the Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47. This four-movement work featured guest artists Andrés Cárdenes (violin), Csaba Erdélyi (viola), and Ko Iwasaki (cello). The piece begins with a slow introduction (Sostenuto assai), which then transitions to a faster section (Allegro ma non troppo). The performers captured the melancholy of the opening and the improvisatory nature of the faster Allegro, and showcased thoughtful exchange among the instruments. The second movement, Scherzo: Molto vivace – Trio I – Trio II, was dynamic, finely balanced, and imbued with a light character. Moving to the third movement, Andante cantabile, it featured one of Schumann’s most tuneful and emotionally resonant themes. Each member of the ensemble demonstrated a profound affection for this melody, infusing it with deep sentiment every time it recurred. Particularly noteworthy was the viola solo performed by Mr. Erdélyi and the delicate conclusion added to the overall charm of the performance. The concluding movement, Finale: vivace, was overflowing with energy, with its fugal entries even evoking memories of Mr. Hobson’s previous performance, Counterpoints. The ensemble exhibited excellent communication and demonstrated a keen understanding of Schumann’s adept transitions from Baroque elements to Romanticism within the piece—a skill finely executed.

The only work on the second half of tonight’s program was the Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 – arguably Schumann’s most beloved and well-known chamber work. The exciting first movement, Allegro brilliante, was compelling and performed with gusto. However, during the development section, there was a sense of tentativeness, and an overall heaviness in the pulse made it feel as if it was somewhat dragging.

This work, with its cyclical elements, continues by having the piano lead in to the second movement, In modo d’un marcia, un poco largamente. This somber and austere funeral march was characterized by its placed silences and well-articulated short phrases shared by each member of the ensemble. The contrasting B-section was angelic and revealed a transparent beauty while the tragic C-section was highlighted by dramatic outbursts. The bleak march returns, but this time more fragmented and wearier before ending with a haunting pianissimo chord.

The virtuosic third movement, Scherzo: Molto vivace – Trio I – Trio II, is driven by ascending scales, which the musicians executed with precision and buoyancy, maintaining a consistent pulse without allowing it to falter or accelerate excessively. After a transition to Trio I, defined by a frenetic dance pulse, the ensemble seamlessly returned to the impetuous scale motif, showcasing their command of the composition’s constant rhythmic shifts.

The last movement, Allegro man non troppo, feels almost regal and within it encapsulates the entire work. Its main theme, skeletal yet rhythmically dynamic, harkens back to the world of the first movement. Moreover, the contrasting episodes, built upon the same thematic material, establish a sense of unity in diverse forms. As the main theme from the first movement returns in its fugal state, the ensemble effectively paced this concluding section, heightening the excitement and fervent quality to the forefront – so much so that when the final chords sounded, the audience rose to their feet in applause.

It was a pleasure to hear this fine program at the hands of passionate and giving musicians who are clearly expert chamber music collaborators!

by Walter Aparicio for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Rupert Egerton-Smith, piano

The Kosciuszko Foundation, New York, NY

April 30, 2024

This evening’s concert is part of an exciting season for pianist Rupert Egerton-Smith where, on his first East Coast tour, he has performed at The Church in Sag Harbor, The Lambs, and tonight at the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City presented by the Alexander & Buono Foundation.

The program, which looked appealing to all kinds of audiences, was in six sections, each meant to represent an important part of the evolution of keyboard writing – from the harpsichord to the jazz idiom. One would probably need several concerts to truly dive deep on this kind of evolutionary journey, but Mr. Egerton-Smith managed to give us a nice sampling from most of the representative styles of keyboard writing.

Mr. Egerton-Smith began with two sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). These two well-known sonatas are gems among the 555 keyboard sonatas the composer wrote. The Sonata in B minor, K. 27, was played boldly and displayed expert handling of the layered textures and the many hand-crossings. Within this, however, one did seem to want a more tender and supple approach that communicated the longer line. The B-section was much more colorful and handled with care. The second sonata, K. 96 in D major, is nicknamed “La Chasse” because of its allusion to the sounds of hunting horns. Mr. Egerton-Smith communicated this character with clarity and with a sense of joy and a buoyant pulse. The repeated notes and the hands-crossing sections were equally impressive. The B-section explored sonorities and probed at the meaning of these ever-changing harmonies while still exploiting the technical bravura of the work.

Next on the program was a set by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) – two etudes and one ballade. Mr. Egerton-Smith’s rendering of the two etudes, Op. 10, No. 5 in G-flat major, “Black Key,” and Op. 25, No. 11 in A minor, “Winter Wind,” were both performed with definition and tremendous clarity. It is obvious that Mr. Egerton-Smith has overcome the technical challenges of these demanding etudes, but I was more interested in the poetic side of these works. The “Black Key” was charming and joyful but lacked the pacing it needed to keep the piece afloat. The “Winter Wind” had great sweep and pulse, however, I felt that the performer was holding back, which left me wanting more freedom and abandon from this performance. The larger work was the Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47. The opening of this work is elusive, and Mr. Egerton-Smith was able to capture its mystery and lure the audience into Chopin’s world immediately. By the time we get to the second theme, we hear Mr. Egerton-Smith’s meticulous pedaling – a dryer version which communicated something different and more upbeat than we’re used to hearing. What was lacking again was a more natural sense of pacing and climax. The C-sharp minor section was very impressive but didn’t lead to the heroic transformation of the theme, however, the coda was very well played. It was exciting and ended the piece with great satisfaction.

We stayed in the Romantic Era with the Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), one of his late character pieces. This work is a favorite of pianists because of its tender melodies, rich harmonies, and beautiful sentiment. Mr. Egerton-Smith was able to capture all those characteristic qualities that make it uniquely Brahms in this performance.

The last work on the first half of the recital is the movement Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55, by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Here Mr. Egerton-Smith created a hypnotic atmosphere from the very beginning and the melody that represents the sea nymph Ondine was played hauntingly. The buildup to the climax was exciting and displayed technical mastery. Mr. Egerton-Smith was able to beautifully sculpt the shape of this work and reveal to the audience the magical sonorities and color of the Impressionist style.

Though the first half of this program had wonderful repertoire and some exquisite playing, I was having trouble finding a real throughline from piece to piece. These works are representative of much of the important keyboard writing but I wondered how they connected to the performer and who he was as an artist? And, if the intention was to trace the history of keyboard works, why was the Classical Era omitted? I was left wondering what was in store for the second half. Luckily, it did not disappoint!

Mr. Egerton-Smith began with the Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36, by Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). He chose to play the original version from 1913 which he said to find more effective than the reworked version from 1931. This powerful sonata is in three movements and exemplifies the characteristic writing of the late-Romantic era and of Rachmaninoff himself. The first movement, Allegro agitato, begins bombastically and Mr. Egerton-Smith captured the passion and intensity of the first theme magnificently. The nostalgic chorale of the second theme was sensitively played with great nuance, and the esoteric ending was thoughtfully handled. The second movement, Non allegro – Lento was gorgeously played. Mr. Egerton-Smith was even able to skillfully orchestrate and differentiate the many layers written for distinct registers of the piano. The third movement, L’istesso tempo – Allegro molto, however, was the highlight of this work for me tonight. Mr. Egerton-Smith not only was in complete technical command but conveyed the emotional excess of the work as if it were pouring out of him uncontrollably –a tremendous feat!

The final set on the program was a selection of three pieces from Seven Virtuoso Études based on Gershwin Songs. These transcriptions were written by pianist Earl Wild (1915-2010) from the famous tunes of legendary American composer George Gershwin (1898-1937). Étude No. 4 (Embraceable You) had an improvisatory quality, and Mr. Egerton-Smith captured the natural flow and sweep – the main melodic material was well-defined among Wild’s pianistic filigree. A more upbeat number followed in Étude No. 6 (I Got Rhythm). Mr. Egerton-Smith performed this work with complete freedom and enjoyment. This was also true for Étude No. 7 (Fascinatin’ Rhythm), which had élan and a tongue-in-cheek charm, especially in the waltz-like section. After bows, Mr. Egerton-Smith treated us to an improvised encore of Summertime from Porgy & Bess.

Mr. Egerton-Smith is a pianist and musician of the highest caliber. The second half of the program, in particular, showcased his deep connection to the repertoire, resulting in a generous and memorable experience for the listeners. I eagerly anticipate future performances by Mr. Egerton-Smith, hoping for the same electrifying energy that illuminated tonight’s second half, perhaps through more daring and innovative programming choices.

by Walter Aparicio for New York Concert Review; New York, NY