Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly

The Percussive Guitar of Arthur Kampela

As I perused the monthly schedule at Satalla before Arthur Kampela kicked off his set, I realized that a new music writer should feel a bit out of place here. Satalla bills itself as the "Temple of World Music," and its schedule is filled with acts ranging from Haitian to Balkan. Kampela, however, is a prime subject for review on this or any other new music site. He sports a Columbia doctorate, Times reviews, and a solid list of commissions and awards. Though the several bossas and the bai�o that appear in his set place his Brasilidade on display, even these traditional forms feature arrangements unafraid of dissonance and extended techniques. By the time Kampela dismisses his ensemble and begins his two "Percussion Studies" for solo guitar, any questions about his classical pedigree vanish. These prize-winning pieces, which feature Kampela's 'tapping technique,' use the full body of the guitar and a couple of props (including a spoon) to dramatically expand the sound world of the instrument.

As a guitar and composition student of Kampela's, the "Percussion Studies" are always a highlight of Kampela's concerts for me. The percussive techniques are varied and novel, but they�re tightly integrated both with each other and with pitched materials played in the standard fashion. In addition, all this timbral play is encapsulated within jagged, but propulsive, New Complexity-style rhythms. The piece is undoubtedly virtuosic, but it�s a personal, intimate sort of virtuosity that comes from a composer writing for the performer he knows best - himself.

All this I knew in advance, but on Saturday I was surprised to realize that the �Percussion Studies� prove to be the favorites of the rest of the audience as well. An audience whistling and cheering in approval of new music � what a concept! But before all you composers rush off to book a show at Satalla and look for this miraculous audience, let me tell you a little bit more about how I think Kampela managed to get such an ovation.

The key is not so much the individual pieces, but how they fit into the entire set. Kampela neatly eases the crowd into just the right mode for appreciating his particular brand of contemporary classical. The songs that occupy the bulk of the set draw the listener in; the melodies are enchanting, but the arrangements keep you on your toes. There's no hint of 'avant-garder-slumming-it' in these pieces; despite the doctorate, Kampela's retained his connection to and fluency with popular forms. The songs possess directness and intensity that simultaneously mask and attest to their skillful composition. All the while, Kampela consistently raises and lowers the 'difficulty level' so the listener can never settle into expectations.

Then, several numbers in, you suddenly find yourself listening to thoroughly challenging music and discovering that you've somehow been perfectly prepared to appreciate it. All the quirky musical details of the previous songs - the cello's pizzicato glissandi, Kampela's vocal percussion, the scraped bass strings - find their corollaries in the guitar pieces, and these elements, along with Kampela's instrumental virtuosity, leap into the foreground. Similarly, you can't help but listen differently to the songs that follow the "Percussion Studies."

The ability to not only compose effectively in diverse styles, but to blend them as well, is Kampela's forte, and it suggests some wonderful directions for new music. Perhaps new music can expand into unlikely venues. And perhaps concerts programmed similarly, even if they span several composers and/or performers, can similarly prepare unlikely audiences to find themselves surprised and pleased with new music.

posted by Lanier Sammons 10/25/2005