Winter Solstice @ the CMNH Planetarium 12/22/10
The shortest day… the longest night. December 22 marks the Winter Solstice, which is either/both of the above designations. What better reason to produce a dazzling concept/concert combining spectacular sonic effects with appropriate music?
Thus, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium hosted the Almeda Trio and some 100 curious and delighted folks (twice) in just such an event. Because the seating capacity of the Planetarium is limited, especially after moving in a grand piano for the occasion, the event was given twice at 6:30 and at 8:45PM. Both Winter Solstice Celebration Concerts were sold out!
The Almeda Trio, ensemble-in-residence at The Music Settlement, consists of the musically adventurous Cara Tweed – violin; Ida Mercer – cello; and Robert Cassidy – piano. Last year, Ms. Mercer received an Artist’s Grant to create a special event and this was the result, partly due to her fascination with the winter solstice. She set about to find appropriate celestial music and came up with a remarkable list. Only two of them had been heard anywhere previously: “Pale Yellow” by Jennifer Higdon and “Winter” from Astor Piazzolla Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. They both were given intense, spectacular performances, even if at one point in “Winter” I could have sworn I heard a musical Broom Hilda! (Or a tribute to her.)
Museum Astronomer Jason Davis briefly explained the science behind the solstice in words and visual effects. It was brief, but enough to draw oohs and ahhs from the involved audience. He was only too happy to demonstrate the Museum’s new Leonard Krieger Visual Effects System, without going completely into sensory overload. The normal starry skies along with a 360° revolving image of them and other colorful kaleidoscopic effects produced ever-changing, almost bizarre and hallucinatory effects. Actually, at times, the music and the images distracted from each other.
A surprise gift from a young Cleveland musician, 20-year-old Eden Rayz, now studying in Boston, was her Quartet for Piano Trio and Subconscious Melody, or as she described it to the trio – minimalism meets heavy metal. Mr. Cassidy did most of the latter with clanging octaves in the left hand portion of the score. It’s a very mature-sounding work.
It was the opening and closing works, however, that aroused the most attention: “Concordia Laetitia” by Dave Brubeck, who just one week prior had performed at Severance Hall. Ms. Mercer had inquired about the possibility of a new piece for the occasion, and in response, Mr. Brubeck rearranged a previously-performed section of a cantata for the trio. It’s an easy-moving piece with a slightly jazzy underpart.
Local composer/arranger Paul Ferguson supplied the larger, closing piece which is in three movements: “Remains of the Day,” “Soul Stuff” and “Gently… Not.” The first featured bluesy strains from the piano, over which the two strings played in harmony. Overhead, geometric shapes were overlaid on the Milky Way, as though someone was flinging confetti through the solar system. Wow! “Soul Stuff” featured splotches of intense color over moody modulations from the piano. This was the most non-celestial display. “Gently… Not” was the most abstract, both in the music and the overheads, which featured occasional flashes like the notorious traffic cameras on the street level.
I think it’s safe to say that should this program be offered again, it would be another sell-out. My only (mild) complaint was the near-total darkness in the room. The musicians all had lights, but otherwise you literally could not see your hand in front of your face. I tried to take notes, but it was useless. Still, it was a thoroughly enjoyable multiple-sensory experience!
For more information about the Almeda Trio, visit their website: http://www.AlmedaTrio.com. The museum’s website is: http://CMNH.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz, who writes: My most recently published book is Ardenwycke Unveiled (e-book and trade paper). Cerridwen has another contemporary romance from me, But Not For Love, currently available only as an e-book, but perhaps will be in print later this year. I hope to soon get around to completing some of the 30+ incomplete books in my computer!Actually, I’ve just re-issued my very first published book (from Berkley in NY 1993) Secret Shores which is available now in regular print, plus large print and as a Kindle.
By the way, Cerridwen has also accepted two of my short stories in their Scintillating Samples (complimentary reads) area: Song of the Swan and Unexpected Comfort. I love photography as well, as you can see here. Occasionally I teach writing workshops and sometimes do editing or ghostwriting on a free-lance basis. But over and above everything else, there’s always been the writing. I can’t imagine my life without it.
And now, after more than a few requests, I’ve started a blog about writing. You can find it here.
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