Orchestral Underground: Conversations Xx + Reviews Notations 21 Xx Music P.6 | Book P.12 | Performance P.16 Americans in Rome Xx
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NEW MUSIC CONNOISSEUR IS DEVOTED TO THE CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SCENE ORCHESTRAL UNDERGROUND: CONVERSATIONS XX + REVIEWS NOTATIONS 21 XX MUSIC p.6 | BOOK p.12 | PERFORMANCE p.16 AMERICANS IN ROME XX In Association with Composers Concordance, Inc. Volume 18 More at www.newmusicon.org Issue 1 March 2010 $4.95 U.S. + contributors Vol 18, No. 1 – March 20, 2010 BARRY L. COHEN is, as any reader familiar with these pages knows, a devotee of contemporary New Music Connoisseur is a semi-annual periodical focusing on music in all its many guises. With a distinguished the work of the composers of our time. career in many facets of publishing (Hearst Magazines, Curtis Publishing, Saturday Evening Post, Forbes), Barry founded New Music +++ Connoisseur 17 years ago, and until last year served as its Publisher and Editor-in-chief. PUBLISHER ANNE EISENBERG writes a column on new Center for Contemporary Opera developments in technology for The New York Jim Schaeffer, General Director Times. The column appears bi-weekly in the Durwood E. Littlefield, President Sunday Business section. in conjunction with DANIEL FELSENFELD is a composer who lives in New York City. The American Composers Alliance Gina Genova, Executive Director NANCY GARNIEZ enjoys a musical life that Hubert Howe, President includes performing, teaching, writing, record- ing, coaching, sight-singing, and scholarship. In 1992 she created Tonal Refraction®, a technique +++ that uses color and space to integrate learned concepts with the full range of subjective EDITOR-IN-CHIEF response to tone. Michael Dellaira LEONARD LEHRMAN, is the author of Marc Blitzstein: A Bio-Bibliography and co-author ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE of Elie Siegmeister, American Composer. A Jennifer Fair composer of over 196 works, he is the former Assistant Chorus Master at the Metropolitan WEBMASTER Opera and is the founder and director of the Mike Thurlow Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus. ART DIRECTION & DESIGN A published composer, BARRY O’NEAL recently Opus 1, Inc., Raleigh, NC retired after a 45 year career in the music pub- lishing business. He is planning to devote his time to writing about the music he loves as well ADVISORS as adding a few new works to his own catalog. Barry O’Neal Frank Oteri FRANK RETZEL has received some fine perfor- Kelley Rourke mances of his music, including the premiere of Eric Salzman Sapphire Cantos for organ. He is composing a Mark Zuckerman ballet on Poe and an opera. He teaches at St. John’s and Fordham Universities. FOUNDING PUBLISHER & EDITOR, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Barry L. Cohen ANDREW VIOLETTE (who hails from Bushwick, Brooklyn) is in the process of recording his com- +++ plete organ music. UltraViolette (a two CD music festival’s worth of chamber works) is coming out ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO: on Innova this month New Music Connoisseur c/o Center for Contemporary Opera on the cover: RODNEY WASCHKA writes computer programs 334 W. 23 St. to help him compose music for traditional human New York, NY 10011 Preston Trombly’s ensembles. He also performs as a vocalist/actor with electronic media and teaches at North Email: [email protected] // Web site: www.newmusicon.org Carolina State University. “Sonata #2”, mixed-media assemblage Subscriptions are $12.50 annually. New subscription requests, made from piano parts On The Cover: Preston Trombly change of address notifications and renewals should be submitted to in combination with TITLE OF WORK YOU CHOOSE - 2009 [email protected] or online at www.newmusicon.org. found objects/mixed media assemblage other materials pigments.and artist For advertising please contact Jennifer Fair at As a composer, Trombly’s music was widely performed especially in the 1970s and 80s. More [email protected]. recently his work as a visual artist has been rec- ognized with a number of exhibitions in the NY and tri-state areas. He also hosts a daily classical music program on Sirius/XM Radio. To see more of his recent work, visit www.prestontrombly.net 2 | New Music Connoisseur IN THIS ISSUE +++ Bravi To ................................................................ 4 Letters to the Editor ............................................ 4 A Note from the Editor ........................................ 5 +++ PERFORMANCE REVIEWS From the House of the Dead ................................... 6 A Dark and Thorny Night ........................................ 8 Orchestral Underground: Conversations.................. 10 The New York City Opera Returns Home ................ 11 Love Has A Bitter Core ......................................... 13 Flute 311 ............................................................. 14 Celebrating Ursula Mamlok.................................... 15 Soft Tones and Hard Hits ....................................... 16 A Passion for the 21st Century .............................. 18 +++ CD REVIEWS Monroe Golden: Alabama Places ............................ 20 Other Worldly Sax ................................................ 21 Virgil Moorefield: .................................................. 22 Things You Must Do to Get to Heaven Americans in Rome .............................................. 24 +++ on the cover: BOOK REVIEWS Notations 21 ........................................................ 26 Preston Trombly’s American Muse .................................................... 27 “Sonata #2”, The Life and Times of William Schuman mixed-media assemblage made from piano parts Dotted Notes ..................................................... 30 in combination with Advertiser Index ................................................ 30 other materials pigments.and artist Puzzle ................................................................ 31 spring 2010 | 3 Bridge Records, for receiving two Grammy PRISM, the classical saxophone quartet, for the + bravi to nominations: George Crumb’s “The Winds of feature article on the group written by Vivien Destiny,” with Soprano Barbara Ann Martin and Schweitzer in the NY Times, Jan. 31, 2010 in Orchestra 2001 led by James Freeman, and Yehudi anticipation of its appearance at Le Poisson Wyner’s Piano Concerto Chiavi In Mano, with Rouge that evening. The article quotes members pianist Robert Levin and the Boston Symphony discussing how the group has developed over Orchestra under Robert Spano. the past 25 years from a quartet with limited literature to a fully accepted musical force Yehudi Wyner, for his Grammy nomination of for which many new works are now being Chiavi In Mano, released by Bridge Records. (See written. Prism is currently made up of Timothy Bridge) McAllister, Zachary Shemon, Taimur Sullivan and Matt Levy. [You can read the article – if still Susan Narucki, for receiving the Samuel Sanders online – at www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/arts/ Collaborative Artist Award for “The Light that is music/31prism.html] Felt – Songs of Charles Ives,” a CD released by New World Records (80680). She and her collaborator, Judith Shatin, for her appointment as resident pianist Donald Berman, were honored at the annual composer at California Summer Music and at Classical Recording Foundation ceremony and Wintergreen Performing Arts during July, 2010. benefit held at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Both institutions will feature her music, and she last Nov. 24th. will serve as master teacher for the composition programs. Elliott Carter, on the occasion of his 101st birthday (Dec. 8, 2009), which was celebrated [As always, Bravi to... is expressly designed for NMC on February 1, 2010 by Bridge Records with the subscribers and supporters. If you are in that category, scheduled release of “Elliott Carter, Vol. 8,” a two- we invite you to submit your outstanding news to us disc set that focuses on Carter’s most recent work promptly (e-address is on page 2)... Please note that italics indicate a complete composition, quote marks the (15 in all). The dates indicate that he composed title of a CD album.] at least 3 works at the age of 100. (See Recent Releases for further details.) Dear NMC, + letter to the While at times complimentary I thought your placing various pieces of music I’ve composed editor comments in the “Picture This” article in your last against this repeating trailer. I find the results issue about my music and videos for the most quite interesting.” Now maybe you didn’t find + part lacking insight and very general. I already it interesting, but I don’t consider it mystifying. Errata: In the last issue of NMC stated in a private letter to you why and won’t Certainly the music itself was worth comment- (Letters, p. 5), we neglected repeat it here, but in particular your comments ing on not to mention the concept or editing. to mention that letter about Variations on a Thin Red Line (“a video writer Donald Nally also that runs far too long for its content, especially as If anyone is interested they can find Variations happens to be the Chorus Master at the Lyric Opera images are continually repeated, is mystifying”) on a Thin Red Line, other videos and many of Chicago. misses the point and still don’t make sense to me. samples of my music at: charlesmazarakes.com We also apologize to and myspace.com/charlesmazarakes Sergio Cervetti (Recordings, I stated in the intro to this piece - “As an experi- p. 17) for citing the ment I’ve cut a trailer from a cool film by Terrence Charles Mazarakes, Composer incorrect country of his Malick called The Thin Red Line and began San Diego, CA birth. It is Uruguay, not Ecuador. 4 | New Music Connoisseur a note from the editor * For the past