What A Rush!

After Esprit’s opening concert on October 4, as is our routine, Alex and I joined our friends and composer colleagues for a post-concert celebration, after which we arrived home past midnight. I then prepared for my Vancouver-bound flight departing early the next morning. Somehow the days prior to the Esprit concert were swallowed up by all the responsibilities of managing the many details related to the Esprit concert (including my pre-concert talk), as well as preparing university lectures for the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

I managed to pack and catch my plane, and immediately upon arrival in Vancouver, I rushed to my double rehearsal with Turning Point Ensemble —a double rehearsal because Owen Underhill, Turning Point’s music director and conductor, had done me the honour of bookending their season opening concerts with two of my compositions: Music For A Thousand Autumns (1983) and A Curious Passerby At Fu’s Funeral (2015) — yes, that is a difference of 32 years!

Composing a new work can take several months or even a year or two depending on the size of the commission and the detail of the new work. For the duration of the compositional process, I am always weighing my musical ideas and constantly refining them. Often an idea that seems very creative makes me wonder, “What was I thinking?” in the clear light of the following day. Many ‘good ideas’ end up on the other side of the pencil. It is tiring work, but as the months move forward, excitement begins to build. By the time I put the double bar (signaling the end) on A Curious Passerby, I felt I had written a piece that satisfied my creative instincts.

For a composer, the routine of the performers preparing your composition for a premiere is filled with anticipation and sometimes dread. Why dread? Because those sounds that you have been living within your head are not fully heard or realized until you get to your first rehearsal. Is the musical material worthy? Did some sections go on too long? Did you balance the dynamics (louds and softs) of the ensemble well? Did you develop the musical idea skillfully enough or did you approach the material in too haphazard a fashion? Or did that development take too long? Did the apex of your piece reach its mark? These are a small handful of some of the larger overall issues that might plague you and cause you some anxiety.

The first rehearsal is often a nightmare. In a short amount of time you have to catch mistakes in the copying, answer many questions from the musicians (How loud do you want this? Is the tempo correct? Does the bassoon have the lead line here? Is this the correct sound you want from the gong? Do you need a different one? etc.). Since the musicians come to ‘read’ the score together for the first time, the first rehearsal is usually a surprise event for everyone!

The number of rehearsals you receive for your new piece depends on the performing organization, but if you ask any composer, you never have enough rehearsals! The day of the performance there is the dress rehearsal, which is a run through of the entire concert. At this point there is usually, but not always, time for last minute touchups. Then you have to trust the musicians to pull all the stops out at the concert (usually that evening). The ‘dress’ most often lacks a bit of zip and may be a little disappointing because the players often pace themselves in order to save their biggest effort for the performance. If they are committed to your piece, they will put their full energy and skill on the line at the concert.

A Curious Passerby At Fu’s Funeral had a rousing reception – Owen was pleased, the musicians were enthusiastic, and the audience was overwhelmingly responsive. After all, they had been there to witness and to participate in an exciting event – the first time a newly created composition was to be publicly performed. It’s a bit of a risk for all of us: Would the piece succeed or would it fall short of its goal?

It was wonderful to have been welcomed home with terrific performances of two compositions. (I was born and raised in Vancouver. I studied piano privately with the most supportive teacher, Jean Lyons, and went on to attend UBC.) Several friends and colleagues whom I hadn’t seen in several years attended the premiere. As well, a number of university students who were at my lectures came to the second performance.

That Owen and TPE took most of those concert pieces to several cities across Canada was so unusual for a brand new composition. What a privilege to have it heard in several centres just after its world premiere.

The long months of work resulted in an energetic, fast-paced, and exciting composition. The new work had an impact. When my husband, Esprit’s conductor Alex Pauk, heard the piece for the first time at the performance sponsored by New Music Concerts in Toronto on October 17, he turned to me and said, “That’s a wild piece! You had the audience on the edge of their seats!”

To succeed in creating a work that excites people, given the very unusual nature of the world of contemporary composition, is truly satisfying. The long days, nights, and months of difficult work culminated in several committed performances. That it was received with such enthusiasm was a thrill.What a rush!

– Alexina

PLAY with ESPRIT

"Unease about speed is the adrenaline dispenser in video games, when you're always one shot, or one flick of the joystick away from catastrophe. Play might leave listeners with the uncomfortable feeling that they are not listening fast enough.” So writes Justin Davidson Follow commenting on the explosion in full freak-out mode that comes with the downbeat of Play by Andrew Norman, one of Esprit’s guest composers on November 15th at Koerner Hall.

Play, a 45-minute symphony based on the multiple meanings of the work's title, is organized in unusual ways. Non-linear forms like those encountered in video games serve as important sources of inspiration.

Regarding Play's reference to video games, Norman says, "Play for me has this reference to video games. I’m not a huge gamer, but there is something about the way games are structured and the way narratives are structured in a game which is very appealing to me as I think about form and music. Oftentimes there’s a non-linear way through a game. How to convey a story arc, or a general narrative over a span of time, but one that can loop back on itself, and that can take a circuitous route through the material.

We’re very adept at processing these things from the ways we watch movies and TV these days. I mean, non-linear story telling seems to be almost a cliché in some of our other time-based mediums; the whole flash back, or flash forward, or cut to a parallel universe kind of thing. Why not in orchestra music?"

There is a strong theatrical aspect to the piece. Norman wants the audience to "see" the piece being performed live because he has written instructions in the score for musicians to behave in special (sometimes strange) ways. "Players often freeze in place, mid-breath and bow-stroke, waiting to be turned on again by the flick of a percussive switch."

The piece is, in part, a work of wordless theatre. Play involves human interactions, playing of instruments – play in child-like ways, as well as in sinister modes of control – "being played”.

In creating the piece the composer gave thought to what the performers are doing on stage and their relationships in the hall: The conductor’s arm-waving causes things to happen; the composer controls the conductor's arm waving – both cause the players to do things. All this causes the audience to have certain feelings. The chain of cause and effect is foremost in Norman's mind.

PLAY with ESPRIT Sunday November 15th!

– Alex

Fast Track! by Alexina Louie

People have been asking Alex and I what weʼve been up to since returning from Espritʼs China trip earlier in the summer.

It was such an exciting, successful, and exotic trip with the orchestra, but it set Alex and I back three weeks in our respective projects. That doesnʼt include time loss due to the affects of the twelve hour time difference. That jet lag was brutal. Day for night!We both immediately dove into our new compositions – Alexʼs Soul And Psyche for the combined forces of Esprit and the Elmer Eisler Singers scheduled for the last concert of Espritʼs season (March 31, 2016), and my new chamber orchestra piece for the Turning Point Ensemble, which I had been working on, but had to put on hold when I got on the departing plane.

My deadline was tougher than Alexʼs as the premiere performance would take place in Vancouver on October 7. I have been writing music basically non-stop since we returned from China. My composition is scored for fifteen performers and that means there are a lot of empty musical staves to face every morning.

My piece consists of a lot of fast music which I refer to as “dangerous music.” Why dangerous? Itʼs because you write pages and pages of music and you think you are covering a lot of time because of the large number of sheets you have filled.

When I finally decide to time what Iʼve written, itʼs always a shock! I might have thought that those pages of full score might have covered eight minutes of music, but when timed they may actually cover only 2 1/2 minutes. Of course, it doesnʼt take you 2 1/2 minutes to write 2 1/2 minutes of music – it could take weeks! My piece checks in at 138 pages! I have just finished it, but the premiere is just weeks away. Tight one.

Yet another dilemma that I faced was TPEʼs request for the title of the piece before it was finished! I normally donʼt like to force the title. Some of the titles of my pieces appear at the beginning of the compositional process, which is often a help as it can influence and inspire the music you are about to write. At other times, the title doesnʼt appear until you are well into the piece.

This was the case with this most recent composition – A Curious Passerby At Fuʼs Funeral.Espritʼs opening concert of our 33rd season is Sunday, October 4 in the magnificent Koerner Hall, Toronto. On the morning of Monday, October 5, I am on the plane winging to Vancouver in time to make a rehearsal that afternoon.

Fast track!

– Alexina Louie

Inside Rideau Hall by Alexina Louie

The perfect September day in Ottawa – sunny and bright. It was so much fun to see so many extraordinary people pile onto the big bus which was parked outside our hotel. We were all on our way to Rideau Hall for the investiture of the newest appointments to the Order of Canada.

We arrived at Rideau Hall and eventually were seated in the main room along with the invited guests of all the honorees. The Governor General and the recipients were announced and all the guests stood and applauded them as they entered the room. If the very broad smiles were any indication, the honorees were very proud and happy to be named to the Order of Canada.

Each recipient came forward as his/her name was announced and stood facing us as the citation was read. The Governor General then rose to pin the magnificent medal on the jacket or dress in a ceremony that was both dignified and full of warmth. It occurred to me as I heard these citations that this was a brilliant group of extraordinary Canadians involved in wildly diverse fields.

From the delightful entomologist who was so tickled at being named to the Order for something that he just loves to do, to the surgeon who devised a totally new way of performing thoracic surgery, to our very own Alex who improbably started a new music orchestra thirty-three years ago (Esprit Orchestra, Toronto) at a time when Canadian composers had little if any possibility of hearing their orchestral music performed. Some of the recipients were serious when their citations were read, some looked quite shy, but Alex was beaming the entire time.

That evening the newly minted members of the Order of Canada were invited back for a black tie dinner with Their Excellencies. The Tent Room (that morning’s reception area) was transformed into a formal dining room complete with impeccable service. For those who are interested, the menu included a small but elegant hors-d’oeuvre plate of delectable seafood from the East Coast and the West Coast (British Columbia Crab, Acadian Remoulade etc.) with a main of Turkey Breast Enrobed with a Stuffing of Wellington County Muscovy Duck, Sharbot Lake Tasso Ham and Wild Rice Fricassee. Following that were Ontario Hearty Greens accompanied by five outstanding cheeses from New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. Finally dessert was served – Ottawa Valley Pumpkin-spiced Sponge Cake layered with Milk Chocolate with Niagara Escarpment Poached Pear. All dishes were accompanied by beautiful Canadian wines.

It was a truly remarkable all-Canadian menu.

After dinner the Governor General, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, invited everyone to stay long into the night to enjoy fine Scotch and brandy. It gave us the opportunity to continue to meet more of the recipients.

I spoke with the criminologist (fascinating), the water conservation specialist (lively and engaging), the children’s author (who was shocked that he was selected), the architectural heritage conservationist (thrilled) and the entomologist (completely charming and very funny. After the morning investiture, he told our family that he is actually allergic to insects as he pointed out the insect devouring pitcher plants that hung in the Rideau Hall greenhouse.

If he touches his eyes after handling an insect, he is decidedly uncomfortable for at least an hour afterward. If he ingests one he will be quite ill – so ironic!). Roaming around toward the close of the evening, Alex and I continued to bump into the most interesting people. We had a wonderful time getting acquainted with these remarkable individuals whose country had just marked their achievements by admitting them into the Order of Canada.

We were among the last to leave Rideau Hall, wanting to savour every moment. Late at night, we joined several others on the last bus from Rideau Hall to our hotel.

What an absolutely stunning day of celebration!

– Alexina Louie

Almost Impossible To Play

Esprit’s season is rushing up on me, almost creating a sense of breathlessness – not just because of the time frame and amount of energy it takes to get the season off the ground, but also because of the anticipation that comes with the exciting pieces we have in store. Not only that, but exceptional things are going on with Esprit’s musicians.

At our next concert on October 4th, Mark Duggan is required to play the featured timpani part in Jörg Widmann’s Con Brio in extraordinary ways. Purposely written to be almost impossible to play (creating excitement - especially for the player), the part has an ever-changing set of special instructions for the player on how, in rapid succession, to use non-ordinary techniques to make sound:

- beat on the counterhoop of timp with rattan drumstick;

- rub the rattan handles on the rods on the outside of the bowl of the drum;

- play a tremolo between the bowl and the rod with a knitting needle;

- press rattan shaft on rod and allow to snap on bowl while flexed;

- tune the timps differently from the tuning at the beginning;

- play glissandos (sliding pitches) by changing the pedal tension;

- beat two drum sticks against each other (crossed over) in the air.

These instructions continue to be varied and changing at high speed throughout the piece.

When we played the work on tour in China, the composer was there and was thrilled at how brilliantly Mark performed, achieving the intended results beyond Widmann’s expectations.

I hope you can be at Koerner Hall to hear Mark perform the work again with us.

- Alex Pauk

China Tour Blog #2: Double Orchestras — Double Chaos!

After a very long flight, Esprit Orchestra arrives in Beijing with all orchestra members, including instruments, intact. We collect luggage at the carousel and exit the area. As the doors slide open and we move through the crowd, we hear "Orchestra over here!" and there is a charming Chinese woman beckoning us over with a sign.

However, she was not Mimi Mok, our project manager who was to have been there to meet us, but someone else holding a sign. It seems that she saw us carrying violin, viola, horn and trumpet cases and thought we were the orchestra she was sent to greet! What are the chances that TWO orchestras would land in Beijing at the exact same time! It was all very amusing as we told her that we were not the North German Radio Orchestra (NDR), but Esprit Orchestra from Canada. Much laughter all around!

We do eventually meet up with our own Mimi Mok, and we follow her to the bus — chaos! It seems that two buses show up and park cheek to cheek in the waiting zone. Yes, it was the bus for the NDG Orchestra, and the bus for Esprit Orchestra. In fact, the horn player for the NDG Orchestra (Jens Plücker) was blindly following musicians and was about to board OUR BUS! We almost adopted a German horn player!

There were good vibes as all orchestra members intermingled and chatted and were in good humour about it all. Our clarinet player, Michele Verheul was chatting with a musician and it turned out that he, the principal clarinettist Karl Leister, was a hero of hers! She excitedly remarked Karl is "a big deal." He was Herbert von Karajan's clarinettist with the Berlin Philharmonic. She told us that his were some of the first recordings that she fell in love with. He had been a great musical inspiration for her, although she had only known him through recordings. Here she was in Beijing, chatting animatedly with him as we were boarding our side-by-side buses. They were on their way to perform Mahler's Symphony #1 the following day, and we were on our way to perform Schafer!  The concerts were to take place simultaneously on May 29!

The concertmaster of the NDG Orchestra called our concertmaster, Stephen Sitarski, off our bus to have this historic event marked with a photo!

Of course, the inevitable happened — we met the same musicians at the airport on the outbound — they for Shanghai, we for Nanning. There were many more photos taken and many more stories shared.

A wonderful musical encounter at the Beijing Airport!

Double Happiness – Double Orchestras!

– Alexina Louie

China Tour Blog #1: AC Flight 31 Toronto —> Beijing: A Case of the Bass

There was a real buzz of anticipation as the Esprit Orchestra members began to gather at Pearson Airport's Terminal 1 group check in on the morning of May 27.  Most of the players have never been to China so there was a real sense of adventure as we got ready to introduce the Beijing and Nanning New Music Festival participants to the work of Canadian composers Omar Daniel, Alex Pauk, Alexina Louie and Murray Schafer.

Our bassist Joe Phillips arrived with a very large metal case on wheels and was persuaded by all of us to open it up, right there on the spot near check-in, to reveal an ingenious 5 string double bass (they normally have 4 strings). What made it ingenious was the fact that it is a specially-constructed bass commissioned for touring by National Arts Centre Orchestra bassist Joel Quarrington. The neck of the bass is removable and has its own spot in the packing crate alongside the body of the instrument, so although overly large, it is very compact for a double bass – it's half the height! None of us had ever seen anything like this, but it really makes a lot of sense for touring.

The challenge on the other end is that the player has to arrive early at rehearsals to assemble the instrument. The neck gets attached with a kind of pin and screw. The strings have to be ‘strung,' and the bridge has to be put in place. Next, the tightening and tuning… then voilà! The bass is up and running and ready to go. It is not as easy as lifting an intact instrument from its normal case, but what a thrill and relief it was when Joe got it all assembled and the bass sang its first notes on Chinese soil!

Travelling with other large string instruments is always challenging too. The celli need their own seats on the plane. An attendant arrives to remove the seat cushion bottom and the cello has to be wedged into its place. Finally, a netting structure needs to be placed over it to secure it for the journey. The whole boarding of the 'celli passengers' takes over 40 minutes!

All of that means double nose counts (players and their 'axes') at the luggage carousel in Beijing! All musicians and instruments accounted for, ready for action!

– Alexina Louie

A Fish Story

The legendary flutist, Robert Aitken will be my pre-concert guest at Esprit’s 3rd concert of the 2014-2015 season — The World’s Turning. Little known fact about Bob: he is an avid fisherman. When he is not on the road giving his concerts and flute masterclasses all over the world, including a concert in Tibet (!), as soon as the weather warms up, he is at the cottage. And as soon as fishing season opens, he’s on the water!

Lake trout. Absolutely delicious and fresh out of the water!

And he is not only a fisherman, but an expert fish cook! Alex and I await our invitation to dinner at his home during fishing season. The BBQ is lit, and the fish goes on! Tender and aromatic with lots of dill and lemon. Now that is a taste of Canada — lake trout caught and cooked by Canada’s most esteemed flutist.

Bob is one of our foremost composers and one of our great champions of Canadian music. He has commissioned and performed countless pieces. Alex and Bob have been friends since Alex was a music student at U of T. When Bob conducted American composer Roger Reynolds’ piece IO, Alex, still a student, participated as a silent moving human object in choreographed motion around the stage. (I would pay good money to see that!)

When Alex was starting out on his conducting career, Bob was one of the only people who gave him encouragement. It was Bob who suggested that Alex drop everything and go to study in Tokyo at the very famous music school, Toho Gakuen. Here he learned the famous Saito technique, which begins with the first lesson — dropping your arm with no tension. Once you have mastered this technique you move on to dropping your tensionless arm, bouncing at the bottom of the drop, and stopping sharply at an invisible point in the air. Alex told me that this practice could go on for months before you moved to the next lesson! (It would be torturous for me, but then again, I never became a conductor).

Do join us for a glimpse into Bob’s piece, Berceuse. I may even be able to coerce him into demonstrating some of the extended flute techniques and the staggering technical passages. Our other special guest will be the young Canadian composer, Samuel Andreyev, direct from France with his brand new piece (so new, in fact, that the ink is still almost wet on the page!), The Flash of the Instant.

We’ll talk flute. We’ll talk music. We’ll talk fish!

- Alexina Louie, O.C.

The Musical Mind #10: Samuel Andreyev, Composer

In the fall of 2014, I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing Samuel Andreyev for Esprit’s video series, The Musical Mind.

Samuel is introspective and very thoughtful – a poet, painter and, of course, composer. His all-round creativity is something that fuels and inspires him, each element feeding off one another.

In January, his newly composed work, The Flash of the Instant, will be premiered by Esprit. This piece was commissioned by Esprit Orchestra, and is sure to once again push the boundaries of contemporary classical music, a hallmark of Samuel’s compositional prowess.

Please watch this episode of The Musical Mind, to learn more about Samuel’s creative process, and his passion for working with Esprit.

-- Steven Hobé

Upcoming Concert:
the world’s turning, Thursday January 29th @8pm