As an ode to the student who sits down to a blank sheet of paper with the task of writing an essay, John Corley, the conductor of the MIT Concert Band opened Friday evening's concert with "Essay for Band," by William Maloof. This selection, a slow paced and ungripping composition, set the stage for the challenging array of music performed by the Concert Band.
The "Suite for Band," written and conducted by MIT junior, Jeff Morrow, was second on the program. The culmination of two years of work, Mr. Morrow's suite came across as studied and contrived, albeit certain passages of inspiration shone through. Admittedly building on the styles of Steve Reich and John Adams, both of the 'Minimalist' school, the piece lacked an overall momentum of its own. The inspired passages, however, all had their own unique style which gave a level of otherwise lacking dynamism.
Corley took the reigns once again, conducting the percussion section on the xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, and glockenspiel. This work, "Music for Mallets and Percussion, Op. 55," by John Bavicchi, is described as "characteristically episodic, rhythmic and contrapuntal." Ralph Earle characterizes Bavicchi's primarily as energetic. This energy finds all different forms in the piece, melodic to rhythmic. He calls the work horizontal, as opposed to vertical, in that scales, not chords, modes, not harmonies, are the musical language through which Bavacchi communicates.
The percussionists were spirited in their rendering of the compostion, and the piece was alive, vibrant, and replete with interesting subtleties and contrasts.
The MIT Concert Band left Spaulding Auditorium with an interesting piece entitled, "Black Sun," by Thomas McGah. This composition was less about rendering a feeling within the listener, except perhaps confusion to the untrained ear, than about a "musical unfolding of moods and colors" -- mostly somber and dark respectively.
A talented array of young men and women, the MIT Concert Band has been under the direction of John Corley since its inception in 1949. The band is most popular for performing original composition for winds. It is, in fact, one of the first to devote itself solely to original works for band.
Post-intermission, the Dartmouth Wind Symphony came to the stage, with Max Culpepper conducting. The theme this winter was Russian Masterpieces. The Wind Symphony performed works of Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Moussorgsky, and culminated in a stunning tour de force with "Overture, 1812, Opus 49" by Peter Tchaikovsky. The musicians played well together and ably rendered the subleties and passions of the emotionally charged masterpieces which they performed.
