by FoMOne of my favorite new holiday traditions is the NY Phil's CONTACT new music series, which for the past three years has taken place a couple of weeks before Christmas. (There's a separate program scheduled for June.) Started by music director Alan Gilbert and composer-in-residence Magnus Lindberg during Gilbert's first season in 2009, CONTACT has commissioned some 14 world premieres to date, in addition to reviving numerous infrequently performed works from the last century. It's a great idea, long overdue. And, if the idea of contemporary music scares the Brahms out of you, you can go see the rest of the Phil play Messiah for the umpteenth time instead.
The three works on Friday night's program at the Met Museum represented a wide range of musical styles. First up was the world premiere of Brazilian composer Alexandre Lunsqui's Fibers, Yarn, and Wire: a wild, kinetic work full of Doppler-effect like phasing and spikiness reflecting Lunsqui's jazz background. Speaking about his own Gran Duo (2000) for woodwinds and brass, Lindberg said that he wanted the work to sound "like an orchestra where the strings didn't arrive on time." Alternating between melodic fanfares and dark, dissonant phrases, it was simultaneously soothing and unsettling.
After intermission, Gilbert accepted Columbia University's Ditson Conductor's Award onstage, awarded each year to a conductor who champions contemporary music. To his credit, Gilbert was unassuming in his brief acceptance speech. "I'm happy to accept this award, but it feels a bit strange to be recognized for this aspect of my music making. It feels normal to me."
By far the best known work on the program was HK Gruber's Frankenstein!! (1976), which has become something of a contemporary classic. In comments prior to the performance, Gruber said his intention was to "destroy the halo around classical music, a little bit." By any measure, Frankenstein!! is a zany piece, with the musicians waving tube horns, percussionist Chris Lamb inflating and exploding paper bags, and Gruber himself playing whistles, wood blocks and a kazoo saxophone, among other toy instruments. Throughout, Gruber was wildly engaging as he sang/recited the children's rhymes of HC Artmann with clown-like charisma rarely seen in a composer (much less one from Vienna.) If it was all a bit silly and nonsensical, it was certainly fun and engaging. Why can't more music be like this?
More pics on the photo page.
I love Frankenstein!! but I wish somebody other than Gruber would do it so that it might have a shelflife after he goes.
When I saw the Baltimore Symphony do it, the orchestra members crumpled out the exploded paper bags and tossed them around while warming up for Beethoven 8.
I love Frankenstein!! but I wish somebody other than Gruber would do it so that it might have a shelflife after he goes.
When I saw the Baltimore Symphony do it, the orchestra members crumpled out the exploded paper bags and tossed them around while warming up for Beethoven 8.
I love Frankenstein!! but I wish somebody other than Gruber would do it so that it might have a shelflife after he goes.
When I saw the Baltimore Symphony do it, the orchestra members crumpled out the exploded paper bags and tossed them around while warming up for Beethoven 8.
I love Frankenstein!! but I wish somebody other than Gruber would do it so that it might have a shelflife after he goes.
When I saw the Baltimore Symphony do it, the orchestra members crumpled out the exploded paper bags and tossed them around while warming up for Beethoven 8.
I love Frankenstein!! but I wish somebody other than Gruber would do it so that it might have a shelflife after he goes.
When I saw the Baltimore Symphony do it, the orchestra members crumpled out the exploded paper bags and tossed them around while warming up for Beethoven 8.
I love Frankenstein!! but I wish somebody other than Gruber would do it so that it might have a shelflife after he goes.
When I saw the Baltimore Symphony do it, the orchestra members crumpled out the exploded paper bags and tossed them around while warming up for Beethoven 8.