Da Capo Chamber Players presents “Juxtapositions” in Review
Da Capo Ensemble: Steven Beck, piano; Marianne Glythfeldt, clarinet/bass clarinet; Curtis Macomber, violin; (Chris Gross, cello); Patricia Spencer, flute
Guest artists: James Baker, conductor; Lois Martin, viola; Michael Nicolas, cello; Yoshi Weinberg, flute/bass flute
Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, NY
December 11, 2022
For more than 50 years, the Da Capo Chamber Players have stood for excellence in performance, commissioning, and dissemination of contemporary chamber music. They show no signs of stopping any time soon. At its helm, the only original member of the group, flutist Patricia Spencer, whose playing would be the envy of many younger artists. And if you’ve ever entered the labyrinth of grant writing… well, then you know the value of her persistence and contribution.
It was fitting that the opening work on their excellent, challenging program was Charles Wuorinen’s Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1983). Wuorinen resisted writing program notes, asking the listener to take the work on its own terms. He once said in an interview that all he wanted was for “people to pay attention” to his (or anyone’s) music, but that apparently contemporary audiences haven’t been taught to do so. That is definitely not an issue with Da Capo’s devoted following, in the intimate gallery space of the Tenri Cultural Institute.
The one-movement piece is roughly ten minutes long. The trio tosses ideas and statements back and forth, at times talking over each other, but no voice is lost in the conversation. Curtis Macomber, Michael Nicolas, and Steven Beck were superb. By the way, cellist Michael Nicolas was a last-minute substitute for the ensemble’s regular cellist Chris Gross. Mr. Nicolas had a huge responsibility in learning this complex program, but we must remember that he is a member of the famed Brooklyn Rider and the International Contemporary Ensemble.
Amy Williams’s First Lines (2006) is a collection of eleven miniatures, each influenced by the first line(s) of a different poem, which require both the flutist and pianist to perform extended techniques. The poets are Marilyn Chin, Toi Derricotte, Patricia Goedicke, Colleen McElroy, and Olga Sedakova. Yoshi Weinberg and Steven Beck created haunting, specific atmospheres, and a stunning variety of sounds. I certainly appreciate program music, but I guess I have an issue with pieces for which it takes longer to read the program note than to hear the actual piece. If this work had no title(s), would it have been any less appreciable? (See Wuorinen, above.) After all, the poetry served to activate feelings within Ms. Williams, which were then turned into music. Just a lingering question I pose from time to time.
The first half concluded with Mario Davidovsky’s Quartetto No. 4 (2005), for string trio plus clarinet (Marianne Glythfeldt, Curtis Macomber, Lois Martin, Michael Nicolas). Davidovsky earned much renown for his use of electronics, so it was refreshing to hear an “acoustic” work, though of course all music is acoustic by definition. Motivic unity was easy to follow, largely because of the expert playing. The work doesn’t shout, rather it shines. Strings begin somewhat mysteriously, then the clarinet enters, more melodically, and the ensemble tries various strategies to coalesce, but the essential differences between strings and clarinet can only be appreciated, not overcome.
After intermission, the five core members of Da Capo (Ms. Glythfeldt, Ms. Spencer, Mr. Macomber, Mr. Beck, with substitute Mr. Nicolas) took the stage for Robert Martin’s Nighttime, the “senior” work on the program, from 1979. It seems like a long time ago but sounds as fresh as if it had been created last year. A one-movement nocturne, it appears to evoke shadows created (perhaps) by firelight. Sonorities were perfectly melded between clarinet, flute, and strings. Martin’s aims were to find a musical transposition of the art of Arshile Gorky and respond to the Armenian holocaust. It is not up to me to determine Martin’s worth. That speaks for itself. I do believe he achieved his aim of “wholeness and presence” in this work.
Lei Liang’s Gobi Canticle (2004) is part of a series of compositions that grew out the composer’s admiration for Mongolian music. Its melodic material is based on another work, Gobi Polyphony. The melody is played against its own inversion and alludes to various genres of Mongolian music. Here, the violin/cello duo of Mr. Macomber and Mr. Nicolas was ravishing, creating what I believe was my favorite work of the evening. The moods were meditative and evocative.
Finally, After Serra (2000), by Jason Eckardt, employed the full sextet, and conductor James Baker. This work seeks an equivalent in music for another art form, in this case the monumental metal sculpture shapes of Richard Serra. If you live in New York, you may recall how much trouble Serra’s Tilted Arc caused when it was installed in lower Manhattan. (Eventually, it was removed, cut into three sections, and placed in a warehouse.) Mr. Eckardt senses an imminent, potential danger in Serra and desires to create a similar instability with his music, and I daresay he succeeds. I’m not even sure that with this excellent ensemble, it needed to be conducted. The music surged and receded, then crashed, and relaxed, but not in a way that invited stability. The composer, in attendance, received his generous, well-deserved ovation.
There are two more concerts in the Da Capo season: Women and Jazz in February; and Young Composers Abound III in June. Don’t miss them!
