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Transient Glory Symposium Concert 8/12
by Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
I was drawn to this particular event, because of a very positive memory of Bright Sheng , composer, who was involved with San Francisco Ballet a couple of years ago in a splendid rendition of a unique score. The Steinhardt School of New York University tonight, in collaboration with the Young People's Chorus of New York City, presented new choral and instrumental works by a few composers in residence (In fact, this event ran for three nights), and tonight was the scheduled appearance by Bright Sheng . In preparation for this event, I was awarded a phone interview with Dr. Sheng, a couple of hours prior to this almost three-hour, intermission-less series of musical and choral performances, including onstage/offstage composer comments.
Dr. Sheng first spoke of The Boatmen's Song , written in 2004, which includes hand-clapping as enhanced percussion and which requires high voices to capture the essence of the folk song, written with transliteration for dialect, native to a specific Midwest region of China. The String Quartet No. 3 , although written in 1993, seemed perfect for this event and features a theme that's an homage to the renowned Béla Bartók . He was unable to present his String Quartet No. 4 , a more recent composition, due to the inaccessibility of all the musicians for its presentation. Dr. Sheng, on the faculty of the University of Michigan, mentioned an upcoming piece, which will be performed in Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall.
The Boatmen's Song , commissioned by the chorus, the first of two final works presented tonight, was fascinating, with actual hand-clapping, sticks, and shaker, in choral collaborative gestures and very effectively directed. The harp provided not only solo instrumental accompaniment, but also percussive sound, with sensual, strong chords. Sheng spoke about this piece onstage and mentioned merging dance rhythms at the beginning and the funereal references at the end. Sheng's String Quartet No. 3 was introspective with an Eastern musical influence. Dissonant violin passages, followed by an energetic, and later elongated, cello, added professional presence to this eclectic event. The highly sophisticated and stylized themes created numerous contrasts of whispering violin and the richly resonant quartet, with the cello droning and disappearing in the final notes.
The Kroll-Rosenbaum work, two e.e. cummings songs, with piano and clarinet accompaniment, was a Young People's Chorus commission. Lees' four works were quite dynamic, and it should be mentioned prominently that the Young People's Chorus was composed of some of the most eager and enthusiastic young singers I've ever heard, all focused on the conductors, all singing with exceptional poise and presence. Odyssey #2 for solo piano was brief, staccato, and driven with contrasting moods. Night Spectres for solo cello had eery, mellow, and, once again, shifts in tone and volume. Long whispering tones brought out the most from this interesting work.
The Nervous Family , commissioned by Young People's Chorus, introduced the young chorus to the stage, and a double bassoon accompaniment added to the mix. The students, in yellow, red, and lavender, with young ladies in scarves and young men in jackets, were theatrically ready, as they kept repeating the word "nervous" in a humorous and surreal fashion. Lees' Vocalise , a world premiere, inspired by Edward Lear limericks, reconfigured the chorus, as they sang only a one syllable short-A vowel, over and over, in melancholy, but melodic tones.
Vigeland's Five Nocturnes for Piano, Clarinet, and Violin had mesmerizing qualities, with the third showcasing an atonal prepared piano. Each Nocturne was unique with its own developed musical element. In the fourth Nocturne, with a very American sounding motif, the clarinet took one soft note against a languorous violin and rippling piano. The fifth was quite brief, but persuasive. Vigeland's Miracles , commissioned by the chorus, had an effervescent quality, with the final word, "miracles", repeating in a one-tone, full volume, again and again. Invocation (world premiere) for chorus was brief and soulful.
Nyman's A Child's View of Colour for chorus and string quartet, commissioned by the chorus, had a nicely textured melody. The combination of chorus and quartet (bass, cello, violin, and viola) was a well-conceived composition. The Young People's Chorus of New York City, under Francisco J. Nuñez, and all the Symposium composers are to be congratulated for an excellent series of new, vital instrumental and choral works. The instrumentalists were equally talented.
Aug 10, 2005
Composers find Glory in Youthful Voices
by Vivien SchweitzerIf Francisco Nuñez gets his way, composers will no longer be inclined to allow children's choral music to languish while they focus on writing instrumental repertoire. Starting today his group, the Young People's Chorus of New York City, presents "Transient Glory," a five-day choral symposium and chamber music festival which aims to advance the art of children's choirs and encourage composers to write for them.
The symposium, at New York University's Steinhardt School, is an extension of the chorus' Transient Glory concert series, which presents works commissioned from prominent composers such as Michael Torke, Bright Sheng, Milton Babbitt and Ned Rorem. During symposium master classes, young conductors from around the country will have a rare opportunity to work directly with these composers. Nuñez will be on hand to help facilitate communication between conductor, composer and chorus, and the works will then be performed at evening concerts. Nuñez hopes the conductors will be inspired to take the works back to their own choirs, and "the boundaries will be broken down and hopefully children's choral music will start to move forward."
Nuñez, born to Dominican parents and reared in Washington Heights, describes himself as "a very poor kid." But his world began to open up when he started to meet kids from different backgrounds, and was "able to see what else is out there." He founded the Young People's Chorus in 1988 after graduating from college to create a place where a diverse group of kids, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, could excel musically. "I wanted kids from the Bronx to meet kids who have doormen," he says.
The YPC is the resident choir at WNYC/93.9 FM. It is unusual for a radio station to have a resident chorus, but producers at WNYC were impressed by their level of performance, says Elena Park, the station's executive producer for music and culture. "They were doing such interesting repertoire. Francisco somehow manages to convince major composers to write for youth chorus ... and it's a vital, breathing collaboration."
Nuñez stresses that the music is not simplified for the children, ages 11 to 18. "Children know honesty. They know if it's a piece someone wanted to make a buck out of or whether it comes from the heart.
"When you write kids' literature ... only the voicing is different as they are singing treble, but spiritually and musically everything is right there."
Michael Torke, whose "Song of Ezekiel," a YPC commission, will be performed tomorrow by the group's Women's Chorus, made up of women ages 18 to 26, says that the vocal timbre of youth choirs is particularly appealing to him. "There is nothing like the sound of a group of teenage girls singing with energy and earnestness. What an outlet for the exuberance of the adolescent girl!"
Nuñez says the young singers enjoy learning contemporary works. "When we do Mozart they find it beautiful, but they aren't as interested any more. They love the newness of this music ... so this is a very exciting challenge for them."
May 11, 2005
by Rhonda Lieberman
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The performance promised to be über-poignant: the children's opera by Czech-Jewish composer Hans Krasa was "performed more than fifty times by the prisoners of the Terezin concentration camp during WWII." And tonight by the Young People's Chorus of NYC. I feared I was in for a maudlin time. Oy, forty minutes of singing young people and none of the Sendak sets that I'd hoped for. (The new book version is illustrated by Sendak and translated by Kushner.) But wonderful direction enlivened the sad story-two children who need milk for their sick mother prevail against the local bully with the aid of friendly animals-with feisty performances by kids who were coached to emote with freakish conviction. And the adult "dog" deserves a nod for inspired barking. Considering the thing was originally performed at a "model" concentration camp-by doomed child performers-to put a good face on what the Nazis were doing for groups like the Red Cross, was devastating to contemplate.
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March 25, 2005
CHILDREN AND ART
by Andrew Gans
In a wonderful, sometimes thrilling concert celebrating the 75th birthday of the one-and-only Stephen Sondheim, there were two standing ovations — one for the legendary Angela Lansbury, who made a brief non-singing appearance, and the other for the birthday boy himself — and two highly moving moments that balanced time past with times yet to come. The first arrived early in the intermissionless, two-hour evening at the New Amsterdam Theatre when Harvey Evans, Kurt Peterson, Marti Rolph and Virginia Sandifur — the Young Buddy, Young Ben, Young Sally and Young Phyllis in the original 1971 production of Follies — re-created a bit of stage magic with song and dance in a medley of "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" and "Love Will See Us Through." As their number progressed, the foursome seemed to become rejuvenated, and their sense of joy was palpable. Towards the end of the evening, the Young People's Chorus of New York City, conducted by Francisco Nuñez, built the Merrily We Roll Along anthem "Our Time" from a gentle beginning to a full throated climax, and one couldn't help be touched by the earnestness on these young faces as they claimed, "It's our time, breathe it in/ Worlds to change and worlds to win/ Our turn coming through/ Me and you."
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The "art" of Children and Art was clearly evident, though it's impossible to choose a favorite from the evening, almost as difficult as choosing a favorite Sondheim tune. But, how fitting that the "children" of Children and Art provided what, for me, was the evening's most touching moment. Let's hope that Mr. Sondheim gives them, and us, "more to see."
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