Present Music @40
Present Music celebrated its 40th anniversary with a diverse and intriguing concert last Thursday night in the atrium of the Calatrava addition to Milwaukee Art Museum, which was also livestreamed online. It’s an organization worth celebrating. Few cities in the U.S. have a successful and long-running series such as Present Music. With its many commissions, adventurous exploration of performing locations, and a loyal audience, it has long ago become a major fixture in the arts life of the city.
Co-artistic directors David Bloom and Eric Segnitz took over from founder Kevin Stalheim three years ago. They have brought a different point of view through their relationships with a variety of composers of various nationalities. No-No Boy (Julian Saporiti) kicked things off with contemplative pop/folk/art songs, singing as he played guitar. It is yet another example of PM's boldness in blurring lines of musical styles.
Anthony R. Green was heard in the monstrously difficult Piano Concerto: Solution, performed with brilliance by Eunmi Ko. Her startling grasp of composition, musicality and technique frankly wowed me. The only pianist I’ve heard in recent years to compare her to is international Chinese star Yuja Wang.
What would a 40th anniversary concert be without a world premiere? Daniel Kidane's Primitive Blaze was inspired by artist Bridget Riley's work of the same name. The composer describes it as a “raucous and roaring inferno.” It's an apt description of this sprawling, substantial piece. At times it blares with deliberately cacophonous sounds, fascinating in its fearlessness, with featured soloists in Thomas Giles on saxophone and Derek Johnson on electric guitar. These two instruments often double each other, creating an unusual timbre.
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Composer Viet Cuong's Re(new)al has three continual movements reflecting hydro, wind, and solar energies. It uses the snare drum, with four players on the instrument, in ways I've not heard before. Other invention comes in the use of the combination of traditional and non-traditional instruments.
Nina Shekhar's surprising and ... well, wild ... reimagination, titled Turn Your Feet Around, of the Gloria Estefan song “Turn the Beat Around” gave the pleasure of hearing a familiar tune turned on its head. I so admire David Bloom’s unflappable and elegant conducting, never over-reaching, no matter how harsh the music becomes.
