Concert Review: Composers Concordance

Concert Review:
Composers Concordance
“Entertaining Science” concert
Austrian Cultural Forum, NYC
Friday, October 1, 2021

Musicians:
CompCord String Quartet:
Lynn Bechtold, Mioi Takeda, violins
Eddy Malave, viola
Robert Burkhart, cello

Franz Hackl, trumpet
Jonathan Kane, percussion
Beth Holub, viola
Dave Soldier, violin

For more than 30 years, Composers Concordance has been a vessel for many living composers and their pieces when most other venues ignored them.  And once again, they presented an enlightening event of brand new and recently composed works at its “Entertaining Science” concert last Friday at the Austrian Cultural Forum in midtown Manhattan, featuring the CompCord String Quartet who, in all nine works, played with the dedication and gusto needed to put this great music across.

The above mentioned title of the concert was the theme for many of the works, both with regard to science in general, but more specifically to facial recognition, an issue that was addressed in a lecture mid concert from scientist Christina Pressl who spoke about the rare, yet important issue of Prosopagnosia, a neurological condition that deals with one’s inability in recognizing familiar faces.

The concert started off with Aaron Alter’s “String Theory” (World Premiere), showing an attractive variety of moods dictated by the Cello’s various grooves that hold the piece together.  In Dan Cooper’s “Recognition” (WP), the quartet, here aided by bright playing trumpeter Franz Hackl and the grooving percussionist Jonathan Kane, the cello and second violin repeat an ominous type riff throughout, as other instruments pop in here and there with a contrasting character, thus showing the ‘recognition’ or lack thereof that was alluded to earlier.

Dennis Brandner’s “Auburn, Gold” (WP) was influenced from the “Adagietto” of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Although fragments are used, they have a more subliminal presence, rather than an obvious one, giving the piece a sort of uneasiness merged with a feeling of respite.  Gene Pritsker’s “Because of the Air We Breathe” (WP), inspired from a line by poet Erik T. Johnson, presents us with flowing sparkles from the strings which the solo trumpet soars through, followed by a jolting rhythmic interaction between the instruments, concluding in a sustained solace that floats into the ether.

In Daniel Palkowski’s “A Different Kind of Quiet City” (WP), influenced by the 2020 lockdown, the strings seem to search for a kind of solace that has been lost. And the illuminate trumpet is their only guide. Distant, yet present.  “Vienna over the Hills” by Dave Soldier, the concert’s largest ensemble piece, moves through a multi sonorous and interchanging atmosphere in the string sextet (Extra strings: Beth Holub and Dave Soldier) with trumpet and Kane’s distant thunderous percussion from  pushing it along.  A kind of simultaneity of layering beauty.

Lynn Bechtold’s “Or, Well, Sound the Alarm” (WP), is another reaction to the Covid pandemic, as the string quartet frantically runs and trips through an ominous climate, further provided by a variety of electronic sounds that symbolize the anxious vein we’ve all been dealing with.

Hans Rotman’s “Dark Country” (WP) is a study of desolation molded in the strings, contrasted with a subliminal light from the trumpet trying to give direction, (much like Palkowski’s work), except that a way cannot be found and subsequently, it stops in its tracks.  Finally, we have Joe Zawinul’s “A Remark You Made”, originally performed by his celebrated jazz fusion band Weather Report. Gene Pritsker’s arrangement of this classic maintains the laid back attitude of the original, and yet, the wavering lines and misty tremolos in the strings are a welcome add to it, along with contributions from Hackl’s magic trumpet as he slowly strides through the hall.

Most of the larger ensemble works were conducted by Pritsker, who displayed a legit sense of foundation to all the wonderful and appreciative musicians. All in all, a great and meaningful concert. Another win for new music!

- The Off-Kilter Critic