Published Sunday
September 19, 2004
Review: Concerto captures explorers' journey
BY ASHLEY HASSEBROEK
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - The thrill of discovery.
The heroism of a Shoshone woman.
The greatness of a rich land and its native peoples.
These elements of the Lewis and Clark journey were captured in
the form of a piano concerto by American composer Philip Glass, and
performed for the first time Saturday night in Lincoln. Glass's second
piano concerto was premiered by Lincoln-based pianist Paul Barnes,
American Indian flutist R. Carlos Nakai and the Omaha Symphony, under
the direction of music director emeritus Victor Yampolsky.
Titled "After Lewis and Clark," the concerto was co-commissioned
for $50,000 by the Nebraska Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission,
the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln's Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.
"We live in a very classy state, and the Lewis and Clark
commission wanted to do something to commemorate the expedition of
Lewis and Clark - something that would be classy and something that
would last," said Ron Hull, chairman of the bicentennial commission, in
remarks before the performance.
Other speakers included UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, Secretary
of State John Gale and Otoe-Missouria tribal elder Dr. Aaron Gawhega.
Glass was also in attendance and came on stage after the concerto was
performed for three bows with the musicians.
The new concerto, which is divided into three movements, features
many elements that have defined the Glassian sound, such as repetition,
irregular meters and minimalism. Using these tools, Glass created in
this concerto a musical translation of specific aspects of the Corps of
Discovery.
The first movement, titled "The Vision," conveys the
determination of the explorers as they embarked on the journey.
Irregular meters are at the heart of this movement (at one point the
pianist has to play in 4/4 meter with his left hand and 5/4 meter with
his right hand) and comprise the core of its driving intensity.
The slower second movement "Sacagawea," based on the Shoshone
Indian who became Lewis and Clark's companion, has arguably the most
mesmerizing musical themes of the piece. The slow, brooding duet
between the American Indian flute and the piano features a traditional
Shoshone musical theme as well as a middle section that is quicker and
delightfully disjointed.
"The Land" explored by Lewis and Clark is the theme of the final
movement of the concerto. The intensely busy movement incorporates a
canon that features the overlapping of a theme and six variations. This
technique not only gives the movement a number of layers and voices,
but lays the ground for an interesting dynamic between the piano and
the orchestra. The piece develops into a fury of sound at the end that
leads to an exhilarating climax, revealing to the listener that the
land has finally been conquered.
During the 21/2-hour program, the Omaha Symphony also performed
Alan Hovhaness's Symphony No. 2, "Mysterious Mountain," and Antonin
Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World." The program
will be repeated with the same performers next weekend at the Orpheum
Theater, for the opening concert of the Omaha Symphony's 2004-05
MasterWorks series.
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