Photo via Present Music
American composer David Lang (b. 1957) was heard with “learn to fly” from the larger work these broken wings. This is a serious-minded, energetic ensemble piece in a minimalist style that couldn’t have been easy to play. Colorful video images were laid over the shots of the players, conducted by co-artistic director David Bloom.
Four moody movements of Life by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen (b. 1939) were played, though not in succession, but rather spread throughout the program. British composer Daniel Kidane (b. 1986) introduced Winged, which was inspired by starling mumurations, formations in the sky created at twilight. The excellent electric guitarist Derek Johnson was featured, as he was on most of the concert.
Another British composer, Tansy Davies (b. 1973), was represented with Neon, a sassy splash of a piece. Neon Lights by Israeli composer Aviya Kopelman (b. 1978) quoted Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” in various ways. It was wild to hear an electric guitar sailing through famous phrases from that music. Its jazzy/rock flavor gave some good variety to the concert.
Bloom created an arrangement of jazz composer Henry Threadgill’s Old Locks and Irregular Verbs, Part IV. As he has shown in various pieces over the last couple of seasons, Bloom is vividly creative as an arranger, choosing sounds for each instrument with care and color.
It’s not easy to make a concert like this a visual statement, but the elaborate video production by TankThink, directed by Ryan Sarnowski, kept things interesting. All the musicians were impressive, as we have come to expect from Present Music. Besides the aforementioned Johnson, they included Jennifer Clippert (flutes), William Helmers (clarinets), Nicki Roman (saxophones), Don Sipe (trumpet), Carl Storniolo (percussion), John Orfe (piano and keyboard), Jeanyi Kim-Mandl (violin), Eric Segnitz (violin), Erin Pipal (viola), Adrien Zitoun (cello), and Christian Dillingham (double bass and electric bass).
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