Julia Wolfe: Steel Hammer - John Henry Redux

Julia Wolfe
Steel Hammer
Bang on a Can All-Stars
Trio Mediaeval
Cantaloupe Music

The legend of John Henry has grown and changed over the years. Was John Henry real or fictional, black or white, short or tall? Virtually every detail of the story has multiple answers -- and that's the point of Julia Wolfe's work, "Steel Hammer." Wolfe ingeniously presents the multiplicity of the story with layers of sound that simultaneously obscure the text and make transparent its interpretations.

This is high-energy, complex material, and as with many of Wolfe's compositions, the music demands your attention in an insistent and aggressive manner. But it's only when you give "Steel Hammer" your full attention that the music can convey its meaning.

Trio Mediaeval sing with pure, unwavering tones, providing an unemotional narrative to the work. Wolfe incorporates a number of folk instruments and sounds into her ensemble to provide color and context. Hearing the banjo, dulcimer, or the sound of clogging deep in the mix give the listener a hint of Appalachia without being overtly folk-like.

As always, the Bang on a Can All-Stars hold nothing back in their performances. This is difficult, demanding music, but these musicians don't just play the material -- they own it.

Transparent performances of Respighi

Respighi: The Birds
Kyler Brown, organ
Chamber Orchestra of New York
Salvatore di Vittorio, conductor
Naxos

Ottorino Respighi is known for his brilliant orchestrations -- but for most listeners, that knowledge is based on his Roman trilogy of tone poems. Salvatore Di Vittorio and the Chamber Orchestra of New York dig a little deeper into the composer's catalog. Their discoveries reaffirm Respighi's reputation, while providing an enjoyable listening experience.

The Suite in G for strings and organ is an early work, yet Respighi's genius for orchestration is already in place. This would be an excellent companion piece to Saint-Saën's Third Symphony, although Respighi's neo-classical work might sound a little understated in comparison.

The Seranta is a short, simple work that still manages to dazzle with its imaginative orchestration over the course of its five-minute playing time.

Gli uccelli (The Birds), like Respighi's more famous tone poems, show the composer's skill at painting with music. Respighi incorporates bird calls into the music, but in this performance their recognizable, but not overdone. Rather, the calls were fully integrated into the music presenting impressions -- rather than literal interpretations of -- the birds depicted in each movement.

The Trittico botticelliano is (in my opinion) the strongest work on the album. Maestro di Vittorio and his ensemble deliver a spirited performance of "Spring," the first movement. "The Adoration of the Magi," the middle movement is played with sensitivity and delicacy, and the finale, "The Birth of Venus" fairly shimmers in places.

The chamber orchestra is a group of young players, and sometimes that shows. Sometimes the strings lacked precision in more active passages, and there seemed to my ears to be some slight intonation problems in the Seranata. Still, they play with a very rich and warm sound, which is especially gorgeous in the slow movements. Performing these works with a chamber -- rather than full -- orchestra gives the music a feeling of transparency. It was a sound that seemed perfectly suited to these works.

Kenner Sky Rail Project Part 7 - Girder and Panel

The Kenner Sky Rail Restoration Project is technically over. the Capital Miniature Auto Collectors Club held their July meeting. The program featuring building sets used with toy cars was well-researched -- and well-received. For those who are interested, below are the sets that were presented and discussed. Parts 7 and 8 feature the sets my dad, er, volunteered me to bring in, assemble, and give a brief history of. Parts 9 and 10 feature sets other members brought in. It was quite a night! (click on images to enlarge)

Read all the posts about this project here.

Kenner Girder and Panel Sets

The "girder and panel" building system was developed by Kenner, and they used it in over thirty different sets between 1957 to 1965. I brought three of the four I owned to the meeting. What I left out was the No. 4 Bridge and Turnpike set. This set constructed bridges, cloverleafs, and other raised roadways for use with 1/87 diecast vehicles. Later this year the club will be having a presentation on roadway sets used with toy cars, which is when I'll display the No. 4.

The No. 3 Girder and Panel Building Set (1957) had side panels and roof panels. When placed on the girder frame, one could easily make modern-looking (for 1960) skyscrapers and office building. I built one of the models pictured in the instruction book and was taken with how convincing the finished model looked. My set had almost all the pieces, including the accent signs. Note the "Space to Let" sign on the building front.

The No. 16 Build-A-Home Subdivision Set (1962) introduced a diagonal I-beam for the pitched roofs of homes. New roof panels were included, and the wall panels simulated either wood or brick facades with colonial-style window and door treatments. Again, I made one of the models from the instruction book, but it occurred to me I could have easily built a row of overpriced modern townhouses. The set included a variety of accessories, including two pools, several Styrofoam trees, barbeque pits, and climbing vines. Perhaps I should have built a gated community!

And of course, I presented the No. 18 Sky Rail set. Which did indeed work during the presentation.

And here's the instruction sheet I used.

Diabelli Project 051 - Piano Piece in F

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

Last week I posted a piano piece in F, and I'm doing so again this week. Perhaps they're part of the same larger work? Hard to say. When I sit down to do this weekly flash composition I don't look at any previous sketches, I just start fresh with a blank stave in front of me. This could be part of last week's entry, or not. (click on image to enlarge)

What happens next is totally up to you. If you feel inspired, you're welcome to use this sketch (or indeed, any or all in the series) as the basis for your own composition. It's all free of charge and legal tangles -- just let me know how the piece turned out!

CCC 111 - Arturo Márquez

This week Mexican composer Arturo Márquez is the focus of the Consonant Classical Challenge. Márquez incorporates the traditional and popular music of Mexico and Central America into his works. He uses tonality in much the same way as his sources, supporting his melodies with simple triads. His harmonies don't move in textbook fashion, but they do conform to popular usage, which makes his music immediately understandable to just about anyone.

That's not to say Márquez writes pop tunes for orchestra. His melodies are often quite intricate, and carefully orchestrated to give a variety of expressions and texture to the music. Márquez's use of the folk and pop traditions of his country might be compared to the ways Brahms and Dvorak used similar materials for their shorter works.

Márquez has composed a series of eight Danzons using the traditional form for this genre. Danzon No. 2 is the most-performed of the set. It begins with a soft, gentle bossa nova rhythm. Márquez's imaginative orchestration and solid motivic development make this more than just light background music, though.



Another popular work by Márquez is the Conga del fuego. This work has all the fire and excitement of a dance hall conga, though with far more sophisticated musical development.




Zarabandeo is a work for clarinet and piano. Folk elements are farther in the background in this work, which feature odd-meter rhythms. In this stripped-down setting of just two instruments, it's easier to hear the complexity of Marquez's melodies.



The Homenaje a Gismonti is an interesting work for string quartet. Egberto Gismonti is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist. In this composition, Márquez uses idioms and rhythms from Brazilian music to pay tribute to Gismonti's style.



Arturo Márquez is a major figure in Mexican classical music, and thanks to champions like Gustavo Dudamel, he's becoming better known in America, too. Since most of his works are quite short, Marquez's music is often recorded for compilations. The Recommended Recordings listings reflect that. I, for one, would be interested in hearing all eight Danzons performed as a group, and would really like to hear some of his more cerebral compositions.

Recommended recordings

Four, For Tango

Fiesta

Conga Line in Hell: Modern Class Latin America

Mi Alma Mexicana (My Mexican Soul)