Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly

Last Night in L.A. - Antares and Contemporary American Music

The new music group Antares returned to last night�s Monday Evening Concert for the first of two programs, and it was another evening of outstanding musicianship, well-chosen music, and enthusiasm for the works. Piano, clarinet, violin, cello: the potential is there for appealing music, and the four members of Antares select the works and then give the performances to realize the potential.

The concert last night was typical for Antares; works by composers all of whom are alive, two of whom were present, and one of the pieces was the premiere of a commission for the group. The first of four works was �Eclipse� (1995) by George Tsontakis, the work that is the title piece on their CD (available from Amazon and from their web site at a slightly lower price). Eclipse is in four movements starting and ends with slower, thoughtful music; between those points the music becomes strong and rapid (in a movement titled �Hyperactive�) and then to sequence of multiple tremolos evocative of earlier periods. George Rochberg wrote that Tsontakis writes music the ear can understand and the mind remember, and those comments are certainly true of �Eclipse�. I liked it, and I appreciated the Antares performance.

The first half closed with the premiere of �Psychedlic Rainbow Blues� by Dan Visconti. It�s a pleasant piece by a young man (23) influenced by pop music, fairly new to �classical� music --- having started with the violin in high school, with lots of potential and still sorting through ideas and approaches. The work was commissioned by BMI Foundation for Antares. Visconti has been granted the third commission from the Kronos: Under 30 Project which will give him a residency with Kronos and the first performance of a new work this coming January.

After intermission Antares performed �Shadowed Narrative� (1982) by Roger Reynolds, a major work by the Pulitzer-winning composer. It is a work with substance that transcends its small number of performers. Reynolds� notes indicate that there is substantial latitude for shaping the work left to the performers, but Antares gave such a persuasive exposition--with the composer present---that it was difficult to imagine a markedly different approach. This morning I did wonder, however, how wider physical spacing of the instrumentalists on the stage, giving a wider sound platform, would have affected the �shadowing� of one instrumental line by other instruments.

The concert closed with �Marches� (1992) by Fred Lerdahl, a colleague at Columbia. (Reading the titles of Lerdahl�s papers and publications in his Columbia c.v. is a kick.) This work was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and was a nice presentation of a range and variety of march-like ideas--a touch of a Shostakovich march here, a bit of Sousa there--in a range of styles and tonal approaches. The work was also a pleasant release from the intensity of the Reynolds.

posted by Jerry Zinser 3/29/2005