Program
Crankshaft, Robbie McCarthy (b. 1989)
Urban/Country Meditation, Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016), Arr. Elizandro Garcia-Montoya
Urban: Explore making a sound with your voice, an instrument or striking an object that represents your own personal experience living in a city or an urban setting.
Listen to a Roadway - eyes closed - distinguish the size/shape/make of car by the sound, and also the speed and health of the engine
Sound examples include: car engines, machines, trains, mechanical or industrial sounds.
Country: Explore making a sound with your voice, an instrument or striking an object that represents your own personal experience living in the country or coming in contact with nature.
Sit by the trees - what kind of tree makes what kind of sound?
Sequoia Trio, Jenni Brandon (b. 1977)
The Big Tree
“A crowd of hopeful young trees and saplings…”
The Three Graces
The Noble Trees
Movement for String Trio, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004)
What Have You Done (Who Are You?), Jordyn Davis (b. 1995)
Divertimento a tre, Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Quartet for Oboe, Clarinet, Viola, Bassoon, Ernest Toch (1887-1964)
Musicians
Grace Hong, oboe
Elizandro Garcia-Montoya, clarinet
Galina Kiep, bassoon
Parker Nelson, horn
Khelsey Zarraga, violin
Mason Spencer, viola
Herine Koschak, cello
Program Notes
Robbie McCarthy (b. 1989); Crankshaft (2012)
Crankshaft comes from my long-standing infatuation with machines and mechanical assemblies. Inside every engine flying around thousands of times per minute are pistons that transmit hundreds of pounds of pressure to a rotating crankshaft. The process and music I portray it with can be described as violent, aggressive, and loud. My favorite part of the entire system is when we stop and take a closer look at exactly what is going on between all the moving parts. Like a ballet company moving in perfect synchronicity, these hunks of metal require the utmost in precision and finesse to avoid a catastrophic meltdown. If we were to observe a crankshaft assembly in slow motion, the beauty of rapidly spinning hunks of metal flying past each other with only the width of a human hair between them would present itself clearly. And once we’ve seen how close to the sun a crankshaft flies, we’ll smile a little wilder on every road trip.
– Robbie McCarthy
Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016); Urban/Country Meditation
First pioneered by composer Pauline Oliveros after an inspiring trip to the Dan Harpole Cistern in Washington state, with a 40-second reverb, Deep Listening is a practice with a number of community and education intersections motivated by the idea that making and experiencing music is everyone’s birthright. Through an array of activities including active listening walks, rhythmic machines, improvised text scores, and movement exercises, Deep Listening provides an astonishing array of tools for communal music-making. Strategies for guiding improvised compositions, as well as designing musical experiences for participants of all backgrounds, are explored as we experience how Deep Listening’s emphasis on mindfulness and play can transform people’s sense of agency and bring about new ways of relating to one’s environment.
Jenni Brandon (b. 1977); Sequoia Trio (2008-2009)
I had returned from a trip to Sequoia National Park in July of 2008 and was inspired by the great trees. I knew that these would be the basis for the new work, and in searching for a voice of these great trees I turned to the words of John Muir for inspiration.
Each movement of The Sequoia Trio (oboe, clarinet, bassoon sheet music) takes a quote about Sequoia trees from John Muir’s book The Yosemite and uses it to inspire the music. The opening waving pattern creates the gentle breeze as the growth of the tree starts in the bassoon, moving through the clarinet and is carried all the way to the top of the tree through the oboe. Movement two is sassy and jazzy, describing the kind of resilient attitude that young trees must maintain in order to survive. “The Three Graces” plays on the idea of the three instruments in the ensemble and Muir’s own reference to Greek mythology. Finally in “The Noble Trees” the instruments play a hymn-like tribute to the largest living things on earth. The two “Tree Interludes” represent the individual voice of a tree and its story.
This piece was written during my composer residency with the Vientos Trio during 2008-2009.
I. Sequoiadendron giganteum: The Big Tree
“Southward the giants become more and more irrepressibly jubilant, heaving their massive crowns into the sky from every ridge and slope, waving onward in graceful compliance with the complicated topography of the region.”
Tree Interlude One
II. “A crowd of hopeful young trees and saplings…”
“But here for every old storm-beaten giant there are many in their prime and for each of these a crowd of hopeful young trees and saplings, growing vigorously on moraines, rocky ledges, along water courses and meadows.”
III. The Three Graces
“Groups of two or three (sequoias) are often found standing close together…They are called “loving couples,” “three graces,” etc… By the time they are full-grown their trunks will touch and crowd against each other…”
Tree Interlude Two
IV. The Noble Trees
“…the Big Trees (sequoia gigantean), the king of all the conifers in the world, ‘the noblest of the noble race.’”
– Quotes taken from The Yosemite, 1912, by John Muir
– Jenni Brandon
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004); Movement for String Trio (2004)
With Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Movement for String Trio, it is clear that he prioritized conveying strong emotion through the blending of tradition and innovation. Written on his deathbed in 2004, the piece evokes a sense of lament and despair through its minor mode and slow, pulsing meter. The piece begins with a version of ostinato pizzicato in the cello, while the viola sings a beautiful melody. The violin then takes over, making way for both the viola and cello to weave complementing passages that build together. All the while, Perkinson plays with a sense of hesitation by use of highly irregular meters, such as 11 over 8 and 8 ½ over 8. The conclusion finds itself with a refrain of the beginning passage, closing with the opening. Although a short and simple piece, Perkinson imbues poignancy in a masterful and heartfelt way.
– Khelsey Zarraga
Jordyn Davis (b. 1995): What Have You Done (Who Are You?) (2018)
The city of Detroit has a unique & distinct identity that in recent years has been challenged by people who want to “improve” & “rebuild the city” in hopes of creating a “New Detroit “. Within the last 5 years, the city has completely transformed & is rapidly transforming every day. Although change can sometimes be for good, gentrification in the city has displaced thousands of people who have lived in Detroit for generations & is implicitly impacting the cultural identity of the city. Growing up outside of the city most of my life, my relationship with the city is constantly evolving & has recently challenged me to think more deeply about identity. As an artist & human being, I am constantly thinking about my identity & how society, my profession, my colleagues, friends & family challenges my identity & so this piece asks two very important questions while depicting an introspective reflection on this ever-evolving journey of defining your identity while others are also trying to define it for you.
This piece was composed for a commission from the Detroit Composers Project in 2018. It has since been performed at the Detroit Institute of Art, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra CUBE, University of Michigan, Michigan State University & Guarneri Hall in Chicago, Illinois.
– Jordyn Davis
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809); Divertimento a tre, Hob. IV:5 (1767)
When exploring musical repertoire for any instrument, there is always a healthy flirtation with the unknown. It is not uncommon to find obscure pieces by composers whose names are unrecognized even to those of use who have made a career in the field of music. There are a variety of reasons that a piece may fall into general obscurity and it is therefore particularly interesting when a piece by a composer as famous as Haydn remains largely undiscovered such as the Divertimento a tre for horn, violin, and cello.
There is no other contemporary manuscript for this unusual early Divertimento, which remained unpublished until 1957. It was written during Haydn’s employ as court musician by the wealthy Esterházy family, apparently composed for Thaddeus Steinmüller, the principal horn-player at Esterházy from 1762-1772.
The Divertimento a tre begins with a simple theme that unfolds into a series of ever more virtuosic variations. The piece has become famous in the horn community because of the extremes in range but I’m thrilled to examine the work as an uncovered gem for its beautifully delicate melodies and simple brilliance. It is also notable that this Divertimento was also not ever intended to be performed on the modern horn, but rather, an instrument called the Corno di caccia. Categorized by its higher pitch and smaller size, it is an instrument that truly blurs the lines between the modern trumpet and horn. Listen to this very specialized higher register of the horn as the variations progress.
– Parker Nelson
Ernest Toch (1887-1964); Quartet for Oboe, Clarinet, Viola, and Bassoon (1964)
Ernst Toch’s quartet was the last piece of music that he composed before his death that same year. It is an unusual piece, even if just for its instrumentation. The addition of viola to the trio of reed instruments adds a very unique, and often underutilized, texture.
The piece is split into three movements. The first, “Quarter Note = 69-72”, begins slow and steady, but soon spins into an upbeat romp that eventually calms once again into the opening material. The second movement, “Andante Cantabile: Quarter Note = 66”, is a traditional second movement in that it slows everything down and meditates on several lyrical lines that are passed between the four voices. The final movement, “Allegro Molto Animato: Quarter Note = 100” brings the energy back up, by presenting a jolly motive that winds its way throughout the movement before eventually cooling into a recollection of the opening of the piece, which creates an interesting symmetry as the work ends.
– Mason Spencer
About Fifth House Ensemble
Praised by the New York Times for its “conviction, authority, and finesse,” the Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble harnesses the collaborative spirit of chamber music to reach beyond the traditionally-perceived limits of classical music. The ensemble’s artistic, educational, and civic programs engage theater groups, video game designers, corporate innovators, and folk bands to share stories as diverse as the communities it serves.
Reaching 17,000 students annually through its arts-integrated educational programs, Fifth House connects K-12 core curricula to vivid, custom-crafted, and interactive musical experiences which challenge students to share and lead. As an extension of this work, Fifth House enters its fourth year of partnership with Loyola University’s Center for Urban Research and Learning this season, through which the ensemble is in residence at sites serving at-risk youth and adults including Deborah’s Place, Teen Living Programs, Cara Chicago, and Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School at the Chicago Temporary Youth Detention Center. Fifth House also partners with Storycatchers Theatre as part of its residency at the detention center to develop new curriculum culminating in a new theatrical work based on participants’ own experiences.
An established partner and resource to the nation’s top music schools and conservatories, Fifth House launches the careers of emerging artists through entrepreneurship residencies and training programs, including those at Yale College, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Indiana University, Roosevelt University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, UT-Austin, Northwestern University, San Francisco Conservatory, DePaul University, and the Colburn School. Recent creative partnerships have included those with The Cleveland Orchestra and the San Francisco Opera. In 2012, Fifth House launched Fresh Inc, a two-week, intensive training program for emerging composers and performers where Fifth House works with participants on building careers in music in line with their own unique vision and values.
Visit us at www.fifth-house.com for more information, and for videos of our latest work.
Funding Credit
Fifth House Ensemble is supported in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Alphawood Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Steven R. Gerber Trust, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Paul R. Judy Center, a Vision Grant from Illinois Humanities, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, the Albert R. Pick Fund, New Music USA's New Music Organizational Development Fund, the Alice M. Ditson Fund, and by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.