By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News
This article was first published today in the above papers.
Interesting concerts continue to pop onto the schedule week by week.
One of the most unusual is Missa Gaia, an eclectic celebration of Earth Day that will be performed in a free concert Saturday night at 7:30 at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Written by Paul Winter, the piece was first performed on Mother's Day in 1981 at Cathedral of St. John the Divine. In 1985, performances shifted to St. Francis' Day (Oct. 4) and it continues to be performed on that day each year.
"Gaia is the name that the ancient Greeks gave to their home, the planet," says Gregory Norton Pasadena Presbyterian's minister of music, who will conduct the concert. "Because it integrates world music, jazz and Gospel idioms with songs and sounds from the wild, Missa Gaia (Earth Mass) celebrates the whole earth as a sacred space."
The Pasadena concert will feature the Pasadena Singers, an auditioned small choral ensemble that is part of the church's music ministry, along with a jazz combo, orchestral instruments and the church's organist, Timothy Howard.
Info: 626/793-2191; www.ppc.net
Pacific Serenades, one of the more adventurous chamber music ensembles in Southern California, will present the world premiere of Jeremy Cavaterra's "Fantasy for Four Instruments" next Sunday at 4 p.m. in Pasadena's Neighborhood Church.
The program, entitled Dark woods and gleaming cities, will also feature Schumann's Märchenbider (Fairy Tale Pictures), Op. 113, for viola and piano; Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano; Glinka's Trio Pathétique in D minor for clarinet, bassoon and piano; and Alexandre Tansman's Suite for bassoon and piano. The performers are well known throughout Southern California: Gary Gray, clarinet; Judith Farmer, bassoon; Roland Kato, viola; and Ayke Agus, piano.
Cavaterra, who worked as a composer and orchestrator in films and TV shows before deciding to concentrate on composing for instrumentalists and ensembles, describes his new work as "kind of ballet in which lyrical gestures and vigorous rhythms play, wrangle or even strive violently against each."
Pacific Serenades founder and artistic director Mark Carlson gave Cavaterra several choices of ensembles and he went with piano, bassoon, viola and clarinet. "These instruments," said Cavaterra, "tend toward mid- to low ranges and dark, somber colors. While this afforded me lots of rich, deep sonorities, it challenge me to find space and sweep without taking the instruments too far from where they speak best."
Cavaterra's premiere is one four new works that Pacific Serenades will present during its 17th season. Since its inception in 1982, the group will have given 90 premieres by 48 composers by the end of this season in June, more than any other organization of its kind in the country (according to the company's PR maven).
Info: 213/534-3434; www.pacser.org
NEWS NOTES:
Gail Eichenthal, longtime local classical music and news personality, has been promoted to program director at Classical KUSC (FM 91.5). She had previously been director of arts programming. It's a new position for the station, which is now producing more than 40 concerts per year plus special broadcasts, and has seen the announcing staff growing to six.
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(c) Copyright 2008, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.
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