Mussorgsky and Symond.

Last night's Fright Night at Saint Brigid's was an experience in storytelling. During first half, as I listened to Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death, a few thoughts came to me. I was reflecting upon the way that great storytelling can be what separates a good singer from a great. Take for instance, Pomakov and the Mussorgsky. Here we have a work that ponders different aspects of death - from that of a child, to a mother, to nature and finally the death of soldiers in war. The objective elements of the music are in place: the notes, rhythms, dynamics, etc., and of course the text or story. The storytelling paradox of the work, however, lies in the fact that the text is in Russian, and that the average western concert-goer will not explicitly understand the meaning of the text. We are left then, with the performer, Pomakov, who, having mastered the objective standards of the song, must then imply the meaning of the text through his control of emotion, nuance, body language, and movement, in an effort draw in the audience, and share with them the content of the repertoire. This is no small feat, and may account for why we can consider Pomakov's performance last night to be not only good, but great.

Unbeknown to me, the second half of the concert would share a different treatment of storytelling, as performers took the stage to present Canadian composer Norm Symonds' setting of Oscar Wylde's The Canterville Ghost. Here, however, the text was explicit and easy to understand, while the accompanying music was more abstract. Instead of the musical expression illuminating the meaning of the text, as in the Mussorgsky, the text in Symonds' work served, in a way, to illustrate the meaning of the sounds which accompanied it.

I found that in many ways, Symonds' musical accompaniment was reminiscent of the music we often find backing a cartoon - extremely programmatic, over the top, often whimsical and at times serious (if not a hair overdramatic). In reflection, I can see how one may used those same descriptors to describe the literary work's of Wilde. It was this way that Symonds was able to marry the text with music. The piece was well executed and extremely entertaining.

This concert was an example of the type of artistic and innovative programming that creates a stimulating musical atmosphere in which our art form can be supported and flourish. Keep it up!


Craig Pedersen
www.craigpedersen.com
www.newmusicottawa.blogspot.com
(cross-posted at www.chamberfest.wordpress.com)

Chamberfest: Opening Night.

Opening Night.

The James Ehnes/Jon Kimura Parker concert last night was wonderful. I really only have one point to touch upon in this entry. For me, it was a delight to see the interaction and interplay between these two performers. Chamber music is largely dependent upon the abilities of performers to connect to one another’s musical sensibilities and then present a united front whereby they can turn outwards and share the music with their audience. Knowing that the repertoire for last evening’s concert is dependent upon such interplay – whether it was Mozart’s exploration of the interactive potential between the violin and piano or Ravel’s belief that the instruments are “fundamentally incompatible” – I went into the concert with a real sense of what to listen for.

From the outset of the Mozart, it was clear that both Ehnes and Parker are seasoned professionals that share a musical intuition and sense of storytelling. Their abilities to shift gears at the drop of a hat, or to turn their energies on a dime is a treat for concert-goers. From beginning to end, they created their space and shared with the audience their appreciation for this music, even through the less compelling parts of the repertoire.

Craig Pedersen
www.craigpedersen.com
www.newmusicottawa.blogspot.com
(this post has been cross-posted at chamberfest.wordpress.com)

Chamber Music Festival.

Hey all,

I've updated the calendar to include all things relevant from the upcoming Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.

This year I have been asked to blog all the concerts I go to, so expect to see some posts here in the next couple of weeks. Also check out http://chamberfest.wordpress.com/ to see what other people are saying.

Keep it real,


Craig