Jenni’s world premiere of “We Are Joy” – a piano concerto with choir and chamber orchestra, received huge praise in the Gazette Paper. Written by By Jim Ruggirello, Music Columnist for the Gazette Paper, he says:
And the piece is wonderful, immediately attractive, full of sweeping lyricism, and with a knockout ending. The words, by poet Oliver Mayer, are evocative and moving. The single-movement work, basically in three sections with interludes for piano and orchestra, is intensely emotional, and deserves to be heard and enjoyed again and again.
Read the full review below.http://www.gazettes.com/entertainment/musical-notes-the-long-beach-camerata-singers-opens-th-anniversary/article_ceb1f0a0-7db1-11e5-877a-afb955492c96.html
MUSICAL NOTES: The Long Beach Camerata Singers Opens 50th Anniversary Season
Happy 50th.
The Long Beach Camerata Singers opened its golden anniversary season with a concert Sunday at Long Beach Community College. The concert demonstrated for all to see and hear that what used to be a beloved, somewhat funky and not terribly interesting community chorus has grown into a major player on the local cultural scene.
Thanks to artistic director and conductor Robert Istad, a rejuvenated board, and an expanded donor base, the Camerata concerts consistently display a high level of musical excellence, one that would have been unattainable even a few years ago. The group is large, stunning in the color and vibrancy of its sound, and lots of fun to listen to. They have crafted new partnerships with the Long Beach Symphony and Musica Angelica, partnerships that promise to enhance the quality of offerings by all concerned. And the other day they did something very special.
The group commissioned Long Beach composer Jenni Brandon to write a piece for their 50th anniversary. The result was “What Is Joy?” a half-hour long major work for chorus, pian, and orchestra. So the Camerata have brought into being an important new work by a local composer, something neither the LBSO nor our local opera company seem to have thought of. Impressive.
And the piece is wonderful, immediately attractive, full of sweeping lyricism, and with a knockout ending. The words, by poet Oliver Mayer, are evocative and moving. The single-movement work, basically in three sections with interludes for piano and orchestra, is intensely emotional, and deserves to be heard and enjoyed again and again.
It was written as a companion piece to the Beethoven Choral Fantasy, which also was on the program. This is a weird little thing, sort of a warmup for the Ninth Symphony, beginning with an extended piano cadenza, then proceeding to numerous iterations of an undeniably catchy tune, broken up by occasional meanderings and musical statements that don’t quite fit together.
The performances of these two pieces were exemplary. The Camerata made sounds that were by turns lovely, thrilling, hushed, dramatic and glorious. Istad conducted with his usual stylish authority. The pick-up orchestra was excellent. And the star of the afternoon was pianist Timothy Durkovic, who executed both of his demanding parts with dazzling technique and consummate musicianship.
Sunday’s program opened with “Triptych” by Tarik O’Regan, a thorny, dissonant work in three parts. I’ve heard the third movement somewhere before, probably a Camerata performance; it’s a rhythmically intense, dramatic statement that makes an impression.
Due to the festive nature of the occasion, one can forgive what seemed like an awful lot of talking. We were welcomed a couple of times, Istad talked about the pieces, the poetry was read by Gazette executive editor Harry Saltzgaver and poet Mayer, and composer Brandon said a few words. Given the supertitles, made necessary more by the complex writing than the choir’s flawless diction, it was for at least one listener a tad excessive, but not enough to spoil the joyous afternoon.
What is joy? It’s the Long Beach Camerata Singers.
http://www.gazettes.com/entertainment/musical-notes-the-long-beach-camerata-singers-opens-th-anniversary/article_ceb1f0a0-7db1-11e5-877a-afb955492c96.html
http://www.gazettes.com/entertainment/musical-notes-the-long-beach-camerata-singers-opens-th-anniversary/article_ceb1f0a0-7db1-11e5-877a-afb955492c96.html