There's A Concerto In My Pocket!

On March 27, the International Contemporary Ensemble, joined by a flutist, violinist, and pianist, premiered three new pieces by John Zorn, Laura Elise Schwendinger, and Ichizo Okashiro, as the third installment of Miller Theatre’s Pocket Concerto series.

First was “The Prophetic Mysteries of Angels, Witches, and Demons,” Zorn’s piece for flute, contrabass flute, percussion, and electronics. Percussion, in this instance, meant anything from drums to a squeaky door to umbrellas to tubs and basins of water (not quite the kitchen sink), instruments from which the two percussionists coaxed novel, thrilling, and—if the audience can be trusted—at times hilarious sounds. The flutist performed a monologue over the music that sometimes competed with this background household percussion, with periodical electronic interjections. The contrabass flute came out at the end, making for a magnificent sustained pedal tone.

I never know what to make of Zorn’s innovative percussion techniques and instruments. My attempts to take them seriously are frequently undermined by the audience, which seems to interpret the percussion as comical. Granted, Zorn is far from a curmudgeon. There is something intrinsically amusing about two percussionists sparring with opened umbrellas, but these visual displays often obfuscate the beauty of the sounds themselves.

Laura Elise Schwendinger’s “Chiaroscuro Azzurro (for violin and chamber orchestra)” came next. The aural contrast between her piece, with its more standard instruments, and Zorn’s, was striking, but the organizing principle was quite similar. Jennifer Koh, the solo violinist, starts a monologue. Gradually, the chamber orchestra, led by the harps initiative, joins in, interacting and commenting on the monologue, punctuating it with percussive hits, rarely rising above its essentially accompanying role.

The program closed with “The Starry Night (for piano and chamber orchestra)” by Ichizo Okashiro. Christopher Taylor, well known at Miller Theatre for his interpretations of Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards Sur L’enfant-Jésus” and Ligeti’s “Études,” performed the solo piano part to great effect, and the International Contemporary Ensemble backed him up nicely.

Manohla Dargis, in a recent review of Alexander Sokurov’s film Alexandra, explained that she has seen the film twice and would benefit from a third viewing. “This may seem like a surprising confession, but art,” she wrote, “rarely if ever reveals itself instantaneously.” This is all the more so true for new music, particularly for world premieres. All three pieces will most certainly benefit from a second or third listening. Miller Theatre has done an admirable job of promoting new music in the Pocket Concerto series. A second or third performance, if logistically possible, would be greatly useful and welcome.