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Placing the pianist Brad Mehldau into a particular genre or category seems tricky; being defined as a jazz pianist seems limited for his output and extensive work since the 1990s, including curation of Jazz series at the Wigmore Hall here in London. The recent release from Nonesuch Records of ‘Modern Music’ yet again shows the diversity of his work. Modern Music is the first recording of Mehldau with pianist Kevin Hays and includes jazz and contemporary classical works arranged by the composer Patrick Zimmerli, and also includes some original songs. Mehldau, Hays and Zimmerli had followed each other’s careers but this disc represents their first recorded collaboration. The liner notes include an interview with the three musicians and set the scene for how this collaboration came into being. It all started with a telephone call that mentioned Richard Strauss’ Metamorphosen (originally for 23 strings) which didn’t make it on to the final disc but it includes an original work by Mehldau, Hays and Zimmerli amongst the other arrangements for two pianos the trio made.
Brad Mehldau – Photo by Michael Wilson
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The Crouch End Festival Chorus, directed by David Temple, has established itself as a leading chorus with work that spans classical and popular idioms and a great deal of recording. Recent work includes Noel Gallagher’s new solo album, television and film scores and the concert at the Barbican this evening demonstrates the Chorus’ dedication to new music with works by Glass alongside a new commission by the composer James McCarthy.
Precise rhythmic and dynamic control was evident in the opening song (There are Some Men) in Philip Glass’ ‘Three Songs. The French diction was clear in the second and third songs (Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour and Pierre de Soleil) with David Temple shaping a strong sound from the chorus throughout the songs. Basses sang their solo passage with confidence in third song with the chorus displaying good pitch control of the instrumental-like lines.
Crouch End Festival Chorus
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2012 sees the 60th birthday of the prolific composer Wolfgang Rihm and the London Sinfonietta curated a concert that included three UK premieres of Rihm works in addition to two works by composers who at some point in their training were taught by Rihm: Rebecca Saunders and Jörg Widmann.
Wolfgang Rihm - Photograph by A.T Schaefer
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The percussion quartet ensemblebash celebrate their twenty years of musical success with a series of three concerts at Kings Place, London. ‘Minimum Maximum’ – the first concert in the series – programmed significant works from the ensemble’s extensive repertoire from the past two decades that offers ‘rhythmic muscularity and technical dexterity’. The performance opened with the quartet spatially seperate, their arrangement of traditional Siwe bell music being heard around the hall as they slowly came together in front of the stage performing patterns that gradually increased in complexity. The music took a sudden turn to a faster tempo and one was struck by not only the super-human rhythmic precision of the individual percussionists but the shared rhythmic feel of the group; amazing to hear such variety from the bells. Stephen Hiscock, a member of ensemblebash, described the second piece in their programme as ’carrier bag music’; works that could be performed by percussion instruments that could be ‘carried on a bus’. Howard Skempton’s (b. 1947) ‘Shiftwork’ was just that, with everything the quartet needing for the work fitting on one trap tray. Subtle sonorities came from maracas and the ramekins filled with baking beads. The work grew in complexity and featured passages that contrasted different pairings of instruments such as the small bells, and maracas. One’s ears grew to appreciate the quieter sounds of this work and how virtuosic the players were at creating not only a range of dynamics but a range of varied attacks.
ensemblebash
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Posted by Steven Berryman »
Add Comment »I’m a regular visitor to Hall Two at Kings Place, London, and it was lovely to see how well lighting can transform the space into something rather apt for this concert as part of ‘The Base’ jazz programme at the venue. The musicians performing shared not only links with jazz through their experimental improvisation but between them share an interest with the music of contemporary composers including Ligeti and Nancarrow particularly through their rhythmic materials. The audience was noticeably poised at this event and I don’t recall hearing a single cough throughout the whole evening; says a great deal about the music and most importantly about the performers.
Jiri Slavek and Fred Thomas
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A fascinating new release from Signum Classics, and the second with the London Sinfonietta, is In Seven Days by the British composer Thomas Adès (b. 1971), alongside arrangements by Adès of two Nancarrow studies for two pianos. In Seven Days is a work for piano and orchestra with moving image (created by Tal Rosner) and was jointly commissioned by the Southbank Centre and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and first performed in 2008. It tells the story of creation but returns to the Hebrew version and it is certainly compelling to hear the composer and creator of the visuals Rosner discuss the work in conversation on the DVD, along with performances of the works with the visuals.
Thomas Adès – Photo by Maurice Foxall
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