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'Round Midnight Variations'
Emanuele Arciuli, Pianist
Thursday, November 14, 2002 at 8:00 P.M.
American Piano Series
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
2960 Broadway at 116th Street
N.Y., N.Y.
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What a fabulous idea! Commission
a multitude of composers to write a variation(s)
on the Thelonius Monk classic 'Round Midnight.
Once the works arrive on delivery the challenge
then becomes arranging the disparate works into
a working order that will convey emotional verisimilitude
and heft. Mr. Arciuli's arrangement of the works
offers just those characteristics in plenty. The
premise is to go through the hours of the day
ruminating on the musical possibilities and richness
of the song in all of it's variational and harmonic
fullness. That it works so well is homage not
just to the genius of Mr. Monk but to the fertile
talents of Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli.
The first part of the program
was a harbinger of the evening's showpiece. It
featured three world premieres and two American
premieres as well as composer George Crumb's extended
opus, Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik.
The evening began with a suite
entitled ...........Waiting for Monk.
First up, Eric Reed's Variation (World Premiere
and the first of two Miller commissions), offered
a cool series of harmonics with some dissonant
voicings although not too cool. This was followed
by Uri Caine's Variation (World premiere) embodied
by disparate juxtapositioning of rapid arpeggiated
runs offset by stabbing angular chords. A virtuosic
piece expertly played by Mr. Arciuli. Alberto
Barbero's The Monk and Me (American premiere),
is part of a larger work and wraps itself up in
a study of the harmonic fourth, a standard of
jazz repertory. The work displayed very nice shape
and had a warmly expressive mood. It was my favorite
of the program to this point. Then came Fred Hersch's
Little Midnight Nocturne (World premiere and second
Miller commission). A beautifully rich and complex
work that although not incorporating much of the
famous melodic line, and in fact altering it completely,
offered instead nuanced development, depth and
lush, harmonic richness. A beautiful piece rendered
to perfection. The last piece in the suite, Aaron
Jay Kernis' Superstar Etude No. 2 (American premiere),
improvised off of the original tune with virtuosic
displays of dynamics and sturdily stunning chordal
re-workings. A tour de force ending, eliciting
a healthy dose of appreciation from the Miller
audience.
George Crumb's work was an extended
suite entitled Eine Kleine
Mitternachtmusik (A Little Night Music), Ruminations
on a Tune of
Thelonius Monk. (American Premiere). The composer
(who was in attendance and took a well deserved
bow at the conclusion of the work), asks the pianist
to play inside the piano as well as on the keyboard.
There are nine parts to the suite and work has
an overall feeling of nighttime in a moonlit fairyland.
It is evocatively persuasive leaving nothing that
jars the sensibilities unduly. Mr. Arciuli was
called upon to utilize all of his skills; dynamics,
rapid scalar runs, stabbing chords, wonderful
use of the sustain pedal, plucking and racking
the strings inside the body of the instrument
to striking the inner framework with a mallet.
None of this was untoward in the sense of being
used solely to create affect but instead was fully
effective in conveying a slightly eerie and contemplative
mood . A highly intriguing piece of music.
'Round Midnight Variations originally
sponsored by the Cincinnati College-Conservatory
of Music also employs multiple composers and is
in two parts with an introduction. The work begins
with an Introduction and Theme, Monk Sits Down
To Write a Tune, by Matthew Quayle, and imagines
Mr. Monk brainstorming at the piano, improvisatorily
creating and refining the kernels of his melodic
fragment. It's a neat concept and incorporates
a bit of stride piano style, which was an early
influence on almost every early jazz pianist.
Mr. Arciuli played with a fluid lyrical side and
displayed a fine sense of the jazz canon, playing
with verve and nuance.
Part I is sub-titled In the Morning
and employs three composers. Frederic Rzewski's
elegant neo-baroque Variation; Milton Babbit's
very chilly A Gloss on 'Round Midnight and Roberto
Andreoni's nicely evolved Slinking Around Midnight
in which the composer's stated intent was to evoke
an image of Ella and Louis duetting on the tune.
I heard a little of the Ella but none of the Armstrong.
Moving along to In the Afternoon
we were confronted with Augusta Read Thomas' short,
pithy Variation; Filippo Del Corno's fiery rhapsodic
Precious Time, a grandly motivic manipulative
piece and Michael Torke's minimilistic Variation,
that proved to be highly effective and was expertly
performed. The variation unfolded in cinematic
fashion, like a lotus .
Dividing Parts I and II was Carlo
Boccadoro's Midnight Variations in
three parts. All three variations called for virtuoso
technical facility,
which was amply supplied by Mr. Arciuli. The first
variation was a study of stuttering iterations
in harmonic coloration. Variation two was much
more contemplative and lyrical while variation
three was pointillistic, all smart jabs and enharmonics.
Part II of the 'Round Midnight
Variations was sub-titled In the Evening
......The triad of composers included John Harbinson
whose Monk Trope adhered closely to the source
material melodically. A sweetly lyrical composition.
David Crumb's (son of George) painted his Variation
with a strong sense of urgent dynamics and made
many of his musical points with use of expert
foot pedaling. Michael Daugherty's Monk in the
Kitchen washeavily pop influenced, displaying
a rich sense of humor. The music was fun and reminded
me of sixties t.v. spy music.
The final trio of variations
entitled Just 'Round Midnight began with
William Bolcom's 11:59 - think of Miles Davis
playing it in F minor
(First 8 bars only.....etc., you get the idea).
The title was about as long
as the piece which was easily the most abtract
of the evening's offerings and struck me as fairly
throwaway. Gerald Levinson's Midnight Dream took
the basic harmonics of the original into outer
space and offered not a shred of melody. I felt
like I had visited a house with a frame and no
foundation.
The final piece, Joel Hoffman's Cadenza e Finale
brought the whole to a wholly satisfying close.
Where the other two pieces in the final
section lacked substance, Mr. Hoffman provided
such in abundance. The work provided variations
within variations and required great stamina from
Mr.Arciuli. He easily surmounted the physical
demands of the work, which had thrust and propulsion
throughout. Pulsing ostinatos gave way, at times,
to beautiful figurations in the right hand and
all cuminated by morphing into the original tune
proper which proved to be an aptly lush climax
that was emotional as well as an intellectual
ending to a terrific evening.
Mr. Arciuli established his persona
early on in the program and never
wavered in his focused and expressive playing.
He provided overall
shape coupled with a prodigious technique that
dazzled the sensibilities and alternated between
earnestness, wit and humor in diplomatically dispensed
portions. A formidable young pianist and a challengingly
rewarding program presented by the Miller Theatre
in yet another of it's innovative and provocative
showcases.
John Hammel, WNTI, 91.9 F.M. Mozart To Motorhead
Show.
To contact
Emanuele Arciuli, visit his web site:
www.emanuelearciuli.com
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