Inc.-ing
Last night was composer's inc. I have to say, I was considerably more pleased with this concert than the last few they've put on.
The first piece was piano preludes by a former teacher of mine, and I liked it, especially the third movement. I've heard some of his other pieces, mostly at these concerts, and I'd never really understood or appreciated them like I did this one. This one I got, it made sense to me in a way none of his other pieces had. Also the only one of his I've heard with a key signature. =)
The second piece was...eh. it was fine. but I didn't really get excited about it. And on a first hearing, I didn't necessarily follow it all that well either. and I heard no Odd Couple in it.
Third piece was one of the two I was excited to hear (the other being the first), it was a competition winner, and I met and hung out with the composer and Hdez last weekend. I thought it was great, there were a few things here or there that I could be nitpicky about and complain (like that occasionally the saxophone part went into a brief cheesy jazzy thing that didn't seem to fit, but certain gestures on saxophone just scream cheesy-smooth-jazz-crap, and I don't think there's a way to avoid that except to stay away from those gestures). But I enjoyed the piece very much, and Dale definately has amazing classical sax chops. I was especially excited because this piece felt new to me, the composer isn't much older than me, and, it's just so exciting to hear what's being written NOW that doesn't sound like it could have been written 20 years ago.
After intermission was kind of disappointing. The fourth piece was for violin and trumpet, an interesting combination that worked better than I expected until the trumpet player took out his mute. Then it was totally out of balance to me. And the piece, it was called "Fast Lane" but didn't feel like that to me. And didn't feel new either.
Last piece I didn't like. I was bored. it was long, didn't keep my attention, and felt like it had the same sort of tonal language for the whole thing. And why, dear God, why is it that this kind of music (that I cannot figure out how to more acurately describe. angular? dissonant? old and outdated?) is plagued with angular clarinet passages that end in some upward gesture to squeakiness? Why? It happens all the freaking time in 20th century stuff for clarinet. It's old. move on. do an angular line down to the bottom of the instrument for a change, eh?
The first piece was piano preludes by a former teacher of mine, and I liked it, especially the third movement. I've heard some of his other pieces, mostly at these concerts, and I'd never really understood or appreciated them like I did this one. This one I got, it made sense to me in a way none of his other pieces had. Also the only one of his I've heard with a key signature. =)
The second piece was...eh. it was fine. but I didn't really get excited about it. And on a first hearing, I didn't necessarily follow it all that well either. and I heard no Odd Couple in it.
Third piece was one of the two I was excited to hear (the other being the first), it was a competition winner, and I met and hung out with the composer and Hdez last weekend. I thought it was great, there were a few things here or there that I could be nitpicky about and complain (like that occasionally the saxophone part went into a brief cheesy jazzy thing that didn't seem to fit, but certain gestures on saxophone just scream cheesy-smooth-jazz-crap, and I don't think there's a way to avoid that except to stay away from those gestures). But I enjoyed the piece very much, and Dale definately has amazing classical sax chops. I was especially excited because this piece felt new to me, the composer isn't much older than me, and, it's just so exciting to hear what's being written NOW that doesn't sound like it could have been written 20 years ago.
After intermission was kind of disappointing. The fourth piece was for violin and trumpet, an interesting combination that worked better than I expected until the trumpet player took out his mute. Then it was totally out of balance to me. And the piece, it was called "Fast Lane" but didn't feel like that to me. And didn't feel new either.
Last piece I didn't like. I was bored. it was long, didn't keep my attention, and felt like it had the same sort of tonal language for the whole thing. And why, dear God, why is it that this kind of music (that I cannot figure out how to more acurately describe. angular? dissonant? old and outdated?) is plagued with angular clarinet passages that end in some upward gesture to squeakiness? Why? It happens all the freaking time in 20th century stuff for clarinet. It's old. move on. do an angular line down to the bottom of the instrument for a change, eh?
posted by Jessica at
2:27 PM
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