Present Music’s ‘Holy Liftoff’ at Milwaukee Art Museum

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Photo by Samer Ghani via Present Music - Facebook

Claire Chase in Present Music's ‘Holy Liftoff’

Claire Chase in Present Music's ‘Holy Liftoff’

It seemed purely coincidental that Present Music’s season opener at the Milwaukee Art Museum fell on Halloween night. If anything, this was a journey from darkness to light. The pre-concert gallery talk explored an exhibit of black-and-white photography and giant charcoal drawings by Robert Longo, with blunt images of political power and social struggle. In a particularly memorable video installation, a photo of migrants in a boat was slowly torn just above the migrants’ line of sight, revealing a black void. These images were haunting, presenting the horror of certain global realities.

In contrast, the musical program of Terry Riley’s new work The Holy Liftoff offered whimsy and lightness, heralded by some of his original illustrated scores hung near the entrance. Musical notation sat side by side with birds, angels, and various colorful flourishes. Flutist Claire Chase, who commissioned the piece, received many such illustrations during the collaborative process. Riley’s cartoon characters were meant to guide the interpretation and attitude of the performance. Later he began sending through-composed chunks of the piece. The conversation eventually resulted in a concert realization, with help from composer Samuel Clay Birmaher, for eight-part flute chorus and string quartet. 

Launching Minimalism

Terry Riley, now in his 90th year, is most well-known for his landmark composition In C from 1964, which helped to launch the Minimalist movement. The Holy Liftoff feels like a grand culmination of the styles and influences he has explored, from Eastern modes to hypnotic interlocking patterns.

Claire Chase described “holy liftoff” in her introduction as “the ecstatic joy of the creative process,” and that joy came across in the music’s unfolding. The opening chorale, played by Chase with prerecorded parts on other flutes, gave an impression of upward motion and expectation. Twists and turns gave to way to various pastoral byways. The evocation of bird calls and lush beds of strings and flute choirs frequently conjured peaceful forest scenes. This was enhanced by Chase’s presence; in a green romper and constantly animated, she often resembled an elvish piper.

Over the course of the piece, Chase was a magnetic performer. Whether she was hoisting a giant contrabass flute or even just waiting during a string interlude, she always felt the music. Her face and mannerisms were an open book, connecting with the moods portrayed in Riley’s cartoons. Her precision and leadership through this kaleidoscopic musical journey, playing every instrument in the flute family, added up to an impressive feat.

Each major section of the piece was announced by a recording of Riley’s voice. Sometimes these headings were audible and sometimes they were a little hard to catch. It would have been nice to have these specifically noted in the program. As much as I enjoyed sections that grooved with forward motion, some of my favorite parts were more overtly minimalist. I remember these moments as delicate loops of balance and poise. A beautiful elegiac section featured the flute in dialogue with the strings, developing into agitated trills.

In Riley’s clearest section title, “All rise,” the music kicked into energetic gear. Some minor ensemble issues emerged here in the string quartet; between this and a few moments of iffy string intonation, these were the only real knocks on this performance. In the final minutes, Riley let the ensemble go wild with improvisation over a pulsing foundation. It was fun stuff!

Present Music deserves a lot of credit for seeking out and producing these types of singular music performances. Major evening-length new works are hard to mount, and between this and The Blue Hour from last season, Present Music has hosted two this year! I am excited to see this continued ambition and commitment to composers creating on a broad canvas.