Above: composer Valerie Coleman
~ Author: Brad S Ross
Wednesday November 14th, 2018 - This a night of much sublime music and some irritating gimmickry in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The New York City-based chamber ensemble Decoda was performing “Revelers” — a mostly positive mixed bag of a program. Decoda, as the program rightly boasted, comprises “some of the brightest young classical musicians in the world” and is the first ever affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall. All players indeed shined brightly in a night of great music—music that was also partially sullied by some unfortunate (and mostly avoidable) distractions.
The evening began on the lively "Scherzo" (movement V) from Johannes Brahms Serenade No. 1 in D major from 1858. Written during the composer’s early period, the nonet already demonstrates a mature sense of form and color—a small foretaste of the works to come. While I’m not usually partial to movements being excised from larger works in this manner, its elegant composition and crisp performance made a welcoming introduction to the night’s the program.
Next up was Dance Preludes for nonet by the great 20th century composer Witold Lutosławski (above). Written during the grim political unrest following World War II in the composer’s native Poland, the piece derives loving influence from the folk music of his war torn homeland. Cast in five movements, it includes a mischievous "Allegro molto", a mysterious and expansive" Andantino", a vibrant "Allegro giocoso", an unsettling "Andante", and a vivacious concluding "Allegro molto". Played with exception by the Decoda ensemble, it’s easy to see why this has become one of Lutosławski’s more popular works.
Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel einmal anders!, arranged by the Austrian composer Franz Hasenöhrl, followed. Inspired by the great prankster of German literature, Strauss’s original Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche was written large orchestra. However, in this arrangement, which was cheekily re-titled “enimal anders!” or “differently, for once,” the music is skillfully reduced a mere quintet of winds and strings. Its rhythms were plucky and humorous, as befitting its subject matter, and the whole affair came off with whimsy and charming theatricality in its ten-minute length.
Next was one of the headline events of the evening; the world premiere of Valerie Coleman's Revelry. Coleman, a celebrated American flutist and composer, could already claim to be riding high after the phenomenal world premiere of her concerto for wind quintet Phenomenal Women with the Imani Winds at Carnegie Hall earlier this month. Apparently discontented with the thought of producing just one great new work this November, she and Carnegie Hall (which has commissioned both works) decided to give us a second for good measure. How spoiled we are!
A humorous pre-performance talk informed that Revelry was inspired by contrasting the kinds of revelry that occur when large groups gather, particularly when the consumption of alcohol is involved. Cast in two movements played without pause, “Mysterio” and “War,” the piece has a duration of approximately fifteen minutes and is scored for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and piano. It opens on menacing dissonances in the middle and lower registers —i ndeed, “menacing” is a word that could apply the mood of the entire piece. Numerous glissandi in the strings, fiercely offbeat passages for the violin and viola, unsettling drives by the bassoon, violent outbursts from the flute and piano, and numerous other colorful touches further demonstrated Coleman’s mastery of her craft. A full ensemble rush with several dissonant jabs followed by a monstrous, but tightly controlled cacophony announced its volatile conclusion. It was an exciting conclusion to another exciting world premiere by Coleman.
Above: composer Guillaume Connesson
Guillaume Connesson’s Techno-Parade for clarinet, flute, and piano was next. Composed in 2002, this fiercely contemporary trio featured a driving, almost unrelenting piano line that emulated the popular beats of electronic dance music. Dissonant and quite offbeat melodies in the clarinet and flute added a rich texture to the work, harkening to the jazzy tunes of Herbie Hancock or the film scores of Harold Faltermeyer. Though Techno-Parade was noisy and exciting, it thankfully didn’t outstay the welcome of its rather limited musical idea. The audience lit up afterward, indicating that the piece will surely have a long life in the contemporary chamber repertoire.
Following intermission was the "Rondo" from from Brahms’s Serenade. Once again, I see no need for concert programs to divide larger works like this—works that are meant to be heard in full and in order. However, the lush and stately "Rondo", brief as it was, made for an easy warm up for the next big event on the program.
Above: composer Brad Balliett
That event was the New York premiere of Brad Balliett's Reveler-Scherzos, the second piece from which the concert derived its name. Composed in either 2014 or 2015 (depending on whether we are to take the composer’s or the program’s word for it) for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn, the piece also features a distracting set of images by the artist Will Storie, which were projected, inescapably, on a large screen placed behind the performers. Though the music itself was ripe with individuality and memorable textures, the audience seemed to be more interested in Storie’s cheeky and it rather juvenile doodles; it had me wondering just how much attention was being paid to the music at all. There’s a discussion to be had about the usefulness of visual aids in classic music, but they should at least be utilized in service of the music and not vice versa. Storie’s art, I’m sorry to say, was just an annoyance.
The evening concluded on Francis Poulenc’s Sextet for Piano and Winds from 1932. At roughly eighteen minutes, this was handily the largest item on the program and its more-traditional harmonics made for a comforting and familiar way to sing the audience out. Divided into three movements, it consists of an upbeat "Allegro vivace", a warm "Divertissement: Andantino", and a somber and lyrical "Finale: Prestissimo". Essentially French in its musical style, the work also features touches of ragtime, jazz, and even a subtle comedic nod in the ""Andantino to the slow movements of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Its quiet finale produced the robust applause it deserved as the audience departed for the night.
One small drawback to Wednesday night’s concert, however, was the audience, who were somewhat more disruptive than normal. Applauding between movements may be forgiven (if forgiveness even needs granting), but late arrivals, premature departures, and general noisiness during performance go beyond wearisome at a certain point.
A marketing gimmick of this particular concert encouraged audience members to tweet about their “most memorable moment of revelry.” A pre-concert request to reserve this tweeting for intermission and after the program concluded did nothing to deter smartphone use during the performance, however, and the Weill Recital Hall was more than once blessed with the sound of them being dropped on the floor as their operators fumbled to use them discreetly in the dark. More than enough concerts are interrupted by cellphones as it is. Hopefully Decoda and Carnegie Hall will find less distracting ways to promote their events in the future.
~ Brad S Ross