ALBUM REVIEW: Maya Beiser’s TranceClassical

by Maggie Molloy

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Johann Sebastian Bach’s influence on the classical music tradition is immeasurable. Even now, nearly three centuries after his death, he remains one of the most performed composers of all time. Bach was the first of the three B’s, he was the golden standard against which all future composers would come to be measured—he was the undisputed king of counterpoint.

And he was also among the first composers that cellist Maya Beiser ever heard as a child, quickly becoming a central pillar in her musical development. Bach’s influence on Beiser extended far past her studies of the Baroque tradition or even the classical tradition—clear into her musical interpretations of 21st century compositions.

Beiser’s new album, TranceClassical, features the cutting-edge works of an incredible cast of contemporary composers: Michael Gordon, Imogen Heap, Glenn Kotche, Lou Reed, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Mohammed Fairouz, and David T. Little.

And yet, the album is not wholly a product of the 21st century. TranceClassical is bookended by Beiser’s own arrangements of classic works by Bach and Hildegard von Bingen—and every 21st century work in between draws from the style, sensitivity, and skill of the early classical music tradition.

TranceClassical started from a washed-out still photo in my mind,” Beiser said. “Me, as a little girl curled with a blanket on her parents’ sofa, hearing Bach for the first time, hanging onto every mysterious note coming out of the scratchy LP. TranceClassical is the arc my mind sketches between everything I create and Bach—David Lang and Bach, Glenn Kotche and Bach, Michael Gordon and Bach.”

The album begins with Beiser’s own wistful arrangement of Bach’s famous “Air on the G String,” recreated as she first heard it in her childhood: the melody singing sweetly above the sounds of a distant, crackling LP.

Composer Michael Gordon’s “All Vows” features another meandering melody, this one echoing in churchlike reverberations. Interlacing cello motives transport the listener straight into a meditative trance, evoking a somber and nostalgic glance backward in music history.

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It’s followed by a glance forward: Beiser’s rendition of synth-pop superstar Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Here we find Beiser singing in ghostly three part harmonies above a solemn cello accompaniment—all heavily processed to create an unshakable sense of eeriness and desolation.

The cello moves back to center stage for rock drummer Glenn Kotche’s contribution, “Three Parts Wisdom.” Densely layered to showcase Beiser’s remarkable cello chops, the piece features one fiercely challenging melodic line plus seven layers of computer-generated delays—and all happening in real time.

And speaking of rock stars: the album also features a rendition of the Velvet Underground’s “Heroin,” arranged by composer David Lang. But don’t expect the hypnotic drone of Lou Reed’s original two-chord tune—Lang’s arrangement is almost unrecognizable, layering Beiser’s despondent, breathless vocals above jagged cello arpeggios in this haunting rendition.

Composer Julia Wolfe’s “Emunah” is a different kind of haunting: the droning, dissonant, and anxiety-driven kind of haunting. Wordless vocals whisper above cello tremolo, relentlessly pulling the listener back and forth in time.

Arab-American composer Mohammed Fairouz’s “Kol Nidrei” is perhaps the most striking and evocative work on the album. The piece echoes of ancient cantorial styles, with Beiser singing sacred Arameic text above ominously deep, dark cello melodies.

The trance is broken, however, with the onset of composer David T. Little’s “Hellhound,” a metallic rock ‘n’ roll tune inspired by blues legend Robert Johnson’s song “Hellhound on my Trail.” Andrew McKenna Lee steps in on electric guitar, but Beiser shreds hard enough on her cello to rival his raging solos.

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And in another unexpected musical turn, the album ends with Beiser’s own cello arrangement of Hildegard von Bingen’s choral work “O Virtus Sapientiae.” (Yes, as in Hildegard the 11th century composer and Christian mystic you studied in music history class.) Beiser’s rendition, however, features no vocals at all—it doesn’t need any. The sacred, solemn melody of her cello is music enough.

And although medieval choral music seems a far cry from the metallic drone of the Velvet Underground, Beiser manages the full range of music on the album with skill, precision, and charisma. Because whether she’s playing Julia Wolfe or Imogen Heap, Michael Gordon, or even Lou Reed—there’s a little bit of Bach in all of it.

“No matter how far I venture, how rebellious, or avant-garde or electronic, my artistic mooring stays with the creation of this immense genius,” Beiser said. “The pieces I bring here give me a sense of trance—a reverie and meditation on his place in my heart.”

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STAFF PICKS: Friday Faves

Second Inversion hosts and community members share a favorite selection from this Friday’s playlist and a few other gems, too. Tune in at the indicated times below on Friday, May 6 to hear these pieces. In the meantime, you’ll hear other great new and unusual music from all corners of the classical genre 24/7!

91TvJJNSA9L._SX522_ Michael Daugherty: Bizarro, feat Baltimore Symphony Orchestra & David Zinman (Argo Records)

“It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  It’s…  Superman?  But why is he trying to kill us all?”   Because that’s his doppelganger foe Bizarro, you Metropolis dummies!  As the title suggests, this Michael Daugherty piece was inspired by Bizarro, an imperfect copy of Superman created by Lex Luthor’s Duplicator Ray.  Bizarro’s musical world is chaotic in a mighty fun way!  He WHAMs with the brash energy of rock and roll, POWs with the fun of big band jazz, and ZAPs through the city propelled by a swift tempo. – by Rachele Hales

Tune in to Second Inversion in the 8am hour today to hear an excerpt from this recording.


Corey Dargel: “Thirteen Near-Death Experiences” from Someone Will Take Care of Me (New Amsterdam Records)

a3457959849_16Corey Dargel is not your typical singer-songwriter. He does not have long, flowing hair or wear stylish flannels. He does not write three-chord songs or charm teenage girls with his velvety singing voice—and you certainly will not find him in the corners of bourgeoisie coffee shops, huddled over an acoustic guitar and singing songs of lost love and lonely nights.

No, Corey Dargel prefers a much more eccentric musical existence. He creates electronic art songs which blur the line between contemporary classical and pop music idioms, combining deadpan vocal delivery with dark, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and deceptively cheery chamber music accompaniment.

For his ambitious 13-part art song cycle “Thirteen Near-Death Experiences,” Dargel teamed up with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), pianist Kathleen Supové, and drummer David T. Little to tell the story of a character who suffers from debilitating hypochondria. And trust me, the songs truly span the gamut. From migraines to manic depression, underage alcohol consumption to unhealthy effects of Ritalin, nightmares of lost teeth to a surprisingly erotic account of falling in love with a doctor—nothing is off limits.

Corey Dargel may have nearly died 13 times in the making of this album—but I, for one, am really glad he survived it. – Maggie Molloy

Tune in to Second Inversion in the 3pm hour today to hear an excerpt from this recording.


Edith Salmen: Wassermusik (Castigo Classic Recordings)

500x500Starting off with several bangs, subversive drum rolls, and pitched cowbell sequences, German contemporary percussionist Edith Salmen opens her 2015 album Wassermusik with an energetic interpretation of Vyacheslav Artyomov’s Sonata Ricercata, or “Sonata Sought”. This is indeed an apt description for the entirely percussive piece, as the pedagogical principle of the sonata as a form requires both home and complementary keys, and thus challenges the listener to do away with their possible preconceptions. As the album progresses, Salmen alternates between five original pieces of Watermusic, all featuring a background of said element in different aural settings (rain-swelled river to leaking catacombs) with her own version of pieces by her contemporaries Peter Michael Hamel, Maciej Żółtowski, Viktor Suslin, and Hanna Kulenty. – Brendan Howe

LIVE BROADCAST: Third Coast Percussion on Monday, January 12!

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Second Inversion returns to the lobby of Town Hall Seattle to bring you a live broadcast of Third Coast Percussion on Monday, January 12 at 7:30pm PT on our 24/7 stream!  Join our Facebook event to find out complete details!

If you’re in Seattle and able to make it to the show, buy your tickets here!

LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: January 9 & 12

by Maggie Molloy

Why not make it your New Year’s resolution to listen to more new music? This week is packed with innovative contemporary music performances to start your year off right!


Universal Language 21st Century Music Project’s “Inception”

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It’s a new year and a new music organization is taking root in Seattle. This year marks the inaugural season of the Universal Language 21st Century Music Project, which is pushing the boundaries of contemporary music in Seattle and beyond. For the first concert of their 2015 season, they are premiering new works by composers Wayne Horvitz and Sean Osborn.

Horvitz is a composer who has performed throughout the world as an improviser on both piano and electronics, while Osborn is a critically acclaimed clarinetist whose music uses extended clarinet techniques to create a unique new genre-bending sound.

The performance is this Friday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Velocity Dance Center on Capitol Hill.


Seattle Composers’ Salon’s New Music Holiday Office Party

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Celebrate the city’s bustling contemporary music scene in style this weekend at the Seattle Composers’ Salon’s New Music Holiday Office Party.

Seattle Composers’ Salon is dedicated to supporting new music by regional composers and performers. At informal gatherings twice a month, the Salon features new works and works in progress by local composers and performers. This weekend’s gathering will feature music by Neil Welch, Cole Bratcher, Ivan Arteaga, and Matthew James Briggs.

The performance is this Friday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. The concert will be preceded by a New Music Holiday Office Party from 6:30 to 8 p.m., where composers, performers, and audience members are invited to visit, share CDs, enjoy snacks, and listen to live music performed by cellist Carson Farley.


Town Music Presents Third Coast Percussion

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Third Coast Percussion is a Chicago-based group that marches to the beat of its own drum. The ensemble is dedicated to exploring all of the far-reaching possibilities of percussion through unique instrumentation and the integration of new media in performances. This weekend, the quartet is coming to Seattle to perform a colorful program of percussion works by David T. Little, Tan Dun, and John Cage. (Yes, John Cage.)

Third Coast Percussion will perform Little’s “Haunt of Last Nightfall,” a piece which laces together pre-recorded heavy metal sounds with live percussion. Also on the program is Cage’s “Credo in Us,” a wartime piece written after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The quartet will also be joined by guest cellist Joshua Roman to perform Dun’s “Elegy: Snow in June,” a piece which was written to commemorate the 1989 massacre in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

The performance is this Monday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle. If you can’t make it to the concert, don’t fret: we’ll be live broadcasting this performance on Second Inversion!