Readying For The Composer Invasion
Our annual Composer Institute starts up again next week, and since Sarah and I have blogged about it quite a bit in past years, I won't rehash the basics. But I wanted to quickly draw attention to NewMusicBox, the much-respected online resource for composers and fans of new music, which has once again convinced one of the participating composers in our Institute to keep a running blog of the goings-on.
His first post is up already, and since NewMusicBox doesn't seem to have a tag that will take you to all CI-related content, I'll try to remember to link to his future posts as well. But in case I miss one, just bookmark the site's front page - they usually do a good job of really featuring the Institute during the week it's going on.
By the way, nearly all this year's participating composers have personal web sites with extensive audio clips. So if you'd like to get to know their work before next Saturday's FutureClassics concert wraps up the Institute, check them out here...
His first post is up already, and since NewMusicBox doesn't seem to have a tag that will take you to all CI-related content, I'll try to remember to link to his future posts as well. But in case I miss one, just bookmark the site's front page - they usually do a good job of really featuring the Institute during the week it's going on.
By the way, nearly all this year's participating composers have personal web sites with extensive audio clips. So if you'd like to get to know their work before next Saturday's FutureClassics concert wraps up the Institute, check them out here...
Angel Lam
Hong Kong
Spencer Topel
Hanover, NH
Roger Zare
Sarasota, FL
Fernando Buide
Santiago, Spain
Kathryn Salfelder
Boston, MA
Carl Schimmel
Grinnell, IA
Geoff Knorr
Baltimore, MD
Hong Kong
Spencer Topel
Hanover, NH
Roger Zare
Sarasota, FL
Fernando Buide
Santiago, Spain
Kathryn Salfelder
Boston, MA
Carl Schimmel
Grinnell, IA
Geoff Knorr
Baltimore, MD
posted by Sam at
2:37 PM
2 Comments:
Hey, I recognize that name! Spencer Topel was the TA for the Cornell Symphony Orchestra a few years back. Congrats Spencer!
WOW! A very deluxe presentation this year at the Composer Institute concert. The quality of the pieces was even higher than last year, which you wouldn't think possible.
In this time of budget crisis and cuts across the board, I am so gratified that this program is carrying on and prospering. Something like this could easily get axed elsewhere, but fortunately for us, we have a committed group of orchestra players, and more than anything, a committed Music Director.
Last year I actually compiled a ranking of the compositions, starting with my favorite. I'm not going to do that this year, mostly because it's not possible for me to do. Having said that, there were a couple of standouts, however.
First of all, Kathryn 'Salfelder's Dessin No. 1', was my favorite by a large margin, and I suspect a majority of the audience's too. No doubt, a major talent at work here. Not surprisingly, the music sounded very French - actually rather Ravelian at times, but with a fresh twist. This was extremely high-quality music.
My 2nd favorite work was Fernando Buide's 'Antiphones'. A very well done piece indeed. I loved it.
After that, it's really a virtual tie...I would say Carl Schimmel's 'Woolgatherer’s Chapbook' and Geoff Knorr's 'Shadows of the Infinite', were both pieces I liked a lot. Although I didn't like Angel Lam's 'In Search of Seasons' as much as some of the other pieces, I won't deny that this is a major, major work.
Roger Zare with his 'Aerodynamics' did a nice job too, as did Spencer Topel with the 'Incendio'. They weren't quite as memorable for me perhaps, but I would be more than happy, in fact grateful, to hear any of these pieces again on a regular subscription program.
One thing I noticed this year is that none of the pieces had cheap effects to them...no extremely loud and unwarranted effects. Everything seemed more subdued and more deeply thought out.
Truly wonderful.
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