Photo by Angela Morgan
Present Music returned to Anodyne Coffee for a concert last Thursday evening. Titled “Connecting in the Chamber,” it studied the historical inspirations behind contemporary works.
Going back as far as possible for stimulus, Harry Partch’s Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (transcribed for string quartet by Ben Johnston) are lovely, moody, modal melodies. Carlo Gesualdo’s shockingly chromatic Moro lasso, al mio duolo of 1610 (arranged for string quartet) was followed by Bruce Adolphe’s More or Less (A Reaction to Moro lasso). Adolphe wonderfully captured the expressionistic exaggerations and colors of Gesualdo’s unusual Renaissance style.
Sofia Gubaidulina, one of the major Russian talents to emerge in the Soviet era, was heard in Reflections on the Theme B-A-C-H for string quartet. This is substantial work in a decidedly non-American aesthetic, a thoughtful rethinking of Bach. To represent the Classical era, pianist Cory Smythe played bits of Mozart’s Piano Sonata in B-Flat Major (K. 281), and reacted to them with elegant and fresh improvisation.
Smythe continued with Maurice Ravel’s Scarbo (the finale of his suite Gaspard de la nuit), considered to be one of the most difficult pieces ever written for piano. Smythe’s playing was astounding and brilliant in this and the work it inspired, John Zorn’s Novalis, a giddy exploration of what is possible for a virtuoso player. It suddenly felt as if we should have been in a real concert hall with sympathetic acoustics, with Smythe playing a great piano.
Other pieces didn’t fit this historical chronology, and seemed to be obstacles in the flow of the concept. Despite its Latin title, Kamran Ince’s rather lengthy Fortuna Sepio Nos (for clarinet, cello and piano) seemed out of place. Why program selections from Igor Stravinsky’s 97-year-old L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)? Its “connections” seemed too obtuse for this program. A deliberate but forgivable abandonment of the concept came in the finale, Nico Muhly’s affable and attractive Motion for the entire ensemble.
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Anodyne Coffee is a friendly, interesting place for a concert, though its intimate acoustics are on the dry side. My compliments to the excellent musicians of Present Music.
