A large and eager crowd attended the Good Shepherd Center’s Wayward Music Series for a concert of premieres organized by flutist Paul Taub on November 20, 2015. The new works, all by local Seattle composers, were written for mixed chamber ensembles with flute included in each. With a low rumble of the piano, a glassy and unsettling cello line emerged from the texture in Andy Clausen’s new work Endlichheim. The piece moved to a minimalistic texture with simple orchestration, allowing for the counterpoint of lines between the bass clarinet and flute to emerge. Pianist Christina Valdes illuminated the work with her technical prowess and intensity, creating an energetic opening to the concert.
Composer David Dossett took to the stage to introduce his new work In Order of Appearance. “I put my music un-ceremonially in a blender and see what comes out,” said Dossett about his process. Angular, sporadic bursts and suspended resonance created an interaction of gestures orchestrated throughout the ensemble of flute, vibraphone, cello, and piano. The end of the work featured a brilliantly simple flute and cello motif, performed melodiously, which repeated over numerous changing vibraphone dissonances.
Jessika Kenney
After a change of instrumentation, and bringing out some Persian percussion instruments, Jessika Kenney presented her new work Syl-O-Wet. In homage to Gordon Vales, a Spokane paper tearing artist who made silhouettes, the work began with a beautifully orchestrated microtonal tone cloud featuring colorful and vibrating combination tones. Kenney, who performed as the vocalist for her own work, wove an ethereal middle-eastern influenced melody with the voice between the microtonal mists. The performers, consisting of Taub on flute and alto flute; Kenney; bassist Joseph Kaufman; and percussionist Matthew Kocmieroski, allowed for vibrant orchestrations to illuminate the microtonal dissonances and colors. The focus and attention the performers gave each individual note allowed these clouds to take life, each cloud having its own unique character and story. After, the piece broke down to an intimate dialogue of extended techniques featuring growled, fried, and breathy flute and vocal sounds. The material in the duet, the gestures pulling away from each other but still fitting timbres together, seemed to give reference to Vales paper tearing techniques. These raw, timbral distortions carried back into the microtonal groupings, bringing a new liveliness as each cluster subsequently broke down to include more noise. The superb attention to detail, including the intonation and control of extended timbral techniques, was meticulous and compelling. With a startling boom, the bass drum entered unabashedly at the end of the work, catching the audience off guard and leading to a sudden and surprising ending.
Tom Baker
Following the intermission, Tom Baker’s Fifteen Moments took the listeners on a serene journey, showing off an impressive knowledge of timbre and extended technique. Delicate, fragile, still, and spacious sounds and moments overcame the audience. The masterful pacing of color and motion allowed those in attendance to be absorbed into each of the fifteen moments of the work. A subtly intense energy enveloped the room as the audience was pulled further into the piece– listening more intently, leaning forwards, and straining to hear every sound. The risks taken in this work are artfully managed by Baker, and were played beautifully by the performers. Delicate and easily disturbed techniques for Taub on bass flute, Laura DeLuca on bass clarinet, Kocmieroski on percussion, and Kaufman on contrabass, created a bold but subtle energy propelling each moment’s residue to fill the space left in the stillness. Flurries of quick gestural activity quietly interrupt the stillness, giving an illusion of momentum to come. The space given to expose the individual sounds unique qualities is meticulously placed to give the greatest intensity to every sonic event. Each of the fifteen moments grows to greater meaning as the piece proceeds, even those that already passed in retrospect.
Angelique Poteat
With a lively energy and enthusiasm, Angelique Poteat introduced her new work Urban Scenes for flute, clarinet, cello, contrabass, and piano. With an energetic whirlwind the piece began, combining elements of minimalism, jazz, and maybe a bit of funk, which used the city of Seattle as inspiration. Citing the nostalgia of the city and the current nightlife, Poteat used the stimulating city to shape the materials she worked with. With the use of repetitious melodic material and a walking bass line, the performers let loose and allowed their enjoyment performing this work to project onto the audience. Valdes’ brought liveliness to the piece that drove the concert to an exciting finish.
An eclectic mix of aesthetics and approaches kept the listeners wondering what the next work would be. Taub’s new commissions welcomed listeners, both new and experienced to the new music scene, with various degrees of timbral and temporal experiments. Still, all the works were approachable, and everyone was able to find interest in differing aspects of the pieces. The performers each brought his or her unique personality, technical precision, attention to detail, and passion to the works.