This playlist is meant to end your experience with the space around you as you leave and bring the concepts of Deep Listening and the awareness of your surroundings with you. Choose any track, listen in any order — the choice is yours.
Program
Low Country Haze — Dan Visconti (b. 1981)
Rivers Empyrean — Patrick O’Malley (b. 1989)
Chaghatai - Alash Ensemble, arr. Parker Nelson
Musicians:
Jenny Shin, Flute
Grace Hong, oboe
Elizandro Garcia-Montoya, clarinet
Eric Heidbreder, bassoon
Parker Nelson, french horn
Azusa Tashiro, violin
Sixto Franco, viola
Herine Coetzee Koschak, cello
Alex Goodin, double bass
Jeremy Vigil, piano
Beth Bradfish, composer and sound designer
Alex Inglisian, consulting creative engineer
Eric Donovan Lester, drumming
Program Notes
Dan Visconti — Low Country Haze
In responding to conductor David Alan Miller's request for pieces inspired by one of the European voyages of exploration, I took as my subject Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto's 1540 expedition into what we now call Georgia and the Carolinas. Expedition logs written by de Soto's secretary took particular interest in the sounds of this new land in a way that can only be described as musical—the calls of strange birds the company had never heard before, the chattering of insects and other animals scurrying in the vegetation, and the new languages of the native Americans. It must have been thrilling to hear sounds that literally no other European had ever heard before.
My piece, then, is not really about de Soto himself so much as the experience of hearing the sounds of someplace mysterious and unfamiliar. The piece begins with a seemingly random chatter of percussive effects, like the snapping of twigs and clicking of insects; slowly, longer, folk-like lines begin to emerge and sing a more human song–perhaps in awe and appreciation, perhaps in excitement. As the work concludes, this vision of unspoiled splendor is overtaken by the sound of tuned wine goblets played with the fingers—the evocation of an all-enveloping haze.
Low Country Haze was commissioned by David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony (2009).
– Dan Visconti
Patrick O’Malley — Rivers Empyrean
Rivers Empyrean was commissioned by Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble, who have been friends of mine since I was a student in their summer festival, Fresh Inc., back in 2013. The genesis of this work was a collaboration between Fifth House and the Friends of the Chicago River (FCR) designed to celebrate environmental conservation through music. In meeting with representatives from FCR, I learned a great deal about the Chicago River system, its fascinating history, and the efforts being taken in the present day to improve the ecology of the river, not only for the sake of the river's health, but also for the people who enjoy the beauty and usefulness that it has to offer.
In addition to learning about the Chicago River from FCR and looking over their data materials concerning pollution and overflow etc., I also spent a week touring the various areas that the river services. This research trip inspired the six sections of music that make up the piece Rivers Empyrean. Each section represents my musical reaction to witnessing these various facets of the river, and hopefully the beauty that I experienced in each.
I. The Lake
No discussion of the Chicago River can be had without mentioning the importance of Lake Michigan. The lake has served Chicago's history not only as a water route to the city, but also as the city's primary source of drinking water. Protecting this life-giving resource has been pivotal in the history of the Chicago River, including the reversal of the river direction in the early 20th century. I try to capture the vastness and depth of the lake with muted low strings on the piano, as well as the sense of calmness I felt on its shores with a solo for the violin.
II. Southern Branch and Calumet
The southern branch of the Chicago River is manmade, and I was particularly struck by the juxtaposition of industry and nature along its banks. One can visit a pleasant park on one side of the river and see a busy scrapyard or shipping company on the other. The forest preserves along the Little Calumet offer places for fishing and relaxation - on one of my first stops I saw a piece of land dedicated as a small airfield with patrons flying model planes above the protected river woodlands. As such this section of music has two sides: the first is an energetic, carefree but muscular episode for the full ensemble dedicated to the work and relaxation those along this area of the river find. The second is a short trio for strings capturing the peaceful feeling of sitting under a river bridge with people fishing as the sun begins to set.
III. Main Stem
The main stem of the Chicago River is best experienced downtown, with the nonstop hustle and bustle of the city all around you. As such, I've written a loud, propulsive dance for the ensemble, with lots of dexterous writing for the winds to try to capture that feeling of energy. I also use this section as an opportunity to implement the history of the river into the music. As some may know, the Chicago River was reversed by human engineering in the beginning of the 20th century (the river used to flow into Lake Michigan, but now flows from the lake and down the southern branch). This was done because pollution from the city was being dumped into the river at such an amount that the drinking water from Lake Michigan was being threatened, as well as creating a disturbing amount of illness for those who worked along the river. Throughout this section of music, I hint at the history of pollution with a sinister bubbling motiv in the low instruments throughout, which eventually triggers a "reversal" in the music: musical gestures that are at first heard ascending, suddenly descend at the end of this section, returning to a sense of calm as the reversed flow carries the pollution away.
IV. Woods and Sloughs
One of my favorite parts of my tour of the Chicago river-land was visiting the forest preserves along the southern branch, particularly near where the Little Calumet river begins. This area contains several small lakes and sloughs that empty into the main river, and the woods surrounding them are some of the most peaceful places you can visit right outside of the city. To capture this wonderful sense of solitude, I wrote a short duo for alto flute and clarinet, with the two instruments playing "into the piano" to make the strings vibrate with their sound. This creates a great reverberant effect that reminds me of listening to sounds echoing across still bodies of water.
V. North Branch
The north branch of the Chicago River is the part that is least touched by human interference. Running in its original direction, I found it compelling for how isolated the river feels from human society. It is the best part of the river to experience it in its natural state. One can walk for hours along it and only occasionally come across a suburb or street to cross. I imagined this sense of purity as a solo for oboe over a gently flowing piano accompaniment, finding beauty and joy around each turn of the river.
VI. Deep Tunnel
As impressive as the reversal of the Chicago River was as a feat of engineering, another river engineering project is currently underway to combat pollution that is equally notable. This is referred to as the "Tunnel and Reservoir Plan" (TARP), or simply "Deep Tunnel." It entails building a network of underground tunnels and large reservoirs to prevent pollution overflowing into the river during periods of heavy rain. Estimated to be fully completed by 2029, this project is an enormous endeavor, and a perfect example of the steps being taken today to continue to protect the health of the river for decades to come, in every area of the river system. I decided to capture this endeavor by creating a rainstorm with the musical instruments. The music begins gently at first, with several slow, downward lines for the cello. When the cello eventually hits its lowest note, a calamity erupts from the piano. It threatens to overwhelm the music entirely, but eventually dissipates as the storm continues on. This is my image of an overflow threatening to harm the river, but is held back thanks to the deep tunnels diverting the storm water and sewage to a safe place.
– Patrick O’Malley
Alash, arr. Parker Nelson - Chaghatai
Chaghatai is the name of a lake in the Tangdy district in central Tuva named after Genghis-Khan's hot-headed second son. The song features the beautiful murgu flute, an overtone flute with no holes made from the angelica plant. The phrase sülde-le bo has no direct equivalent in English. The word sülde has religious, divine, holy, spiritual, and even political implications, and in Mongolian means “spirit banner,” a banner of horse-tail meant to contain the spirit of its owner. The translation provided here is meant to be taken more as a paraphrase.
My Chaghatai waves and waves
As it settles into its hollow.
A beautiful girl, smiling and flirting,
Enters her cabin.
Brothers and sisters wait for me,
I'm hunting the animals of Chaghatai.
Brothers and sisters wait for me,
I'm digging the roots of Chaghatai.
My Chaghatai is the princess of the Tangdy peaks
Where the countless fishes splash and play.
O my bountiful Chaghatai
- Sean Quirk
Rivers Empyrean and its related residency and partnership programs have been made possible with support from: Chamber Music America, through its Residency Endowment Fund; New Music USA, made possible by annual program support and/or endowment gifts from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, The Fidelity Foundation, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation & Anonymous; a grant from the Paul R. Judy Center for Innovation and Research at the Eastman School of Music; and Sweetwater.
