Relache - Saturday April 3, 2010 - Andy Warhol Museum

Relache is a new music classical chamber group out of Philadelphia. Though they have been around awhile, this was my first encounter with them. Their press states that they have been around for 25 years and that they have had a variety of members and configurations. At this show, however, they were an 8 piece ensemble and a rather unusual one at that. The string players, viola and double bass, generally lose out to the violin and cello for choice parts, not here with nary a violin or cello in sight. Add four woodwinds (flute/piccolo; oboe/english horn; clarinet/sax and bassoon), keyboards and drums/percussion and you have Relache. All of the pieces performed were written for Relache and for this unusual configuration.

Eric Moe wrote Eight Point Turn, a twelve minute piece that seemed part jazz (drummer sitting behind a drum kit as rock/jazz drummers do) part neo-classical (I was reminded of Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale). A rather insistent, propulsive rhythm moved the piece along, accessible immediately to my ears, light but quite enjoyable.

David Mahler, a Pittsburgher like Eric Moe, wrote Scenes of Sacred Peace and Pleasure, which draws on David's love of early American folk songs and spirituals. I know of this because Julia has been singing three-part acapella arrangements of folk and early American songs with david and his wife Julie for the past couple of years. This piece uses 14 folk songs in a variety of forms and conflagrations. While I did not recognize the names of the songs listed in the program, the tunes were all familiar. Though it started playing things straight, Mahler then mish mashed the melodies together in Ivesian fashion, with things happening on top of each other then moving back toward simplicity at the end. I enjoyed this quite a bit, especially the reminiscence of Ives (or even another favorite of mine, Schnittke, though without the anxiety).

Kyle Gann's Venusfinished the first half of the program. This is part of Gann's own Planets suite ala Holst (see my last post). In the notes, he contrasts his Planets of "Free Will" astrology with Holst's traditional view. I probably need to hear this again (or the whole piece) to get his point. This piece was again accessible, had some interesting rhythms, was rather light and static overall.

Paul Lansky's Comix Tripsopened the second half with light hearted whimsical music based upon comics Peanuts, Captain Marvel, Alfred E. Newman and Little Orphan Annie. I enjoyed this piece as well though I was listening for more contrast among the four parts as the four choices seem to have been chosen in part due to being quite different comic strips.

Guy Klucevsek is new to me. Three selections from a larger piece called Wings/Prayerclosed out the show. Tangocide came first. This has a caberet, klezmer sound, witty, light and fun with great clarinet bits. Still Life with Canon has a very different mood, slow and somber with prominent oboe and bassoon parts, nicely interwoven. Dance bounces along nicely, similar in mood to the first piece, finishing with a flourish.

Five pieces, all with this odd instrumentation, enjoyable, easy on the ears (who said new classical music had to be alienating). Relache were impressive in their delivery. Again I am thinking about the similarities and differences with popular music. The audience conventions are so very different. I wish the two could get the best of each other. I almost always wish audiences at popular music shows would actually be quiet and pay attention to the musicians. On the other hand, Classical audiences could relax a bit though I do like the rapt attention.