Da Capo Chamber Players presents Young Composers Abound III in Review
Da Capo Chamber Players
Curtis Macomber, violin; Marianne Gythfeldt. Clarinet; Christopher Gross, cello
Guest Artists: Roberta Michel, flute; Lois Martin, viola; Molly Morkoski, piano
Tenri Institute, New York, NY
June 11, 2023
It is a special pleasure to review an ensemble that was just creating a name for itself 51 years ago when this reviewer was a young child. Anyone in New York interested in new music over the past half a century has most likely known of the Da Capo Chamber Players for their many concerts and distinctions, starting with their Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 1973. They’ve given premieres of works by Elliott Carter, Joan Tower, George Perle, Shulamit Ran, and countless noted composers, many of whom have composed works just for them (totaling over 150). Though the only original member of the ensemble is now flutist Patricia Spencer, and she was not performing in this weekend’s concert at Tenri, Da Capo did present three of its stellar regular members, including violinist Curtis Macomber, clarinetist Marianne Gythfeldt, and cellist Christopher Gross. Their usual pianist, the uniquely gifted Steven Beck, was also absent from this concert, but guest pianist Molly Morkoski gave performances all evening that would be hard to surpass, if not impossible. To expand the forces for this concert – a celebration of young composers – the ensemble brought in excellent guest artists Roberta Michel (flutist) and Lois Martin (violist).
The program started with Look Again (2013, also listed in the program as 2014) by Jessica Mays (b. 1986). It turned out to be one of my favorite works on the program. Composed for flute, clarinet, cello, piano, and violin, it centers on the experience of grief and (in the composer’s words) “that experience of shock while facing the unknown and repetitive rumination that accompanies the grief cycle.” It was a refreshing – and surprisingly rare – experience to hear music that corresponded so perfectly with the composer’s written description and stated intent, though the music itself evoked more than those words ever could. Bursts of sound and large gestures conveyed shock, alternating with doleful repeated tones (especially from the piano) suggesting the relentless revisiting of thoughts in a mind that is simply trapped by grief. The players were united in their dedication to communicating the work’s essence, and they succeeded. It was both stimulating to the imagination and stirring to the emotions, the work of a fresh and sincere voice in the composition world.
The second of the five works we heard was a 2014 one by Durban-born Andile Khumalo (b. 1978) who currently teaches in South Africa and whose US connections include a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Columbia University with George Lewis. His work on this program was Schaufe[r]inster II for solo piano- and yes, you read that correctly as a title and not an editor’s marking. As the composer writes, “The title of this piano series comes from a combination of two German words ‘Schaufenster’ (display window) and ‘schau fern’ (look farther away) … The two words triggered the idea of detailed observation or enhanced sensitivity towards observation or listening.” With wordplay already involving some brain-teasing, the composer continues with references to spectralism, the interlocking techniques of African xylophones, and research into the approach to the timbre of the ama Xhosa, some of which this listener imagines she may have heard in it – some not. Frankly, given the live acoustics at Tenri, the harshness of parts (especially in its second section) impeded truly receptive listening. With persistent focus, though, one could hear the glimmers of its many intriguing ideas. This listener was doing more searching than finding, but that may have been the composer’s aim. The pianist did a commendable job navigating the work’s myriad challenges and complexities, from fleet finger work and rapid leaps to handling disjunct material.
The third work on the program was Prelude (2019), a duo for cello and piano, composed by Katherine Balch (b. 1991). Composed for Zlatomir Fung and Tengku Irfan, it was (in the composer’s words) “written to precede attacca into” the Brahms E minor Cello Sonata without pause, though she adds that “it may also be performed alone” – which of course it was here, given the program’s focus on new young composers. Aside from its ending on the dominant (B) of the E minor key of the sonata, one was hard-pressed to connect this work with Brahms, though undoubtedly such a new piece requires more listening and study. It was certainly full of great tonal and timbral variety, from the bell-like prepared piano effects to a variety of bowing techniques and the highest cello range imaginable, where sighing motives resembled seagull cries. Once again, percussive treble attacks were painful to hear in this space, but apart from those, it was a compelling performance. One could hardly ask for a more committed duo than that of Gross and Morkoski.
On a side note, one drawback of such a contemporary music series is what amounts to the segregation of new music from old. A composition designed to precede a specific Brahms work left this listener pining to re-hear the Brahms itself, as originally planned by the composer, and surely the newness and Romanticism would have complemented each other while making connections between them more apparent. Though the Brahms would have made this program twenty-five minutes too long, perhaps down the road Da Capo can experiment a bit more with diachronically themed programs, even on a small scale. Just as toddlers and seniors are now found to be mutually beneficial in intergenerational living experiments (ha! – after many societies already knew it), the same concept can enhance a musical experience. There could still be an emphasis on the new.
After intermission, we heard a piece called Trinket (2013), composed by Wang Lu (b. 1982). With paper clips on the piano strings and numerous effects for the cello, violin, and flute (plus piccolo), it tickled the ears as one might have imagined from its title. Ms. Lu writes (after stating that her piece had “no program note”) that the title indicates “a tiny box. It is shiny and sharp on the edges. Who knows what’s inside but we can hear sounds from the outside. We want to open it, we turn it around and around in our hands. But maybe it’s better not to open it, and only listen to it from the outside.” For “no program note” that was one of the most helpful notes imaginable for what we then heard. With the long rests between opening tones conveying the box’s mystery, its sharpness conveyed in its clear-cut phrases and percussiveness, and its sheen heard especially in the flute part, one could absolutely imagine this box, dream of some humorous possibilities inside it – and also have a healthy fear of it. It could have been called “Pandora” with its later recurring Dies Irae snippets (just four notes here which, then circled back up), but the word “Trinket” was a far more colorful (and somewhat onomatopoeic) choice. The ensemble was, as expected, superb.
The final work on the program was Enclosed Position (2014) by Matthew Ricketts (b. 1986). Composed for alto flute, clarinet, string trio, and piano, it is a stunning piece, built from (as the composer describes it) “a harmonic vocabulary which traces a zagged path through the chords of Ravel and Massenet, which start rather similarly but then modulate in different directions.” The program notes are too long to quote sufficiently here, but suffice it to say that they confirmed much of what a listener could hear and feel. One heard in it both the sadness and sensuality of the musicians who inspired it, and at its very quiet end, one could hear that often-mentioned pin drop. It seemed not the typical silence of an audience wondering whether an unfamiliar piece was over – but more the silence of an audience hoping it was not over.
Bravo to Da Capo for so many great performances and compositions – and cheers to their upcoming 52nd season!
