BMOP concert
Mar. 11th, 2006 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariI went to last night's BMOP concert. It was really good: I liked all four pieces on the program, which is a bit unusual. Here's the rundown.
Eternal Rock II for Korean Barrel Drum Set and Orchestra - Jin Hi Kim
The very first BMOP concert I went to featured Kim's Eternal Rock I - which incorporated the komungo, a koto-like Korean instrument - and I loved it. I really liked this piece, too. Korean barrel drums are similar to some of the percussion instruments heard in the Crouching Tiger soundtrack, and they were put to very good use in this piece. I kept waiting for the drum part to really rock out, and it did so fantastically, not once but twice. The orchestral part was somewhat chaotic, but I thought it worked because of the rich and dynamic use of timbres. I was particularly impressed by the way Kim made use of percussive effects and other percussion instruments to both contrast with and highlight the barrel drums.
Concerto No. 1 for Koto and Orchestra - Henry Cowell
I've always been impressed with Cowell's music, and this piece was no exception. It was tuneful and gentle without being soporific or schmaltzy. The materials were simple yet striking. Cowell also did a beautiful job of both blending and contrasting the orchestra with the koto.
"Toward that Endless Plain" Concerto for Persian Ney and Orchestra - Reza Vali
The ney is an end-blown flute that produces a very breathy, rich timbre. It sounds great, and so did this concerto. The music went from intense to contemplative within the first few minutes, and then worked back up to intense and almost chaotic before dissolving into silence. I hope I get to hear this piece again sometime.
Yi Concerto for Orchestra - Tan Dun
This was the only piece on the concert that did not feature a soloist, although their were extensive solo passages for the principals of the string sections. The piece made exciting use of different timbres, and even some extended techniques. And the use of pitch bends was terrific. Unfortunately, I was rather tired at the end of the performance and thus couldn't give this work quite as much focus and attention as it deserved. I'll have to look for a recording.
Eternal Rock II for Korean Barrel Drum Set and Orchestra - Jin Hi Kim
The very first BMOP concert I went to featured Kim's Eternal Rock I - which incorporated the komungo, a koto-like Korean instrument - and I loved it. I really liked this piece, too. Korean barrel drums are similar to some of the percussion instruments heard in the Crouching Tiger soundtrack, and they were put to very good use in this piece. I kept waiting for the drum part to really rock out, and it did so fantastically, not once but twice. The orchestral part was somewhat chaotic, but I thought it worked because of the rich and dynamic use of timbres. I was particularly impressed by the way Kim made use of percussive effects and other percussion instruments to both contrast with and highlight the barrel drums.
Concerto No. 1 for Koto and Orchestra - Henry Cowell
I've always been impressed with Cowell's music, and this piece was no exception. It was tuneful and gentle without being soporific or schmaltzy. The materials were simple yet striking. Cowell also did a beautiful job of both blending and contrasting the orchestra with the koto.
"Toward that Endless Plain" Concerto for Persian Ney and Orchestra - Reza Vali
The ney is an end-blown flute that produces a very breathy, rich timbre. It sounds great, and so did this concerto. The music went from intense to contemplative within the first few minutes, and then worked back up to intense and almost chaotic before dissolving into silence. I hope I get to hear this piece again sometime.
Yi Concerto for Orchestra - Tan Dun
This was the only piece on the concert that did not feature a soloist, although their were extensive solo passages for the principals of the string sections. The piece made exciting use of different timbres, and even some extended techniques. And the use of pitch bends was terrific. Unfortunately, I was rather tired at the end of the performance and thus couldn't give this work quite as much focus and attention as it deserved. I'll have to look for a recording.
