Sunday afternoon I braved the rain and wind to go hear the contemporary music ensemble fEARnoMUSIC present its first concert of the 2007-2008 season. They gave a great concert centered around the theme of folk music, presented nearly continuously and without intermission. It was great to see a wide variety of musical styles presented, and with such style and virtuosity.
Highlights of the program? I’d have to pick the Folk Songs Set No. 11b (1995) by Iranian composer Reza Vali, which were performed in an arrangement for string quartet by violinists Inès Voglar and Erin Furbee, violist Joël Belgique, and cellist Adam Esbensen. Adam Esbensen played some stellar high-wire passages at the end of the fingerboard in the first movement, and the eerie glissandi which closed the piece were exquisitely blended and atmospheric.
The four movements from John Adams’ John’s Book of Alleged Dances (1994) for string quartet and tape were also very exciting and well-played, this time with Erin Furbee taking the first violin part. Rapid-fire playing on the part of all the string players was excellent in the two quickest movements, Dogjam and Toot Nipple, while the Habanera simmered with wry sensuality, and the opening movement Judah to the Ocean was played with grace and lilting elegance.
The final work of the afternoon was the work I was most eager to hear: Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs (1964) in its original chamber version for voice and seven instruments. Soprano Janice Johnson sang the folk songs in their seven original languages with great diction and emotional force. The ensemble backing her provided a full, but balanced sound, though occasionally the percussion instruments overwhelmed the voice part. Guest artists Jennifer Craig, harp; Molly Barth, flute; Todd Kuhns, clarinet; and Philip Patti, percussion, ably rounded out the superb ensemble.
If you missed this concert, then mark your calendars for fEARnoMUSIC’s next concert, which takes place March 7, 2008 at The Old Church in Portland. Check out their website for more details and ticket information.