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MUSIC19B Concert Report

James Mayclin
April 9, 2017

Recital of Aaron Engebreth and Laura Dahl


The recital began with a work by Gerald Finzi, which I found interesting since a few of his pieces are in our
repertoire for Chamber Chorale this quarter, and we had done the same text by a different composer last
quarter. Overall, Finzis solo works were much more contemporary than I am used to. While I have done
a decent amount of contemporary choral music, Finzis pieces were much more free in their use of rhythm
and tonality. All of his music seemed to have a pondering feel about it, with a piano accompaniment that
more a serperate performer than a collaborative one. Overall, the pieces were very enjoyable considering
that they laid considerably outside of what I would normally listen to.
The next piece was Dichterliebe by Robert Schumann which was a distinct deperature from the Finzi
piece. Schumann music was sweeping and lyrical, planted firmly in the Romantic tendencies of its era of
composition. As well as the singing, dancer Cora Cliburn also accompanied the piece, transforming the
bland Campbell recital hall into a much more immersive experience. The piece felt delightfully bubbly in
Engebreths interpretation, helped by his impressive control, even if the dynamic range was not quite what
might have been hoped for.
The final piece was The Strange Case of Dr. H. H. Holmes by Libby Larsen. This piece was a sort
narrative exploration of the life of Dr. H. H. Holmes, who was likely the most prolific serial killer in American
history. Desipte its odd nature, this piece was definitely my favorite. There are many words that could have
been used to desribe the piece, but creepy probably works better than most. The piano was prepared
using the types of objects that Dr. Holmes would have killed his victims with, changing the accompaniment
into a sort of creeping, clanging dissonaance that was very appropriate for the subject matter.
As for the performers, I found no flaw in Laura Dahls piano playing, but I had a few more reservations
about Aaron Engebreths singing. The control, diction, and technical aspects of his singinig were exemplary,
but I felt that his voice often failed to convey emotion as strongly as it could have. The dynammic range
felt extremely limited, although this might have been a choice he made because few voices can survive a 2
hour recital going all out. That being said, the recital was a delightful experience with several contemporary
gems that I would never have listened to on my own.

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