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Oberlin Opera Theater: two one-acts by John Musto & Mark Campbell (Mar. 6)

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by Daniel Hathaway

Oberlin Opera Theater’s spring productions brought two recent titles by composer John Musto and librettist Mark Campbell to the Hall Auditorium stage from March 5-7.

The excellent productions were masterfully directed by Scott Skiba, and the first-class Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble was conducted by Timothy Weiss, who synchronized stage and pit with a deft hand. And the singing and comedic acting — clearly informed by a residency with John Musto — were terrific.

Later the Same Evening (2007) was inspired by five paintings by Edward Hopper, the famous 20th-century chronicler of urban isolation. Bastianello (2008) expands on an outrageous Italian folk tale. Both have been filtered to some extent through Freudian psychoanalysis, which makes them relatable on the same program for those who wish to dig deeper.

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CD Review — Wish: Music of Valerie Coleman

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by Peter Feher

Valerie Coleman joined the flute and composition faculty at New York’s Mannes School of Music in 2021, but her work has found a second home at Oberlin Conservatory since then. Wish, the latest release from the Oberlin Music Label, features seven of Coleman’s flute pieces from the past two decades, many of them in their first recordings.

Alexa Still, Oberlin’s professor of flute, isn’t the only major player involved in the project, though her spirit for exploration and education is what unites the album. Elegy, a lively and pulsing work written for Still in 2015 which winds up here as the closing track, has the flutist backed by an ensemble of her students on instruments ranging from piccolo to contrabass flute, all conducted by Timothy Weiss.

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CD Review —
Jesse Jones: In Profile

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by Peter Feher

The path to finding an artistic voice might start in music school, but it doesn’t end when you graduate — or even if you become the professor. That process of self-discovery is what connects the five otherwise contrasting pieces on Jesse Jones: In Profile, the latest release on the Oberlin Music label, dedicated to works by faculty composer Jesse Jones.

Like the title suggests, In Profile offers a portrait. The assortment of compositions featured on the album — all recorded here for the first time and in top-notch performances by Oberlin faculty, students, and guest artists — comes from a six-year period in Jones’ career, 2009-2015.

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CD Review — Pianist Xak Bjerken in The Oberlin Concertos

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by Jarrett Hoffman

Three remarkable concertos commissioned from members of the Oberlin composition faculty showcase one remarkable pianist in The Oberlin Concertos, released last fall on the Conservatory’s music label.

The pianist is Xak Bjerken, whose greatest talent is perhaps his balancing act. Every note is infused with expression, yet his individuality never spills over to eclipse the compositional voices of Stephen Hartke, Elizabeth Ogonek, and Jesse Jones. Those same words could just as easily describe conductor Timothy Weiss, who leads the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble with the ultimate combination of precision, musicality, and musical vision.

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2021: A roundup of recordings

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As a guide to gift-giving (and don’t we all need a little help!), enjoy a chronological look over the CD reviews our correspondents have written over the last twelve months — plus a look ahead at some reviews to come in early 2022.

Note that many of these recordings are available as downloads rather than physical discs. And while streaming platforms are invaluable resources, it’s important to remember that payments received by the artists are generally small (and ridiculously confusing to calculate in some cases!)

Finally, don’t forget to make an end-of-year gift to your favorite local performing organization to support our musicians. Happy holidays!

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CD Review — Oberlin CME: Norman | Trigos | Broening

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by Jarrett Hoffman

After highlighting music by three members of the Oberlin composition faculty, Timothy Weiss and the Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Ensemble (CME) have continued their Oberlin Music label offerings with another triptych of works by composers from the present day.

Norman | Trigos | Broening, released in May, begins with Andrew Norman’s Gran Turismo for eight violins. And if you’re familiar with the auto-racing video game series that gave the work its title — one among a few inspirations — you won’t be surprised by the blazing speed. Even the few slow sections, beautifully written and sensitively phrased, provoke a sense of suspense: thrills await around the corner.

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CD Review:
Rands at Oberlin

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by Mike Telin

To say that the music of Bernard Rands is tinged with Ravel and Debussy doesn’t tell the whole story. In reality, his music extends beyond that into a post-modern, impressionistic world. On the recently-released CD, Rands at Oberlin, the composer’s engaging musical voice is brought to life in stellar performances by Robert Walters of the Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra (2015) and by tenor Magnus Staveland of the Pulitzer prize-winning Canti del Sole (1983). [Read more…]

CD Review
Kendra Colton: Late Air —  
Music by John Harbison

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by Mike Telin

Composer John Harbison has done it all. His numerous awards include a MacArthur Fellowship and a Pulitzer Prize. He has written works for many of America’s leading musical organizations and has served as composer in residence with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His catalogue includes three operas, seven symphonies, twelve concerti, a ballet, six string quartets, numerous chamber works, and a large body of sacred music. On her latest CD, Late Air — Music by John Harbison, soprano and Oberlin voice professor Kendra Colton reminds us that the celebrated composer has a special talent for writing art songs — she also proves herself to be a sensitive interpreter of them. [Read more…]

Zohn Collective and La Coperacha
at Cleveland Museum of Art

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by Mike Telin

It is often impossible to say why a work of art captivates you to the point of becoming an obsession. Such is the case for composer Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon and Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Páramo. In his program notes for his scenic cantata Comala, Zohn-Muldoon writes: “To explain why Pedro Páramo moves me so deeply is beyond my capabilities as an essayist.” 

On Friday, October 18 at 7:30 pm in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium, the Zohn Collective will present “Portals,” which pairs Comala with the world premiere of Daniel Pesca’s Nocturnes, a setting of four poems by Irving Feldman. Conducted by Timothy Weiss, performers include soprano Tony Arnold and tenor Zach Finkelstein, with La Coperacha Puppet Company. The performance is part of CMA’s Performing Arts Series. Tickets are available online.

“This is a piece I’ve been composing on and off for all of my adult life,” Zohn-Muldoon said of Comala during a telephone interview. “Every time it gets performed I add a new theme — I just finished one that will be premiered on this occasion — so now it’s gotten very large.”

Comala was premiered by The Furious Band at the Festival Música y Escena in México City in 2001. [Read more…]

Kirsten Docter to premiere new viola concerto by Jesse Jones

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by Mike Telin 

For many years, Jesse Jones has led a double musical life. In one, he serves on the composition faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Rome Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His works have been performed by ensembles including the American Composers Orchestra, the Spokane Symphony, the Juilliard String Quartet, the Argento Chamber Ensemble, and Sō Percussion.

In the other life, he is a mandolinist/composer who has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and performed at the Oregon Bach Festival, Wintergrass, and the Sister’s Folk Festival, and toured with the genre-bending ensemble String Helix. In March of this year, he and his duo partner, bassist Craig Butterfield, released their third album, Eclipse, on Summit Records.  

In spite of his success in both lives, Jones has always been reluctant to combine the two. That changed when he was presented with the opportunity to write a new viola concerto.

[Read more…]

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