CD Review

FiveOne Music: FiveOne Experimental

by Daniel Hathaway

To cap off its third season, Cleveland’s FiveOne Music, a group of sixteen composers and performers with strong ties to the Cleveland Institute of Music, has issued its debut CD, FiveOne Experimental, a 30-minute demo recording featuring five works by four of the group’s composers: Michael Bratt, John HC Thompson, Mark Nowakowski and Jeremy Allen.

FiveOne aims “to challenge traditional and non-traditional concert-goers to participate with open minds, eyes, ears, hearts in a unique musical experience”, offers performances in “usual and unusual spaces” and takes a “no-boundaries approach to music”, meaning that you could find a variety of genres sharing the stage in a FiveOne concert — or even occupying the same piece.

As promised, Experimental serves up a fascinating mix of musical styles reflecting the diverse backgrounds and interests of the composers, whose classical training has been individually influenced by Catholic Mysticism, Jazz, Pop and Rock. One has written indy film scores, and one plays organ for the Lake Erie Monsters hockey team. Three of the four have been composers in residence or have been commissioned by The Canton Symphony.

Michael Bratt’s Headlines, the CD’s opening track, begins with a big drum roll, then tips a hat to the title music for Six Feet Under (and later to the Dance of Fury from Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time). Jazzy gestures suddenly dissolve into a Verdian aria for high violin solo over string pizzicati and Barberesque low string chords under dissonant piano notes. A drum cadenza eventually leads back to the opening material and to a conclusion with retreating piano chords.

Two contrasting pieces by John HC Thompson follow. Nick Sat Against The Wall uses eerie strings to set up an initially hesitant tuba solo interrupted by percussion. Something resembling honky-tonk piano inspires another tuba solo. Solo clarinet rises out of a dialogue between percussion and piano with commentary from muted trumpet and sighing string gestures. The beginning material comes back and the piece ends with solo flute.

Ohka begins with a burst of electronica and a rock groove over which solo violin sings an expressive tune. Mallets interrupt, woodwinds play a busy counterpoint, and the original 8-bar rhythmic pattern gets altered in interesting ways. Chord strokes and a two-note climax end the piece.

Mark Nowakoswki’s Learning to Stand (Again) commences with piano tinkles, then sets up a tonal miasma out of which various events emerge: a flute solo, mallets and piano, muted brass. A theme is trying to make itself heard, but is obscured by harp strokes, marimba chords, piano commentary and bending pitches from the violin. The texture becomes minimalist with a repetitive rhythmic figure over which the violin and muted trumpet play in long notes. The piece eventually unravels in quieter repetitions of the motive.

The final track, Jeremy Allen’s Twende, also shows minimalist tendencies in an initial drum groove and a marimba motive that evolve though rhythmic permutations. Unpredictable rhythmic strokes threaten to interrupt the proceedings, which suddenly come to a halt all on their own. A lyrical theme decorated by bells gets interrupted, then a descending bass line in the piano, doubled by violin, introduces a more rhythmic element that eventually fades out electronically (how would FiveOne end this piece in a live performance?)

These five well-constructed and colorfully orchestrated pieces are presented in energetic and totally engaging performances conducted by Scott Seaton (who is not credited on the album jacket). The performers include Maddi Lucas, flute, Anthony Slusser, clarinet, Gary Jones, trumpet, Doug Jones, tuba, Nathan von Trotha, Bill Delelles & Dylan Moffitt, percussion, John Thompson, electric guitar, Joe Rebman, harp, Shuai Bertalan-Wang, piano & Moog synthesizer, Shannon Thomas and Julia Machala, violins, Tim Mauthe, viola, and Josue Gonzalez, cello.

While the CD is a fine introduction to what makes FiveOne tick as a musical collective, it must be much more fun to experience these pieces live — when you can actually see the players and watch their interactions.

And you can try that at home. FiveOne is looking for people to sponsor house shows during the 2011-2012 season. You can volunteer your space for an intimate concert experience by visiting FiveOne’s contact page.

FiveOne Experimental is available from CDBaby.

Published on clevelandclassical.com July 12, 2011

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