Pacifica Quartet
The 51st season of the University of Chicago's Contempo series opened on October 27, 2015 with a program celebrating its recently retired artistic director, Shulamit Ran. The towering music was given probing and gutsy performances by U of C ensembles-in-residence Pacifica Quartet and eighth blackbird with mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley. New artistic director Marta Ptaszyn'ska joined Ran on stage as longtime colleagues and friends.
Photos © Copyright 2015 by Elliot Mandel. All rights reserved.
Contempo always packs a heavy-hitting and heady mix of music. This past Sunday seemed extra significant as Contempo gave the world premieres of works by Gunther Schuller and Sofia Gubaidulina - two giants in the world of contemporary composition who were also in attendance. Add composer and Contempo artistic director Shulamit Ran, conductor Cliff Colnot, and U of C ensembles-in-residence Pacifica Quartet and eighth blackbird, and you've got some of the best in new music.
Unlike traditional classical music forms, contemporary music is impossible to predict, making it uniquely challenging to photograph. The usual strategy of waiting for the loud parts doesn't necessarily work since the loud parts may never come, or they come and go in an instant. Here are some moments that I caught when the shutter sound was (hopefully) masked.
(L-R) Sofia Gubaidulina, Laurel Fay, Gunther Schuller, Steven Rings
(L-R) Berthold Hoeckner, Sofia Gubaidulina, Laurel Fay
Shulamit Ran
Lisa Kaplan and Dan Schlosberg perform Helen Grime's "Entwined Channels."
Mary Stolper and Ben Sutherland perform Howard Sandroff's "Chants des Femmes."
Cliff Colnot conducts the Pacifica Quartet and eighth blackbird in the world premiere of Gunther Schuller's "Four Chromatic Adventures."
Soprano Michelle Areyzaga and violist Masumi Per Rostad perform Earl Kim's "Now and Then."
eighth blackbird in Gubaidulina's "Pilgrims"
Yvonne Lam, Collins Trier, and Doug Perkins perform the world premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's "Pilgrims."
Matthew Duvall in Gubaidulina's "Pilgrims"
Sofia Gubaidulina (center) takes a bow with eighth blackbird.
Gunther Schuller signs his score in the green room.
Shulamit Ran and Gunther Schuller.
The University of Chicago's Contempo series is celebrating its 50th year of contemporary classical music this season, and featuring its two ensembles-in-residence: eighth blackbird and the Pacifica Quartet. Joining them on January 24 was soprano Sharon Harms, trumpeter Stephen Burns, conductor David Fulmer, and a host of players from Chicago's new music community. It's always fun to photograph these expressive musicians, and I'm looking forward to more in March.
Yvonne Lam
eighth blackbird
Simin Ginatra, Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet.
Masumi Per Rostad
Stephen Burns, trumpet, and David Fulmer conducting.
Pacifica Quartet with pianist Anthony Cheung
Pacifica Quartet with pianist Anthony Cheung
Sharon Harms and David Fulmer
Sharon Harms and David Fulmer
Sharon Harms, David Fulmer, and composer John Eaton.
In the green room at intermission, legendary jazz pianist and vocalist Patricia Barber turns to me and asks, "How the f*** do I follow that?" She was referring to a performance by percussionist Nicholas Reed of Marta Ptaszynska's "Space Model," a work for three sets of percussion instruments and recorded track. Reed's seamless playing held the audience in rapt attention, igniting waves of applause. Pianist Lisa Kaplan and cellist Nicholas Photinos, both of eighth blackbird, opened the show with the haunting "Habil-Sayagy" by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh. The Pacifica Quartet followed with Elena Firsova's String Quartet No. 11, "Purgatorium," playing with its trademark precision and sensitivity. I didn't have an answer to Barber's very serious question, other than to say, "I'm glad I don't have to."
Barber was just as intense during her set as she was before it. Sensing the enormity of the concert - the 10th anniversary of the new music series Contempo at the University of Chicago curated by Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran - Barber gave a performance both searing and deeply touching, poignant and beautiful. Drummer Ari Hoenig, bassist Patrick Mulcahy, and guitarist Gilad Hekselman provided ample solos and witty accompaniment. But it was Barber who carried the full weight of the music. I know this because I witnessed it from the front row, often dropping my camera from my eye just to watch for a minute. It was an honor to photograph these artists, and to share for the briefest of moments the space they occupy.
Patricia Barber: Completely awesome jazz pianist, vocalist, poet.
Patricia Barber rocking the Steinway.
eighth blackbird's Lisa Kaplan (piano) and Nicholas Photinos (cello).
The Pacifica Quartet in the spotlight.
Percussionist Nicholas Reed
I am confident saying that Sunday's concert with the Pacifica Quartet and clarinetist Anthony McGill was the most soulful and satisfying performance of Mozart and Brahms that I have ever heard. So often, the promise of all-star combinations falls short of expectations, but the Pacifica and McGill make music as if they have been performing together as a quintet for 20 years. Their collaboration is natural, and the music flows with depth and clarity. The concert also celebrated the quintet's forthcoming release of the same program - Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in A Major and Brahms' Clarinet Quintet in B minor - on Cedille Records in May.
Not only was I able to hear this exquisite music from behind a camera, but the artists were kind enough to let me hang out with them in the green room during intermission. I was thrilled to finally meet the Pacifica, an ensemble I've long admired as a reviewer and music lover; and McGill - a Chicago native - may be best known for his performance at President Obama's first Inauguration.
And to top it all off, my photo of the concert ran in the Sun-Times with Andrew Patner's glowing concert review. My first photo in a newspaper! Many thanks to Cedille Records' Jim Ginsburg and University of Chicago Presents' Amy Iwano for a wonderful afternoon.
Clarinetist Anthony McGill and the Pacifica Quartet during Mozart's Clarinet Quintet.
Pacifica Quartet and Anthony McGill
Cellist Brandon Vamos studies Brahms during intermission.
Anthony McGill tests out his reeds in the green room.
My photo on page 26 of the Sun-Times, April 15, 2014.
