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SEQUENZA21/
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Jerry Bowles
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 Contributing Editors:
Galen H. Brown
Evan Johnson
Ian Moss
Lanier Sammons
Deborah Kravetz
(Philadelphia)
Eric C. Reda
(Chicago)
Christian Hertzog
(San Diego)
Jerry Zinser
(Los Angeles)

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Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for review. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019

Saturday, November 19, 2005
Philadelphia Sounds: Radiance and Reflection

The title of Orchestra 2001's November 12 concert at Trinity Center--Radiance and Reflection--refers to the two main pieces on the program, Nymphea Reflection (2001) by Kaija Saariaho in its Philadelphia premiere, and Lament and Prayer (1995) by Aaron Jay Kernis, both complex works. But what I found most radiant were the two short pieces by Jennifer Higdon.

The opening piece was Higdon's 2003 Celebration Fanfare for string orchestra. It begins heavy on the bass with a fugue melody echoed, and further development. The bass remains throughout, while the melody line jumps around cheerfully in Copland style, with a lot of texture. The world premiere of To the Point (2003) is based on a movement from Higdon's string quartet Impressions, created in response to the pizzicato movements in quartets by Debussy and Ravel. The title of this piece also refers to pointillism in art. Each string section has its own theme, but there is also a primary theme and development, and Higdon uses varying textures in note length for a piece intriguing enough to make me want to hear the whole quartet.

Nymphea Reflection is in seven movements reflecting differing expressions. Quiet and eerie in the beginning, strings use technique to vary tones and textures to simulate the electronic sounds use in the original string quartet. The final section features a whispered poem, not really heard, but mysterious and haunting.

Lament and Prayer was written by Kernis to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust, with solo violinist Yumi Hwang-Williams. Kernis draws on his Jewish background and the sound of cantorial singing, particularly in the violin. After discord, there is a lovely melodic section followed by a violin cadenza that finishes with harp chords, chimes and oboe that is surprising and magical in its poignancy and shimmer.

(Reposted from Penn Sounds 11/18/05)
posted by Deborah Kravetz 11/19/2005



 
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