Present Music has long been the most adventurous classical group in town in exploring concert venues. Last Thursday evening, the group went a step further with a new take on a familiar hall. Rather than conventional seating in UW-Milwaukee’s Helene Zelazo Center, the audience was in about 100 chairs in a semi-circle on the stage, surrounding the musicians. It was an inspired idea.
The set-up—with the audience six feet away from the musicians—was ideal for a program titled “In the Chamber.” The intimate acoustics were a revelation. This was one of the best chamber music listening experiences I’ve ever encountered.
Michael Torke’s music from the 1980s and ’90s was usually a cheerful, major key statement in a decidedly minor key era. The Yellow Pages (1985) is a busy, bustling, attractive stroll through evolving musical topics for six players. Kamran Ince’s Curve (1996) for string quartet is evocative and appealing—especially its contemplative opening section that conjures a mood of artful ache for something just out of grasp. Its rambunctious subsequent sections didn’t captivate the ear to the same degree.
Caroline Mallonée’s witty Unless Acted Upon (2011) succinctly explores physics in six sections: Newton’s Cradle, Friction, Gravity, Push, Bounce and Magnetism. This composer shows a brilliant grasp of color, invention, discipline and brevity. Ken Thomson’s Don Pullen Says It’s OK (2011) was earnest, nostalgic and quite beautiful.
I was extremely taken by Christopher Cerrone’s The Branch Will Not Break (premiered by Present Music in November); so I was anxious to hear his Sonata for Violin and Piano (2015). I was engaged throughout, but found its relentlessness riding the line between mesmerizing and off-putting. Pierre Jalbert’s Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano (2011) seems a timeless masterwork; referencing traditions from the past but sounding fresh, it balances intellect and emotion with refined sophistication.
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The excellent musicians included Eric Segnitz (violin), Naha Greenholtz (violin), Maria Ritzenthaler (viola), Adrien Zitoun (cello), Jennifer Clippert (flute), William Helmers (clarinet) and the indispensable Cory Smythe (piano). Present Music Artistic
Director Kevin Stalheim conducted one piece and introduced it with informal charm.
