Download Nina Ryser - Tamzin Elliott

Nina Ryser
Music Composition
Music Review
Performances of Student Compositions: Bard Hall, November 15th
The showing of student compositions at Bard Hall was incredibly impressive, not
only in the sophistication and distinct style of each piece, but also because of the
opportunity given to the student composers for their pieces to be played by professional
musicians. Each composition was very different from the other in terms of mood, style
and concept/message being conveyed, which is why I remained consistently captivated
by the music throughout the concert. However, the pieces that stood out to me most were
Internal Conversation for Violin by Tamzin Elliott, The Yais Festival by Rron Karahoda,
Roots by Antonin Fajt, and To and For An Old Man Who Wants to Die (I Am Sorry) by
Jake Gonzalez.
The second piece in the program, a violin solo entitled Internal Conversation for
Violin, was very intriguing in its use of harmonics and dissonant chords. These
components are what created an overall hesitant, unsettling mood in the piece—the
overtones that accompanied the fundamental tones at fixed intervals produced the illusion
of a song being played backwards. The name of the piece is true to its nature, beautiful in
its off-putting disposition—it indeed illustrated what would be an internal conflict.
The third piece, a flute quartet entitled The Yais Festival, was reminiscent of a
dance, due to its consistent pulsing, syncopated rhythms and reoccurring ideas, such as
intervals of fourths and fifths of reoccurring notes. The piece created the effect of waves
rocking back and forth, but broke away from its cyclical patterns and consistent rhythms
towards the end, when the flutists played in sections of unison between periods of rests.
The sixth piece, Roots, played by bass clarinet, xylophone, and three
percussionists, was about the relationship between earth and its natural elements. The
instruments created atmospheric sounds with no clear melodies, creating the movement
of wind and the dropping and flowing of water (particularly when one of the musicians
used a bowl of actual water as an instrument). Periodically the percussionists played
together, either in unison or in different rhythms and dynamics, animating the conflict
and resonance between natural elements, such as the falling of rocks and crashing of
waves.
The fourth piece—my favorite of the concert—was a cello duet entitled To and
For An Old Man Who Wants to Die (I Am Sorry). The vast majority of the duet was in
constant, frantic movement in a rich, deep register. The two cellos created an unsettling
dialogue, seemingly at times in dispute with one another, or at times synchronized
through dissonant chords and dense, lush harmonies. Throughout the entirety of this piece
I felt as if my core was clenched; there was never one settling moment amidst the
arresting harmonics produced by the vibrations and overtones of the strings. The cellists
took deep breaths during the piece and exhaled at the end, which confirmed its intention;
it painted out the entire scope of someone’s life (most likely the composer’s grandfather,
to whom the piece is dedicated to), illustrating his obstacles and adversities. Overall, the
piece was very emotional, and easy to relate to.