David Bloom conducts Contemporaneous at DiMenna © 2015 Dominica Eriksen. Used with kind permission.
On March 7, 2015, Contemporaneous reached a new milestone: the ensemble turned five years old, and it did so with a flourish. Curt Barnes and Prufrock report:
Contemporaneous offered a very satisfying chamber concert at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City on March 7, 2015. Called “Self Portrait,” it featured five works by members of the performing/composing group Contemporaneous, formed at Bard College in the Hudson Valley five years ago, and it commemorated the ensemble’s very productive existence thus far. I own and value a CD of Dylan Mattingly’s music, performed by Contemporaneous, but hadn’t heard the group first-hand before.
Composer and Clarinetist Vicente Alexim © 2015 Dominica Eriksen. Used with kind permission.
The first piece for chamber orchestra was “Impulses” (2015), by clarinetist Vicente Alexim (b. 1987), which sounded initially inchoate and mysterious but eventually built to a series of powerful, wrenching fortissimos the likes of which were unfamiliar and innovative. The finale consisted of several precisely but unevenly spaced silences punctuated by complex chords, a very memorable conclusion that showcased David Bloom’s dynamic and masterly conducting, not to mention the attentiveness of his charges. This was only one of several visible lessons to us all in the importance of his station in a program no doubt full of performing complexities, among which “Impulses” was a standout, and I hope to hear it again.
Composer and Percussionist Matt Evans © 2015 Dominica Eriksen. Used with kind permission.
The second piece, by percussionist Matt Evans (b. 1988), was called “Still Life for Ensemble” (2015) and focused, as the composer expressed, on creating a state that approached the stasis of a physical object, rather than a movement in time, closer to painting than to music as usually conceived. A low-key piece that made use of subtle changes called “melodic factorials” and featuring a mallet instrument, it recalled the more intelligent and well-constructed music of what is generically known as New Age.
Composer Tamzin Ferré Elliott © 2015 Dominica Eriksen. Used with kind permission.
Tamzin Ferré Elliott’s (b. 1992) piece, “Gloria Nightwatch and The Ghost” (2015), combined this Bard undergraduate’s (!) literary and musical gifts, and came in five sections. The first, “The Letter,” was a stream-of-consciousness monologue by a fraught woman reading a letter while walking, and the effective recitation was heightened and reinforced by the ensemble accompaniment. Lucy Dhegrae was at her most dramatic and prepossessing for this performance, upon which followed a series of songs for “Andy,” apparently the object of erstwhile affection and implicit writer of the letter, which songs recalled pop, Broadway, and various genres to my wife and me. With all this, Dhegrae revealed still more facets to her versatility, capturing the pop idioms with conviction and verve.
Contemporaneous performs Dylan Mattingly’s Lighthouse at Bard’s Olin Hall March 8, 2015 © 2015 Brendan Hunt. Used with kind permission.
My personal highlight of the evening, though, was the string-quintet performance of Dylan Mattingly’s (b. 1991) “Lighthouse (Refugee Music by a Pacific Expatriate)” (2010), featured on the Contemporaneous CD I own. As I expected, it was more intense and vivid live (as what performance is not?) with its note-bending, shifting, and involving dramatic structure. Written when he was only 19, it bodes well indeed for a long life’s engagement with new music. Mattingly’s piece reminded me of what seemed to distinguish this young generation (20-30 years old) from their predecessors: their unselfconsciousness about being either “modern,” “cutting-edge” or “serious.” They are all of those things, but naturally, with no apologies or regrets. Consequently audiences are surely less likely to be intimidated or self-conscious themselves, and simply use their ears. As did we, to worthwhile effect!
We couldn’t stay for the last work, alas, Finnegan Shanahan’s “Water Cycle (Music for a Hudson River Railroad Dream-Map),” but Prufrock was there to report.
Prufrock (a/k/a Susan Scheid):
Finnegan Shanahan with David Bloom and Contemporaneous © 2015 Dominica Eriksen. Used with kind permission.
Finnegan Shanahan’s (b. 1993) piece, “Water Cycle (Music for a Hudson River Railroad Dream-Map)” (2015), might be characterized as “indie” (though my terminology about such things is foggy, to say the least). The 35-minute piece, which will be released on the much-respected New Amsterdam Record label in 2016 (for which it is a perfect fit), showed off Shanahan’s compositional talents including, among other things, attractive lyrical lines, appealing orchestration, and a fine sense of rhythm, as well as his multi-varied talents as a lyricist and musician (in this case, plucked electrified violin, acoustic guitar, keyboard, and voice). The ensemble performed beautifully and with considerable panache.
The event, the first in a three-concert series, was superbly organized and celebratory in every sense (including fabulous baked treats from Bloom’s mom and excellent punch, courtesy Mattingly’s mom). Speaking as someone who has followed this ensemble from almost the beginning of its life at Bard, this event had a very special meaning that’s almost impossible for me to convey in words. I remember, for example, two fellows at a concert I attended recalling how, in the early days, Bloom and Mattingly had gone through the dorms at Bard, knocking on doors to invite classmates to attend. I also remember watching Bloom emerge as the ensemble’s full-time conductor. The group created this ensemble on their own to play the music they cared about most and wanted us to hear. A large ensemble like this is devilishly hard to maintain—yet here it is, five years on, and going strong.
The anniversary program was in some sense high risk, as all except Mattingly’s piece were world premieres showcasing the compositional talents of core members and longtime associates of the ensemble. What came through loud and clear were the ensemble’s tremendous versatility, fine musicianship, focus, and incredibly rich and varied talent, as well as the powerful commitment to creating and fostering an ever-expanding community among composers, musicians, and listeners. It’s been a privilege to be one of the ensemble’s listeners, and I can’t wait for what comes next.
Contemporaneous takes a bow © 2015 Dominica Eriksen. Used with kind permission.
For information about the program, the featured composers, the musicians, and Contemporaneous, click here.
Listening List
To listen to the 2012 recording of Dylan Mattingly’s Lighthouse, click here (© 2012 Contemporaneous and Dylan Mattingly; used with kind permission). For more information about the Stream of Stars: Music of Dylan Mattingly CD, click here.
As audio and video of the March 7, 2015, concert become available, additional links for listening will be added to this post.
Contemporaneous Self Portrait © 2015 Milena Gligić. Used with kind permission.
Prufrock's Dilemma 
This is such a specialised field of music that, with my limited knowledge and understanding, I wouldn’t dare to voice an opinion. But I can congratulate the very enthusiastic, highly motivated and deeply dedicated musicianship of the young players and composers. I wish them all the best and every success in the years to come.
Friko: As you can’t help but know when visiting over here, it’s been wonderful to watch all of this unfold over the last 4+ years.
Hi Susan – I agree with Friko, but I come from an even poorer background of musical knowledge. However I’m always fascinated with your posts about Contemporaneous and how they push the boundaries of music … we all need change.
I was with some friends on Saturday – who are musical .. and they were saying they’d tried to introduce some avant garde repertoire down here in Eastbourne … but it didn’t work. Now they’re trying the odd piece here and there …
I guess for change we need that vibrancy of dedication … I love hearing some of the ideas that musicians try out … and other artists … we heard quite a lot during the Cultural Olympiad of the 2012 Olympics here in the UK … some were quite extraordinary …
Thanks for keeping us up to date and informed about Contemporaneous … cheers Hilary
Hilary: Interesting about your friends in Eastbourne. I suggest passing on to them Curt’s piece on listening to “new music” https://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/2015/01/27/guest-post-why-beethoven-is-not-enough-by-curt-barnes/. A number of people have found Curt’s comments quite helpful; perhaps it would help your friends to find ways to encourage others, too. (I’d suggest also that “new music” is a better–and more accurate–term than avant garde, which tends, for some, to suggest something forbidding. It’s abundantly apparent, at the least exposure to “new music” that the wide variety of new music being made assures there will be something to suit everyone’s tastes.) The Contemporaneous concert we’ve described here is a case in point.
Two things caught me. One was the title, “Water Cycle (Music for a Hudson River Railroad Dream-Map). Whatever I ended up thinking about the music, I’d be willing to give that a listen just for the title alone. “(Whatever-whatever) in D Major” is descriptive enough, but hardly compelling. Interesting, that the same advice given to web-writers of every sort (“You have two seconds to capture someone’s attention. Make the title count!”) may apply in other arts as well.
And then there’s that last photograph. If it’s a reference to the famous Abbey Road album cover, it’s clever and amusing. If it wasn’t meant to bring “that other group” to mind, it’s even more interesting.
Congrats to the group for not only holdling it together for five years, but for developing and growing.
shoreacres: Ah, the wordsmith’s perspective, I love it! (Actually, wouldn’t it be fun to see a piece that is actually named “Whatever, whatever in D Major”?) As David has already noted (getting there before me, per usual!), there’s a lot of literary, as well as musical, talent in this group. Tamzin Ferre Elliot, among other things, is studying poetry at Bard. The program notes for Self-Portrait give a wonderful flavor for the literary flair: http://www.contemporaneous.org/blog/. Here, as one example, is a lovely passage Finnegan Shanahan wrote about his piece: “I might not have realized it at the time, but I think Water Cycle is not just for Contemporaneous — it’s about Contemporaneous. Contemporaneous is the most epic and wondrous ride down a river in perpetual motion. To create and perform music that is completely new is to grab hold of something that is still living and breathing, to make it a part of you and to let go when you are ready for the current to pull you away to something even more beautiful.”
PS: I had exactly the same thought about that photograph. I haven’t thought to ask about it. Must remember to do that.
I can well imagine your pride and excitement, Sue – without you I would never have made the acquaintance of Dylan Mattingly’s extraordinary talent. Yes, he has a knack of intriguing with his titles, as one might expect from a polymath who also has literary gifts too. The splendidly named Finnegan Shanahan’s title is of that ilk too, and I so want to hear Lucy Dhegrae in the other eye-catcher, ‘Gloria Nightwatch and the Ghost’.
Pace Shoreacres, titles ARE important – and in my experience, if they’re of the usual wishy-washy would-be transcendent ilk, then they’re often boring as music too (though let’s not forget that even Bartok was reduced to a title as dull as ‘Contrasts’ for a fizzing piece).
Curt certainly hits the nail on the head about the younger generation ‘with their unselfconsciousness about being either “modern,” “cutting-edge” or “serious.” ‘ I’m so happy to have lived beyond the post-Darmstadt dryness to something rich and various. If the music and the players have a burning need to communicate, any audience will go with that.
I wish Contemporaneous many more years of ever greater success, and want to see them here (you know it wasn’t initially for lack of trying, but let’s push them with festivals and see what happens).
David: Such lovely and generous words! I do so hope you’ll get a chance to hear Contemporaneous live one day, and a festival your side of the Atlantic would surely be a glorious way to make that happen (something I’ve been encouraging too, as and where I can). On this side of the Atlantic, there is some lovely news on the festival front, by the by. Upcoming for Contemporaneous is participation in two festivals, as well as a second residency in New Orleans. One of the festivals, which I think you’ll appreciate, particularly, is the Bard Summer Music Festival!