Women In New Music Ensemble Continues Signature Project
By George B. Parous
The Kamratōn ensemble, self-described as a genre-bending challenge to the boundaries of music performance, gave their She Scores Pittsburgh edition concert last evening at the Friends Meeting House on Ellsworth Avenue. She Scores is the ensemble’s signature project, central to their programming since 2017, with each edition being a new celebration of women as full participants in musical creativity. Women are not only the performers – they are the composers, designers, administrators, and more. Last night, they again showed themselves to be entertainers, also, as the program they offered was quite enjoyable.
New music opens the way towards new plateaus in matters of melody or atonality; harmonies, rhythms, orchestration – the sky is the limit. New music is also a genre which has a considerable fan base in this city. As many chairs that had been set up in the performing space, that’s how many seats were occupied.
The concise program opened with Bi-Yu, with music by Younghi Pagh-Paan; an arrangement of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Über allen Gipfeln” poem, from his 1815 “Works Vol. I.” Far from being the well-known Franz Schubert setting of the same poem, the text was sung (marvelously) by Anna Elder – in Korean. Cello (Cecilia Caughman), flute (Sarah Steranka) and clarinet (Emily Cook), with some brief hints of timpani, played a somewhat mysteriously mournful sound, while Ms. Elder’s beautiful, pure and fresh soprano reached the listeners in wonderfully intoned long, silvery arcs. This was followed by Allison Loggins-Hull’s Homeland, an almost light-hearted instrumental piece, with runs on flute piping an almost carefree mood. It was one of the most melodious and best played pieces of the ensemble’s evening. Brittany J. Green’s Intersections closed the first half in a crescendo of sounds, as well as introducing guest artist Emily Tarantino, playing the double-bass. The piece had the busiest sound of the first half, with vigorous playing from all; somewhat jagged rhythms running against the others evoked images of the angst of congested rush hours, for me.
Kamratōn ensemble, clockwise from left – Cecilia Caughman, Anna Elder, Emily Cook, Sarah Steranka (fun selfie-taker) and Jennifer Sternick
The second half opened with perhaps the most thrilling piece on the program – Retrieve, by Julia Wolfe. It was a spectacular “duel,” for lack of a better word, between guest Emily Tarantino and her double-bass, and the ensemble’s gifted cellist, Cecilia Caughman. It was utterly fascinating to hear and see the two musicians in action. The piece had them playing at fortissimo volumes, brioso and allegrissimo (loudly, vigorously and very rapidly) for extended periods, with brief moments of a softer sound that made the listener think the work was going in a different direction; and it was – a U-turn straight back to fortissimo, brioso and allegrissimo. I’ve never heard the double-bass played with Ms. Tarantino’s virtuosity. The audience was wowed by the number as well.
Next up was dreams-bend, with music and lyrics by Du Yun. It was another chance to hear Ms. Elder’s lovely voice, after the piece had opened with promise by Jennifer Sternick (violin), Cecilia Caughman (cello) and Emily Cook, clarinet. The whole ensemble kept the promise, and the program closed with a brief composition by the ensemble’s Emily Cook, preoccupations No. 1 O Rose thou art sick.
Judging by the audience’s reaction, many (like me) would have listened to the program all over again, but Kamratōn has a busy day ahead, making the trip to Brooklyn, N.Y., where concerts will be given today and tomorrow.
If you’d like to know more about Kamratōn, you can visit their website or Facebook page. They have additional events coming up to wrap their 2022-23 season, and tickets can be purchased from the website.
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