Blackbird behind bars: The six former Obies of eighth blackbird performed in Finney Chapel last Saturday night.

Last Saturday night was clearly a triumph for the members of eighth blackbird; they returned to Finney Chapel as part of the Artist Recital Series a mere eight years after forming the ensemble while students at Oberlin. The performance reflected this sense of accomplishment as well as the ease that comes from playing before a friendly audience. The group — consisting of Molly Alicia Barth, flutes, Michael J. Maccaferri, clarinets, Matt Albert, violin, Nicholas Photinos, cello, Matthew L. Duvall, percussion and Lisa Kaplan, piano — delivered a technically sparkling, dynamic and intensely musical program of works by a wide range of contemporary composers.

When it comes to pure musical performance, eighth blackbird leaves absolutely nothing to criticize. The group’s six members are both technically and expressively fantastic; they are experts in manipulating the colors, moods, and extended techniques that are so essential in executing contemporary works. They play together flawlessly and with a remarkable sense of purpose in communication. Their presence as an ensemble is intensely captivating; it is obvious that every detail of their appearance onstage is the result of careful consideration, from positioning to gestures to outfits.

It was the program, or rather its arrangement, that was somewhat questionable. The group played Saturday night’s concert in three segments, two of which consisted of four or more pieces grouped together without breaks for applause. The effect was like a collage of contemporary works; the boundaries between the different pieces were not always distinct and in the overall impression it became difficult to remember exactly what grouping of sounds belonged to which composition.

While this splicing together of different works by different composers might be an interesting experiment from a philosophical, not to mention expedient from a performance, perspective, it significantly undermined the integrity of the individual compositions. Part of a piece of music is the silence it begins from and finishes into; to take that silence
away is to treat it as popular art, which it is not intended to be. Even if the real division between art and popular music is trivial it is important to respect the context of the works as they were composed.

Of course, there is something to be said for any attempt to make contemporary art music more accessible to a mainstream audience. The market for the genre is rapidly becoming so specialized that it is predominantly made up of composers and performers themselves, a state that, if not improved, can only lead to its eventual disappearance.

eighth blackbird’s mission is to help prevent this disappearance. To do this, they appeal to the fast-paced and visual orientation of their audiences. Works are strung together so that just as a listener gets bored with one thing, it changes to something new. Emphasis is put on theatrical renditions of musical phrasing, including physical enactment of musical tension. On several occasions two players who had conversational parts would stand closely facing one another, their facial expressions and gestures adding to the musical interest, to give the music a concrete, graspable form. The group projects edgy, hip but unpretentious style with both their manner and their outfits. Notable on Saturday night were the red fishnets and black combat boots that pianist Lisa Kaplan wore. They are clearly aiming for a young, stylish audience.

Whether or not one agrees with eighth blackbird’s methods, one has to give them credit for trying. Acting as ambassadors for new music is not an easy task; the ensemble’s creativity in approaching the difficulties involved is admirable. And despite the glomming together of vastly different works, some were able to stand out.

Steve Mackey’s “Indiginous Instruments” was a delightfully rhythmic, humorous interpretation of “a kind of vernacular music from a culture that doesn’t actually exist,” as Mackey is quoted in the program notes. The detuning of instruments creates a folk-like effect, allowing for considerable degrees of dissonance without being overly harsh in character.

Also impressive was Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez’s “Luciérnagas,” a highly evocative work that abstractly depicts a text by Carlos Henríquez describing a group of workers who come across thousands of fireflies at the site of the El Mazote massacre. The program was generally solid, giving the audience an introduction to a wide range of contemporary styles. The inclusion of Jacob Druckman’s “Movements from Reflections on the Nature of Water” for solo marimba and Kazuo Fukushima’s “Mei (Meditation)” for solo flute added to the variety-show feel of the concert but were stunningly effective and well-performed.

All in all this was a highly satisfying event. eighth blackbird’s numerous accolades are well-deserved and their return to Oberlin was undoubtedly a treat for audience and performers alike. Perhaps as the ensemble matures it will find a more comfortable niche in the contemporary music world. For the moment, the group is still a bit stuck in the Oberlin bubble.