MUSIC REVIEW | MUSIC FROM COPLAND HOUSE
An Evening of Extremes, Exuberant Yet Simple
By BERNARD HOLLAND
Some music makes listeners happy and performers anxious. Indeed, much of Thursday’s program by Music from Copland House at the Miller Theater beamed cordially outward from the stage while testing the poise, athleticism and sight reading skills of these seven musicians to their limits. What a well-prepared and confidently managed evening it was.
Copland’s Sextet for strings, clarinet and piano is a slimmed-down version of the Short Symphony. For the average player accustomed to Beethoven in 4/4 time, the Sextet is bull riding in a rodeo. On Thursday, it was all exuberance and bright sunshine.
John Musto’s Sextet was no easy conquest either. Here relentlessness comes in different modes: in the first movement, it’s busy, cheerful yet with a near machinelike steadiness; in the second movement, at a strolling, easygoing, still steady pace; and at the end, in the form of vigorous dancing.
Especially impressive was the other piece here: Sebastian Currier’s “Static (2003).” On the heels of Copland, Mr. Currier’s six movements slowed our musical clocks to the speed of a passing cloud. “Static” shows a delicate ear for sound colors achieved by simple combinations; they do more with less. This is music with a distinctive voice.
Michael Boriskin was the evening’s pianist. Nicholas Kitchen and Timothy Fain were the violinists, Wilhelmina Smith the cellist and Danielle Farina the violist. Paul Lustig Dunkel played the flute in the Currier piece. Admirable musicians all.