Latest Posts From Rain Worthington
Rain Worthington is a composer living in Nassau, Rensselaer County. Before moving upstate in 2003, she was part of the Manhattan new music scene for more than 25 years. Her music “…take(s) ideas of American musical style to a new place, like a walk in a familiar, yet very different park... and isn't afraid to come up with its own startling conclusions.” Rain’s orchestra compositions are released on CDBaby and PARMA and her piano music on North/South Recordings. A new orchestra work is scheduled for 2012 release on PARMA. She currently serves as director of development for the New York Women Composers. www.rainworthington.com
December 20, 2011 -
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Looking back on the 2011 year of music, from a composer’s perspective, here are some of my favorite memorable moments and personal discoveries.
I continue to love going to the Albany Symphony concerts and Maestro Miller’s passionate commitment to include works of contemporary composers. These programs are rare among the roster of symphony performances nationwide. Lucky for concertgoers here in the Capital Region!
So concert highlights for me this season both in the nearby neighborhood and elsewhere in the distant big apple were: (in chronological order)
February 6, 2011: North/South Consonance Concert series in NYC. Albany-based pianist, composer and conductor, Max Lifchitz continues to present some of the best contemporary concert programs in his free-admission North/South concert series at Christ & St Stephens in NYC. The concerts are performed by first-rate musicians and focus on works of emerging and established contemporary composers. It was an honor to attend this February concert for the premiere of my piece, Memories of Place with Max Lifchitz conducting the North/South Chamber Orchestra.
March 12, 2011: John Corigliano’s Conjurer – Concerto for Percussionist and Orchestra, performed by Dame Evelyn Glennie. This was an amazing performance of a masterfully written and uniquely conceived concerto for percussion. (Although admittedly, I imagine the ASO musicians might have another take, as the percussion audio levels must have been a challenge on such a small stage as the Troy Music Hall’s.)
April 29, 2011: Spirituals Project concert. I guess this was a reprise of an earlier program and a “rehearsal” for the NYC Carnegie Hall concert performance, but I had never heard these re-workings of eight traditional spirituals by contemporary composers, so this was a treat. Plus Tsontakis’ Let the River Be Unbroken based on a nineteenth century song, and Copland’s Appalachian Spring, was a nice programming idea all around.
August 4, 2011: Nataliya Medvedovskaya’s piano recital at Bargemusic. Nataliya is a wonderfully sensitive pianist and was impressive in her exquisite performance of contemporary piano repertoire in the unique performance space of Bargemusic, at the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn, NY. I say this first hand as she performed one of my pieces on the program, and I was thrilled with her performance. Keep an eye out for her.
November 19, 2011: Stravinsky’s Concerto for Piano and Winds. I had never heard this Stravinsky work before, so this was a nice surprise. Also, how often do I get to hear a harp concerto, so John Williams’ On Willows and Birches, wonderfully performed by BSO’s former principal harpist, Ann Hobson Pilot, was also a treat.
As for CDs, if you’re in the market for a gift of classical music…
Turns out PARMA’s classical imprint, Navona Records, is gaining recognition for its commitment to fine quality recordings of music by contemporary composers. The Navona CDs are enhanced with digital booklets and complete scores for each of the compositions on the discs, so in addition to the listening experience, these are great study resources.
Among the 2011 PARMA/Navona releases, I have to applaud with pride the Light and Shadow CD, a collection of modern orchestral works that offers a spectrum of modern orchestral composition. Included in the collection are works by composers, Adrienne Albert, Rebecca Oswald, Tadd Russo, Russ Lombardi, Daniel Perttu, and my own orchestra composition, Tracing a Dream.
Another newly favorite Navona release is Divergence which showcases three vibrant, yet very different, string concerti by composers Nicholas Sackman, Scott Michal, and William Thomas McKinley, all masterfully performed.
Recordings of the music of Union College-based composer, Hilary Tann, always become immediate favorites for me. The Albany-based North/South label has recorded some of her loveliest compositions and this year’s releases include Expressions which features the wonderful chamber orchestra version of her piece, The Walls of Morlais Castle with Max Lifchitz conducting the North/South Chamber Orchestra.
And finally, a personal discovery for me this year was the previously released solo piano CDs, Rumor de Paramo and Solo Rumores of Mexican pianist, Ana Cervantes. Each features works by contemporary composers, commissioned by Ana, and inspired by the writing and photography of Mexican artist Juan Rulfo – two unique collections of contemporary piano music.
March 19, 2011 -
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This coming week, the Eastman Women in Music Festival (March 21-25) will provide New Yorkers with multiple concert opportunities to experience the beautiful lyrical music of Hilary Tann, Composer-in Residence for this year’s festival.
The Eastman Festival, which takes place in Rochester, New York, will open with a special “Tann-retrospective” evening concert on Monday, March 21, featuring the World Premiere of an exciting and exquisite new choral work, Exultet Terra for antiphonal choirs and double-reed quintet with conductor, Lee Wright and the Madrigalia and Musica Spei choirs.
Growing up in South Wales, Hilary Tann developed a love of nature. She now lives in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and her strong identification with the natural world continues to inspire all her music. Exultet Terra, subtitled “Among Thy Trees,” invites the audience to consider the beauty, peace, and joy of the pastoral world.
The opening concert is infused with Hilary Tann’s lyrical musical reflections on nature. Solo and chamber works, include The Gardens of Anna Maria Lusisa de Medici, On Water’s Edge, and saxophonist Chien-Kwan Lin performing the concerto Shakkei, inspired by Japanese gardens. Tann’s deep interest, not only in nature, but in the traditional music of Japan as well, has led to private study of the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute, and guest visits to Japan, Korea, and China.
As Composer-in Residence, Hilary Tann, who is the John Howard Payne Professor of Music at Union College in Schenectady, will be in Rochester for a four-day residency, which will include open rehearsals and coachings, school presentations, a Neilly series lecture, and a lecture-presentation at the Eastman School of Music.
Other concert programs featuring Tann’s music will be performed at the Women in Music Festival Tour preview concert March 24, and a Sinfonietta Cordancia concert on Friday, March 25, with oboist Kathleen Suher performing the Shakkei concerto.
The Seventh Annual Eastman Women in Music Festival concerts and events are free and open to the public. The week-long festival, March 21- March 25, is a celebration of the contributions of women to all aspects of music. Under the Artistic Direction of Sylvie Beaudette, the festival has grown to include film, daily noontime concerts with poetry readings, evening choral and orchestral concerts, and a festival tour.
For full details of all events visit the Women in Music Festival.
For those that can not travel to Rochester this week for the Festival, an encore concert presentation with Hilary Tann’s music will be performed on April 7, at Union College in Schenectady. This program will again feature Hilary Tann’s musical reflections on nature with soloist Chien-Kwan Lin performing the saxophone concerto Shakkei, as well as, Nothing Forgotten inspired by the majesty and beauty of the Adirondack Mountains.
March 11, 2011 -
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ClaverackLanding is the passionate new vision of Artistic Director, Gwen Gould.
As a musician, conductor and producer, Gwen Gould has consistently proved herself to be
“…a prominent force for the enhancement of the classical music scene in Columbia County.” -Berkshire Record
In 1988, she founded the Columbia Festival Orchestra, Columbia County’s only professional orchestra. CFO’s mission was to present classical music to the highest degree of excellence and to cultivate an appreciation of the art of music in young people and adults.
This past year, Gwen Gould has taken her vision into new territory with “Classical in a Club!”
Her latest venture is an exciting new chamber series called ClaverackLanding: classical sounds at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY. ClaverackLanding concerts feature the virtuoso musicians of the CFO, as well as, highly acclaimed guest artists and ensembles.
A unique aspect of the ClaverackLanding series is to feature exceptional conservatory students, providing them with opportunities beyond their traditional education experiences.
On Sunday, March 13 at 4:00 pm, ClaverackLanding will debut Bard Conservatory’s top string talent, The Chimeng Quartet. This is ClaverackLanding’s first conservatory student feature and Artistic Director, Gwen Gould is eager to introduce this extraordinarily talented quartet to Hudson Valley audiences, following the quartet’s 2010 Silver Medal award at the prestigious Fischoff Competition.
And again with an ear for the exceptional, on April 1, ClaverackLanding will embark on an entirely different sonic tangent to feature Ljova and the Kontraband. Led by composer Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin, this award-winning “world music” ensemble will cross genres presenting chamber music that mixes Gypsy, Latin, Klezmer, and Jazz with Classical roots.
If your aural curiosity is piqued, more info can be found at the Columbia Festival Orchestra and tickets at Club Helsinki.
February 4, 2011 -
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In this age of drastic slashings of arts budgets, and bottom-line profit-driven cultural programming decisions, I would like to step into the discussion to applaud the extraordinary individuals that “keep on keeping on” in their of advocacy for the contemporary classical music of today, and the work of living composers.
Albany-based composer, pianist, conductor, and educator, Max Lifchitz, is one such extraordinary and dynamic force on the contemporary music scene. In addition to all of the above roles, he is also the Founder and Director of North/South Consonance.
The introductory text on the North/South Consonance website home page opens with this mission statement:
“Welcome to North/South Consonance’s thirty-first consecutive season.
In a culture overwhelmed by mere entertainment, North/South concerts celebrate the remarkable spectrum of artistic voices among us, while upholding an all-too-rare commitment to artistic discovery and innovation.”
And continues…
“Our free-admission concerts performed by first-rate artists focus on emerging and established composers whose works, often new to New York, always stimulate, challenge and excite.”
Emphasis should be noted here that North/South Consonance is in its thirty-first season. This longevity alone is cause for celebration. For thirty-one years, Max Lifchitz has been passionately promoting the music that is of our time – music written by today’s composers, alive with the sensibilities and influences of the world around us, and performed with exquisite sensitivity by today’s masterful professional musicians.
Through his visionary leadership and adventurous programming, Max Lifchitz has led the North/South Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra in over 750 different works, bringing public attention to composers from every corner of the world.
Not only has Max Lifchitz been providing New York audiences with free-admission concert programs of stimulating, innovative and exciting music, he has produced hundreds of wonderful, high quality recordings of the music of contemporary composers.
“North/South’s ever-expanding compact disc catalogue features expert performances of significant compositions, some written especially for the North/South Chamber Orchestra. These albums bring the music of composers we champion to an international audience…”
These recordings represent a substantial musical legacy, giving life to important segments of today’s contemporary repertoire and will offer future scholars and historians an invaluable window into the musical world of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
So, yes, funding for all arts organizations has become severely limited and will have a broad impact across our cultural landscape.
So, in response, let us, who believe in the power of great music, resolve to support the music of today’s composers and musicians by attending the concerts, purchasing the recordings, and making tax-deductible contributions to the deserving organizations that are struggling in this economic climate.
Certainly, we can all make a small difference, while celebrating the selfless efforts of those who enrich our lives with the music of our time.
Thanks for listening.
July 26, 2010 -
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(The music by George Crumb presented by Bang on a Can at MASS MoCA
Saturday, 7/24
Having not heard much of George Crumb’s music performed in live concert settings, I jumped at the chance to hear Bang on a Can present a concert of Crumb’s music, including the legendary piece, Black Angels, Thirteen images from the dark land.
Inspired by the Vietnam War, the effect of Black Angels, could not be more aptly described than the quote from the composer himself that appears on his website with the program notes.
Things were turned upside down. There were terrifying things in the air … they found their way into Black Angels. – George Crumb, 1990
To speak of extreme emotions Crumb summoned up an innovative new vocabulary. He amplified his quartet and called up an array of playing techniques to move the listener through an aural terrain that is profoundly, and simultaneously, unfamiliar, beautiful, and terrifying.
The performance directions for this piece range from bowing on the wrong side of the strings, trilling on the strings with thimble-capped fingers, chanting and whispering, to bowing water-tuned crystal glasses. Yet, this is not empty technical wizardry for sheer display.
“Although technical discussions are interesting to composers, I suspect that the truly magical and spiritual powers of music arise from deeper levels of our psyche.” – George Crumb
This music is driven by passionate purpose to engage the listener in the “magical and spiritual powers of music,” and to move the listener with emotion to explore the “deeper levels of our psyche.”
In Black Angels the listener becomes “ungrounded.” Disquieting sounds resonate with eerie strangeness as we are …“turned upside down” and held in suspension as vibrations fade into ominous silences, only to emerge once more in unexpected forms.
To speak only of Black Angels is not to diminish the power of the other four pieces on the program, Madrigals, Book I & II, Vox Balaenae, and Lux Aeterna, all of which were equally amazing and powerful. In each, George Crumb reveals his brilliant compositional mastery of an imaginative palette of instrumental color blends and techniques.
Bravo to the musicians who played with dazzling dedication to the music’s intent. The virtuosic challenges of the music were exquisitely performed with great sensitivity and emotional integrity. There certainly did not appear to be a rote note in the performance.
Kudos to Bang on a Can for presenting a beautiful and seamlessly staged journey through five of George Crumb’s masterpieces.
What an amazing and fascinating journey it was!
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