Contemporary and Wind Ensembles a pure delight

This past Tuesday, The Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble along with the Oberlin Wind Ensemble filled Finney Chapel with the 20th century sounds of Weill, Genzmer, Mahler and even the conductor himself, Gene Young. The evening, with it's running German theme, consisted of four rare treats which were all well received and appreciated by the sizable audience.

The night opened with flair as the Oberlin Wind Ensemble, conducted by Gene Young, gave their performance of Kurt Weill's Kleine Dreigroschennmusik,, (Little Three Penny Music.) The suite comes from The Three Penny Opera, which is famous for being performed by beggars in Germany during the war. From Overture to Finale, the suite is composed of eight brief parts, each with their own personality.

The Ensemble gave a fine delivery, keeping up with the piece's quick mood changes. The work runs the gamut from playful and sweet, to tender and serious, to loud and sassy. The music in itself is highly entertaining, but it depends on a careful balance of strong musicians to do it justice, because almost every instrument gets to run with the melody at some point.

Fortunately, the 17 members of the Ensemble remained very tight and really listened to each other. All solos were excellent, ringing out with style and fitting together in an overall bright, cohesive performance.

The second piece of the night was a Trio written by Harald Genzmer for Flute, Viola and Harp. One might not think of these three instruments as a natural combination, but the result made for a brilliant sound. The four movements of the piece had a contemporary sound, full of intricate melodies and rhythms. Conservatory junior Amy Guitry's flute was bright and lyrical, while yearSuzanne Wagor's viola provided the perfect complement with its deep, rich tone. yearRachel Schermer's harp seemed to fill in everything in between and surround the two with its gorgeous, fluid chords.

Gene Young conducted the Contemporary Music Ensemble playing his own piece, Post Mahleria, which was written for William Vacchiano at the Juilliard School. The innovative work had two trumpets playing from the rear of Finney and a tape of trumpets coming out of speakers on the balcony in addition to the quintet of strings on stage.

The trumpets maintained a chaotic, swirling sound at increasing and decreasing levels, while the muted strings countered with simple, quiet plucks and holds. It felt like an exploration between tension and resolution. There was the impression of a slight momentum being gained for the duration of the piece, but it ends before it is allowed to take off.

The full ensemble came on stage for the last piece of the night, Mahler's Der Abschied aus Das Lied von der Erde. Mezzo-soprano Lorraine Manz made a special appearance for the performance. The work, which in translation means The Farewell from The Song of the Earth, is solemn and slow, full of memory and longing.

Manz's clear, rich voice expressed Mahler's epic, poetic verse with emotion and tender anguish, giving a very controlled and moving performance. The ensemble as a whole successfully kept the piece moving , their essence lingering even through the myriad of grand pauses. They fed into the intensity of the mood created without letting it drown in its own heaviness. When it settled, there was a sense of having been through an enchanting experience both sad and revelatory.