I begin right here as a result of I think that these vital tics — my urge for food (and reliance) for self — are a part of what occurred between me and “Fragments,” a multi-year musical venture by cellist Alyssa Wellerstein, whose fourth “act” has had its world premiere. on the Kennedy Middle’s Terrace Theater on Saturday afternoon in a live performance introduced by Washington Performing Arts.
“Fragments” is an try to mix 36 actions of Bach’s solo cello items with 27 newly commissioned works by a number of up to date composers throughout the ages and the world. Weilerstein started placing the venture collectively in late 2020, on the top of pandemic lockdowns, asking a various group of composers to compose 10 minutes of music organized in two or three “components,” with the understanding that they’d be weak to mixing sooner or later. Longer work.
Weilerstein has been rolling out the ensuing six acts — every hour-long block representing considered one of Bach’s cello suites — since final 12 months. Offered in a wrapper of light theatricality (a group of stacked geometric shapes, lit like modernist embers), the live performance was carried out “continuous and and not using a programme”.
“We need to create an area the place you’re listening, and permitting your free affiliation course of to occur if you are taking part in the music,” says director Elkhana Pulitzer in her e book. A video was released with the project.
And so have been the viewers members We have been handed only one sheet of paper detailing the composers we heard: Courtney Bryan, Gabriel Kahane, Matthias Pinscher, Missy Mazzoli, and Paul Janko. However the sequence of the items and the identities of their composers remained locked behind a QR code vault door printed on the backside. One can simply cheat, or one can merely submit to at least one’s free associations.
Faithfully, I selected the latter strategy, permitting the 18 quick actions to current themselves because the hour or so handed. However my associations weren’t as free as I’d have appreciated.
First issues first, Weilerstein is an thrilling performer to observe and a masterful interpreter of Bach, displaying an interesting and effortlessly expressive private interaction with the suites.
Over the course of “Fragments 4,” we hear (on this order) “Allemande,” “Bourrée I & II,” “Prelude,” “Courante,” “Sarabande,” and “Gigue” — a confusion in itself. At instances, her relationship was very shut, and her intimacy with Bach translated into taking part in that felt very casual. Typically, her works have been fierce, energetic, and stuffed with a vitality conspicuously absent from up to date associations.
The issue with “Fragments” is that as a lot because it desires to direct listeners to give attention to the current second, and as bravely because it tries, the music itself stays stubbornly consultant of a darker second — that’s, it’s #CovidCore.
Every of the up to date items, suspended anonymously like shaky rope bridges between the comparatively strong floor of Bach’s actions, struggled to cover the rocky, inhospitable floor of its origins. The peak of the coronavirus disaster yielded a surplus of equally well-intentioned miniatures on themes like “contact” and “isolation”: hours of one-minute violin solos, 10-minute operas, and musical “components” of every thing attainable. Think about it or fee it. Kind.
And though, a long time from now, this surplus inventory of unfinished enterprise, musical doodles, and scrappy concepts will present precious historic context towards excavating the actual cultural injury wrought by the pandemic, listening to it now feels vaguely like consuming meals Mild struggle rations.
This meant that the composers whose works I are likely to get pleasure from – Yanco, Mazzoli and Brian specifically – have been misplaced within the combine, maybe responding to Bach (gradual arpeggios appeared and remained ghostly all through the hour), maybe not. Lots of the “Components” relied extra closely on silence than sound, and Weilerstein usually decreased the music to harmonious cries for assist and cage– You deserve durations of calm.
It’s price noting that the theatrical factor of “Fragments” was a largely profitable reimagining of typical social gathering dynamics. Because the lights rose from the initially whole darkness, Feilerstein sat heart stage in a flowing royal blue robe. (Not each social gathering contains style designers; this one included Molly Erlan.) The supposed drama was achieved.
Washes of sunshine by scenic and lighting designer Seth Reiser offered unobtrusive wayfinding, transferring by the coded colours of every unknown composer. It was visually pleasing and navigationally helpful, however the golden amber mild impact that accompanied every return to Bach It felt just like the clouds parting, a sudden burst of daylight, and the return of spring – a sense of rescue, stability, and certainty.
It did not appear solely honest to the commissioned composers, whose works largely writhed within the bluish darkness. Once I lined up my reminiscence with a cheat sheet after the live performance, I felt some satisfaction that I had “guessed” just a few of the composers appropriately. Mazzoli’s items on the finish of the e book have been distinguished by their engaging sense of melody. And Wiancko’s most immediately responsive “Allemande” and “Gigue” revealed their composer’s hand of their woodsy journey.
This sudden swap between the recognized and the unknown certain appeared acquainted! Are we certain that this music isn’t on one thing? Absolute music – that’s, music that has no exterior references or that means – is having a second now: this 12 months’s Musica Biennale in Venice has been chosen.”Asolota music“As its organizational topic.
However “Fragments” is tightly packed and targeted on the current As he want to be, it’s a venture concerning the pandemic: the circumstances it has created, the music it has left us with, and the issue of what precisely to do with it. In additional methods than one, the pandemic is unfinished enterprise, and it feels as if we’re solely starting to select up the items.
