Mason Bates’ “Red River.” The reference is to the original name of the Colorado River, the one that mostly ends up in the Hoover Dam. Inspired to some extent by Smetana’s popular river tone poem “The Moldau,” this chamber work paints an evocative panorama of the Colorado as it bubbles up from its source and flows southward. Painted in luminous hues by the Claremont Trio and guest clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester,web who layered their instruments on an electronically mixed and occasionally hip-hop-style canvas, this fascinating natural portrait successfully blends American idioms with classical tradition.
Benjamin C.S. Boyle’s “Sonata-Fantasy.” Scored for violin and piano, this passionately romantic three-part work joins modern passions to 19th-century expression with a piquant pinch of “Der Rosenkavaliercq” tossed in. It was enthusiastically executed by violinist Tim Fain with the composer on piano.
Andrew Norman’s “Lullaby” and “Sabina.” Strongly reminiscent of Benjamin Britten “Lullaby,” expressively sung by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke accompanied by Pei-Yao Wang web on piano, employs W.H. Auden’s sneakily unpleasant “Lay your sleeping head my love” as its text. While the song’s keening lines match the verses well, the musical context is something we’ve heard before.
”Sabina,” a piece for solo viola, proved more successful, linking Western serialism with East Asian microtones including the eerie string techniques launching the piece like a furtive ghost. Its performance greatly benefited from the imaginative interpretation of young violist Nokuthula Ngwenyamaa.
Daniel Kellogg’ “Four Valentines.” This collection of four tone poems for string quartet was romantic without being cloying. Its four sections musically describe the stages of a lasting romance from the declaration of love to its consummation, all convincingly performed by the Borromeo String Quartet.
Kevin Puts’ “And Legions Will Rise.” According to the composer, this work “is about the power in all of us to transcend tragedy and personal crisis.” The music does just that, vigorously working out life’s problems with an oddly jolly enthusiasm. Scored for violin, clarinet and solo marimba, the piece is decidedly Western and tonal yet displays splashes of Oriental magic. Mr. Puts was truly blessed to have his work performed by marimbist Makoto Nakura web, and Mr. Fain prev and Mr. Franch-Ballester prev, all of whom executed the piece with uncommon verve.
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MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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