A transcendent auditory experience drawing inspiration from poetry and mathematics
New Worlds astounds in eight otherworldly sets. The pieces are primarily selected from the works of Missy Mazzoli, featuring one set by Jessie Montgomery. A story-driven composer, Mazzoli draws inspiration from poetry and mathematics to create music that is not just beautiful but unusual and interesting. Performed by undergraduate students of Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the music and the musician’s performances were captivating. To title a show New Worlds is to commit to giving the audience an otherworldly experience and that is exactly what Mazzoli and the musicians of Guildhall have accomplished.
Mazzoli’s work is truly unique, what I would perhaps call the odd stepchild of classical music. Rather than simply being beautiful, it centers on abnormal patterns and combinations of rhythms and instruments. Her compositions feature explorative ebbs and flows, explosive moments as well as the impact of silence. Additionally, this concert featured electronic audio which was largely used to reintroduce the human voice into instrumental music.
Of all the wonderful music performed, there were two particularly entrancing sets. First is Jessie Montgomery’s ‘Lunar Songs’, the only set not of Mazzoli’s creation. In this rendition of the 2019 piece, a powerful quartet accompanied an incredibly gifted and expressive singer to deliver an auditory orgasm. Second is Mazzoli’s ‘A Thousand Tongues’, inspired by Stephen Crane’s poem Yes, I have a thousand tongues. This piece felt like standing in the eye of a hurricane, beautiful and frightening as chaos surrounds you. From the very first note of each set chills ran down the spine and vivid emotional imagery sprouted in the mind. Especially moving was the clear passion with which the musicians performed, as though their instruments were an extension of themselves and the music an expression of their innermost passions.
Each piece took the audience on a journey of the imagination, telling each of us a story as the composer intended. The concert opened with Mazzoli’s ‘Vespers for Violin’ beautifully performed by a talented soloist; it is a dark exploration of the interplay between electronically introduced audio and live music. The other pieces performed included Mazzoli’s ‘His name is Jan’, ‘O Frondens Virga’, ‘Ecstatic Science’, as well as ‘Harp and Altar’ and ‘Goodness, what powers you possess’ in their UK premieres. Three of these compositions featured vocalists.
‘His name is Jan’ was delicate and sweet with an underlying power; especially pleasant were the choreographed movements of the musicians. ‘Goodness, what powers you possess’ featured an entrancing tenor and a style quite akin to musical theater. ‘O Frondens Virga’ has a ghostly quality and a singer reminiscent of Enya in the richness of her tone; the piece seemed to be a conversation between the cello and the vocalist. ‘Harp and Altar’ was an explosive and explorative quartet. ‘Ecstatic
Science’ was the most unique piece of the evening and the only one to feature a conductor. The sextet featured woodwind and string instruments and a playful tone, unlike the rest of Mazzoli’s pieces. It toyed brilliantly with staccato notes as well as rests and layered rhythms.
Mazzoli and Guildhall triumphed in delivering an evening of incredible and hypnotizing music. The talented musicians of Guildhall brought Montgomery and Mazzoli’s compositions to life. The combination of live music, electronic recordings, and mathematically interesting compositions is exceptional.
Missy Mazzoli is the future of orchestral music!