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Esprit Orchestra. Vito Žuraj: Api-danza macabra. Žibuoklė Martinaitytė: Millefleur. Valentin Silvestrov: Postludium (Kevin Ahfat, piano). Kaija Saariaho: Circle Map. Alex Pauk, conductor. Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. Koerner Corridor.
Alex Pauk and his Esprit Orchestra have been maintaining us updated on worldwide developments for years. They had been at it once more Thursday evening in Koerner Corridor with a program of items from Slovenia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Finland, or not less than by composers born in these international locations.
The longest merchandise at half-hour was Circle Map by Kaija Saariaho, the Paris-based Finn who died final June. Mentioned to be impressed by the Thirteenth-century poet Rumi, this 2012 suite of six actions was undoubtedly not a setting, the one textual content material being just a few fragmentary, distorted and amplified readings of the unique Persian. Even these had been arduous to detect amid the instrumental hubbub, besides within the motion titled Dialogue, the place supernatural-sounding growls made it to the foreground.
As an exponent of spectralism, Saariaho didn’t commerce a lot in melody and concord. What she did with enthusiasm was create advanced textures, typically with a useful clarifying factor, just like the pounding timpani within the motion known as Circles. The opening evocation of Morning Wind was profitable, as was the comparatively lucid concluding motion, with its distinctive bassoon traces. One felt that Pauk and the orchestra made the clearest potential case for music that was not clear by nature.
This was a Canadian premiere. The live performance began with the primary North American efficiency of Api-danza macabra (“Bee Dance of Loss of life”) by Vito Žuraj, a Slovenian who’s frightened about declining bee populations. The five-minute piece mimicked the insect in query in varied ingenious methods, together with scraping strings with pencils. Probably concertmaster Stephen Sitarski, from whom a lot solo arpeggiation was required, was meant to be the queen. In any case, the piece labored as a result of it had rhythmic impetus in addition to sonority. I’m not certain that the reference to Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee added something of curiosity.
One other Canadian premiere was of Millefleur by Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, a Lithuanian primarily based in New York who was current for the efficiency. Open intervals adorned by mallet devices prevailed by means of the primary half of the 13-minute rating, which the composer compares to stroll by means of a sonic backyard. The stroll fortunately turned extra eventful with the entry of brass and drums. Calm was restored on the finish. ABA stays a basic formal template within the twenty first century.
There was additionally music from the twentieth century, Postludium by Valentin Silvestrov, a Ukrainian composer whose work has been circulating broadly within the wake of the conflict. Subtitled “Symphonic poem for piano and orchestra,” this 18-minute piece will not be actually a concerto, though Kevin Ahfat made a vivid case for the solo half.
It began with what Pauk calls a Huge Bang in his program be aware. The second of creation was adopted by many others. Whereas there was a three-note theme considerably paying homage to Copland’s Fanfare for the Frequent Man, the rhetoric prompt fixed beginning and restarting slightly than continuity and growth.
The piano turned dominant within the last minutes, with some stylings that veered dangerously near the salon. Like Alfred Schnittke, Silvestrov is ready so as to add overtly nostalgic touches to the modernist material, typically to intriguing impact.
Ahfat made probably the most of his Esprit debut by providing one other Silvestrov evocation of the great outdated days, Moments of Mozart II from Three Items Op. 9, as a solo encore. The taking part in was luminous. The small viewers of dedicated modernists was delighted.
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Arthur Kaptainis has been the classical music critic of the Montreal Gazette since 1986 and wrote for the Nationwide Submit 2010-2016. His articles have appeared in Classical Voice North America and La Scena Musicale in addition to Ludwig Van. Arthur holds an MA in musicology from the College of Toronto.
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