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New Music explored
with fun, humorBy Ruth O. Bingham
Special to the Star-BulletinTHE evening began serious, dignified, with a deep philosophical discussion on "the profound effect technology has had on music" and how "new possibilities are expanding expression." But that didn't last.
As part of the on-going Eighth East-West Philosophers' Conference, held at the University of Hawaii's Manoa campus and titled "Technology and Human Values on the Edge of the Third Millennium," yesterday's 3-hour concert addressed "Music, Technology, and Cultural Values: An Evening with New Music."
First, philosopher Don Nilson interviewed composer Somei Satoh. Speaking about the 1960s and '70s, Satoh said, "I thought I could use this technology to overcome the boundaries in Western music, but I found that the most important tool for overcoming the barriers was not technology, but philosophy."
Satoh's works provided the concert's high point and turned out to be the most serious pieces presented. "Litania," which had sharper edges and a stronger physical impact live, blended undulating recorded and acoustic piano tremolos in unusual ways. "A Gate into the Stars," surprisingly tonal and quite beautiful, captured the contemplative space and silence of star-gazing.
Pianist Margaret Leng Tan was the evening's sole performer. Facing the usual resistance to "New Music," she won over most of the audience by providing excellent program notes and by sprinkling the music with comments ("If you want something to go wrong, always involve technology"); but mostly, by playing convincingly, sensitively, and with intelligence.
For the main portion of the program, Tan performed a variety of contemporary works, more meaningfully than usual. John Cage's "0'0," and "4'33," for example, were woven together with Mitchell Clark's "Cobbling Hymn" for toy piano, to make a political statement on pianos and the ivory trade.
The concert ended with a lighthearted encore composed by Raphael Mostel: "The Star-Spangled Etude, or Furling Banner," which Tan performed in a green foam Miss Liberty crown. She ended in the classic pose, a cap pistol held aloft and a toy boombox clasped to her chest.
This not-so-new New Music promoted its own philosophy: think, try something new, have fun, and stop taking yourself so seriously.
Ruth O. Bingham has a Ph.D. in musicology
from Cornell University, and teaches at the
University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
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