Unomásuno
October 20,
2002 "First Performances of works of Mario Lavista, J. Trigos and M.
Callaham in the Cervantino Festival"
"Guanajuato,
Gto. 17 October. There is no doubt that one of the main targets in the
cycle of contemporary music at the XXXth Cervantino Festival of
presenting new Mexican music by international artists has been met
(thanks to the support of the present director of the Festival, Ramiro
Osorio). For this occasion the electrifying ENSEMBLE SIRIUS, formed by
Michael Fowler (piano) and Stuart Gerber (percussion), gave
interpretations of magnificent exactitude and clarity, of works
commissioned for the Festival. Eminent Mexican composer Mario
Lavista’s
“A Cage for Sirius” (2002), for prepared piano and
percussion was
presented with Juan Trigos’ “Pulsación y
Resonancias” (2002), and North
American Moiya Callahan’s “Magnify”
(2002).
Lavista’s “A Cage for
Sirius” is a gracious tribute to the notable and
controversial
North
American composer John Cage (1912-1992), marking ten years since the
composer’s death. In this work Lavista uses as a formal and
rhythmical
model derived from Cage’s “Music for Marcel
Duchamp”
(1947) in which
the piano is prepared such that it is turned into a percussion
orchestra (objects of metal, wood and plastic are introduced between
the strings, thus creating new timbres; a true magic music box). The
percussionists instruments include 3 antique cymbals, cow bells, 4 Thai
gongs, a tam tam, 2 Chinese Opera gongs, 4 clay flowerpots, and 1
Japanese drum. The work portrays a deep spiritual, religious and
austere sense. . . ENSEMBLE SIRIUS demonstrated an impressive
virtuosity, concentration and energy in handling the rhythmic language."
Dulce Huet
Charleston
City Paper
June 4, 2007
”Knocking on Heaven’s Door”
”Im
sure
that if you were to ask each member of the audience attending
Saturdays Music in Time concert, you'd get varying answers. . . With
that said, if youd asked the avid fans of Germany's long-time musical
bad boy Karlheinz Stockhausen (’Stockheads,’ I like
to call
em) that
sat in the center of the Simons Center Recital Hall what they thought,
youd get accolades like youve never heard before. As with most of John
Kennedys Music in Time series, this kind of material
is,
as Mr.
Kennedy put it, not everyones cup of tea. But I find that if you go
into a situation like this with open ears, youre going to learn
something, and maybe even like it. Otherwise, the reactions were
interesting—and the performances were some of the most
breathtaking and
virtuosic of any Ive seen. . . The other piece, Kontakte or
’Contacts,’
written in 1959/1960, involved the other member of the Ensemble Sirius:
pianist and percussionist Michael Fowler, as well as Bryan Wolf
projecting electronic sounds through speakers set up throughout the
space. The piece demands incredible effort and memory work from its
players. Even those unfamiliar with this kind of music could recognize
the incredible skill and talent of these musicians, as well as their
devotion to the music. Once it was all over, the
’Stockheads’ leaped
from their seats to show their love. . . For me—and so many
others—this
concert was a true eargasm.”
Lindsay Koob