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Comments from ACO's January
9, 2000 "Roots" Concert
Continuing ACO's thematic Millennium series, "20th Century
Snapshots," ACO's January 9 concert was entitled
"Roots." ACO Music Director Dennis Russell Davies called
the program "four centuries of American music." The program
included a work by John Cage based on themes of
18th Century American composer William Billings; Amy Beach's
late 19th Century "Gaelic" Symphony;
and two entries from the newest century: world premieres by Muhal
Richard Abrams and Daniel Bernard Roumain.
Even with such a diverse program, several listeners felt there was a
musical "thread" that ran through the concert: "The multitude of cultural influences
made all the music uniquely American." "Reaching out, breaking new ground,
challenging the safe and accepted,
but digging deep into our heritage--
creating new sounds from American experiences."
Five of the eight "Quartets" by John Cage were performed in
Cage's version for 41 players. Each of the five movements was based
on musical material by the early American composer William Billings.
Cage specified an unusual seating for the orchestra musicians,
spreading them around the stage. To Billings's material, Cage applied
his well-known "chance procedures" dropping voices and
lines from Billings's hymn tunes. "Cage's piece affected me the most by far.
Mostly the silences in between notes and the visual factor--
all instruments separated so that a 'bouncing' effect occurred
in seeing each instrument respond to another and slightly overlapping." "it was constructive to hear how Cage has synthesized the found material" "a happy revelation! I always knew the man had a sense of humor." "a breath of fresh air." "I was surprised by the emptiness." "inspired remarkable images of scenes in my mind--
an old wooden church... a lighthouse in the mist."
Not everyone was impressed though: "Leaves me cold" "almost as insubstantial as the $3 mini-cup
of coffee I bought at intermission." "Why was the Cage performed? Down to the dregs, are we?" "Superficially reminiscent of Anton Webern--
though their approaches and intents were very different
from each other. Webern also knew when to stop." "I spent the Cage piece in intellectual exercises,
trying to figure out what was going on."
Amy Beach's late 19th Century Symphony based on Irish folk tunes and
Irish-sounding original material composed by Ms. Beach provided a
late-Romantic period centerpiece to the program. For many, the Beach
was unknown and a welcome surprise on the program: "I was amazed that Amy Beach's Symphony has not
had more hearings by major orchestras." "I know and lover her Piano Quintet,
but I was not ready for the color, the textures,
the harmonic surprises, the exciting rhythms,
the extension of phrases.
In short, it seemed to me a masterful control of detail." "Played with energy and feeling, it was a joy." "Good use of melody and orchestral timbre." "Glory and richness... Romantic in the best sense:
very melodic, lots of change of rhythm, rich harmonies." "I think that Mrs. Beach and Will Marion Cook were superior
to their contemporaries--and that we have been
deprived by their exclusion from programs." "Only Amy Beach Symphony sounded purely American."
For some, the work inspired images or comparison to other composers: "suggests post Civil War victory,
followed by dance and local peasant-type music." "Inspired marvelous images of large birds flying overhead.
I had visions of nature, sometimes vast open spaces,
sometimes mountains, always idyllic, organic." "Last movement sounded like Tchaikovsky." "Reminded me of Copland at times."
And some felt the work overplayed its hand: "Only a politically correct trend would advance the cause of
ersatz Dvorak and MacDowell--Amy Beach! Give it a rest!! "Beach sounded decidedly northern European,
like Dvorak with Wagnerian pretenses."
One listener, impressed by the Cage, but obviously disappointed with
the Beach questioned the order of the program: "would have been even more welcome if it had been scheduled
after the Beach. Placing the Beach after Cage was like
following purity with bombast and pollution!!!"
Muhal Richard Abrams is a composer as well as a pianist, better known
for his creative improvisations than his works for the concert hall.
ACO presented the world premiere of this newly commissioned work: "Mr. Abrams is a very important creative artist--
composition being but one of his avenues of expression.
I am glad to hear his music every chance that I get."
Abrams newly commissioned work elicited the widest range of comments
of any work on the program. For some there was strong imagery and
dramatic content: "Great potential as musical score for a cinematic yet-to-be
announced sequel to '2001' or another space odyssey." "Evokes choreographic images, therefore--won't some talented
modern dance master adopt this work and get busy turning it
into a 21st century ballet extraordinaire. Bravo! Mr. Abrams." "Highly provocative. My heart raced. I had fantasies of doing
extraordinary things... I felt goaded, urged on to do something,
full of fire... like a horse with a burr under its saddle blanket." "Wonderful. Had very different sounds like birds and nature." "taught construction" "it touched me very much" "Pleasing and interesting and annoying all at the same time.
It struck me as quite sophisticated, rich, earthy, mature, sensual."
Still, for other listeners the work came up short: "sounded like it still needed editing." "pedantic and unfocused... little forward movement."
The second premiere on the program, 'Harlem Essay' brought together
elements of urban pop music and the orchestra. Mr. Roumain is a
Harlem resident and he set out to make an autobiographical piece
about his neighborhood. The tape part included multi-tracked vocals
and instrumentals as well as narrative, spoken by some of his
neighbors. Many were impressed with the cross-over: "Congratulations for breaking that barrier between classical music
and hip hop. I honestly believe you have succeeded and I also think
that you change the mindset of a lot of people." "People walked out of that concert with an open mind set about
Harlem and the people that reside there." "A great opportunity for visualization--exciting happenings,
Romare Beardon (and others) coming to life on a very large stage." "so much New York... a joy to listen to" "Innovative, multi-dimensional, yet unified with spirit
and sound--a very exciting work." "fantastic and unusual" "I was bowled over by Daniel Roumain's Harlem Essay...
The integration of tape and acoustic elements." "Boy! Harlem Essay was beautiful, evocative, and powerful! "Wonderful, inspiring, Mr. Roumain!" "Mr. Roumain is very gifted. I'm no fan of hip-hop,
but HE is part of the future, and I trust him." "it rocked" "A sincere piece and I was moved by it.
Harlem Essay seemed to reach across the color-barrier reaching both
black and white listeners. One listener, who felt compelled to reveal
that she was white, middle aged and from the midwest said: "It spoke to the psyche of our lives.
The music felt as if it came from and through my soul."
And another listener, a long-time Harlem resident, was inspired to
write a three-page letter, excerpted here: "I was born in Harlem in 1911...
We lived at 18 West 117th Street, 2nd floor front and I attended PS 184...
I was taught to play the piano--the three B's first took hold,
but jazz came later. Rhythm, harmony, voice and melody...
I found it all in to 'Harlem Essay.'"
But for a few the work was little more than a loud provocation: "earplugs needed... if the orchestra can wear them,
why not we in the audience?" "Don't cheapen the music experience by pandering to an element
of our society that uses low class, foul language.
Do we really need this in order to make the music meaningful?" "graffiti-like meanderings" "ambling, rambling, scrambling, overload and disorganized" "I was embarrassed to see the musicians vocalizing and screaming epithets...
but I admired them for being good sports." "the poor orchestra got drowned out now and the by the electronic pyrotechnics."
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