From Deseret News archives:
Modern music pervades at CMC concert
The Contemporary Music Consortium opened its 20th anniversary season Thursday night as part of the First Unitarian Church's new concert series, "First Thursdays at the First Unitarian."
The program focused on the lyrical side of late 20th- and early 21st-century music. All of the works that were played were tonally centered, with some being unabashedly romantic. While the program certainly wasn't as stylistically diverse as most CMC concerts tend to be, it showed that tonalism is still a stylistic trend for many younger composers.
Current CMC co-directors Jeffrey Price and Laurel Ann Maurer have made it a point to perform music by local composers, and Thursday there were two Utahns represented, Stan Funicelli and Ann Hankinson.
Funicelli, who besides being a talented composer is also a fine guitarist, opened the concert with four short pieces that showed the range and scope of his music and his playing.
His Prelude, based on J.S. Bach's famous C Major Prelude from the "Well Tempered Klavier," is a rich chordal study almost sensual in its texture.
Hankinson's "Three Places in Utah," for violin and piano, started off the second half of the concert. Violinist Jennifer Bogart and pianist Jed Moss gave a dynamic reading of the piece that captured the nuances wonderfully from the fluid expressiveness of "Little Cottonwood," to the dramatic power of "The Wasatch," to the intensely emotional and moving "Lament." Moss was also the pianist for Carson P. Cooman's Sonata for Flute and Piano, this time with Maurer.
While the piece itself is rather insipid and repetitive, Maurer and Moss gave a performance that was anything but dull. They brought life to the piece in their vibrant and dynamic interpretation.
Maurer and Moss are wonderful collaborators. Her luminous playing and his perceptiveness complement each other superbly. Moss is one of the finest pianists in Utah, and whenever he performs it adds a new dimension to the music.
The same can be said of Maurer and Bogart's insight and sensitivity in their playing.
There was one other piece by Cooman on the program, his "Distant Glittering Orbs" for alto flute, which he dedicated to Maurer. She played the evocative piece with wondrous expressiveness, feeling and seamless phrasings.
Besides the Hankinson piece, Bogart also soloed in Christopher Marshall's "Woman Rising," which received its world premiere at this concert. While the piece itself is an exercise in romanticism and sentimentality, Bogart thankfully played it with restrained passion and understatement.
The only other work was Meyer Kupferman's delightfully brash and vivid "Tanktotem II" for piccolo.
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com
Comments
- Temperatures to drop, snow possible 4:46 p.m.
- Police: men threatened Orem officer 4:40 p.m.
- Art of medicine can require delays 4:34 p.m.
- Release dying dog from senior work 4:34 p.m.
- 'Evenings at the Museum' Friday 4:33 p.m.
- Venom is potential medicine 4:33 p.m.
- Pavel Haas Quartet eloquent 4:33 p.m.
- Mormon Times briefly 4:30 p.m.
- Mom pleads in child beating 4:26 p.m.
- Man has car stolen, gets stabbed 4:21 p.m.
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- BYU football recruit turning heads
- 12 Utes return to Texas
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009
- Prep football: Felt's Facts Week
- Wyoming writer amazed by BYU
- Civilians help S.L. officer make arrest
- Cougars' defensive hoops clinic
- House passes health care bill
274 - SLC council OKs gay rights policies
216 - TCU showdown has big implications
189 - Senators want food tax restored
157 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
109 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
108 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
98
f you don't have an Xbox 360 and always wanted one, Saturday is your day.
Dashboard Confessional has scheduled a new show at In the …
@4:07 from THEM Thank God, you probably own no apartments, and that...
I've been to Mali with this particular foundation, and I just want to say...
I read so many of these negative comments. I think the Cougars play very...
Is there just an endless supply of slimey, no-life, mental midgets who have...
Do you really think that 10+ colleges are that stupid? Lloyd was heavily...
Desert Rat, MJ is just plain good
When I was a young boy, my father emphasized one guiding principle, "Never...
I have no sympathy for the person who impoverished many people and has no...
Hey Felt! How come you don't mention the Pleasant Grove vs. Pittsburg...
WHO really TRUSTS Congress?. The Demo's or GOP. NO ONE DOES. The stats and...



You can be the first to comment on this story.