The Rest is Noise - Stroma with compere Alex Ross
Glenroy Auditorium
Monday, 28 May
Reviewed by Elizabeth Bouman
The Rest is Noise on Monday evening in the Glenroy Auditorium was a smorgasbord of 20th-century chamber music, presented by Stroma, a seven-piece New Zealand chamber ensemble (director Hamish McKeich), Bianca Andrew (soprano) and compere International music critic and author Alex Ross (United States).
Twentieth-century classical composers produced some pretty radical musical creations, requiring serious rethinking of the ''norm'' for more traditional music-lovers, and the visual virtuosic challenges for the instrumentalists often over-ride actual listening enjoyment, but I really enjoyed the entire programme which began and concluded with the music of Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) and showcased music of thirteen composers.
Schoenberg was a leader of ''new music'' for the 20th century. Selections from his atonal song cycle Pierrot Lunaire (1912) were superb.
Andrew delivered the German text with brilliant Sprechstimme technique (vocal pitch rises and falls, slides but is strictly rhythmic) and extravagantly overstated eye and facial imagery. A standout performance.
Among many highlights was the stark strident interpretation of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time depicting Stalag VIIIA.
Titles helped listener appreciation, such as Gillian Whitehead's Manutaki, portrayal of flocks of birds flying in formation, or randomly in many directions, and Jenny McLeod's For Seven created very believable New Zealand birdcalls.
Bass flute and cello produced an eerie wafting soundscape for Oi Kuu by Kaija Saariaho, and a very raw multiphonic piece Charisma by Iannis Xenakis called for clarinet ''teeth against reed'' effects.
Stroma's website highlights the words ''electric, evocative and energetic,'' and their performance was all of that, vibrant and totally exhilarating in sharing their passion for modern classical genres in a truly virtuosic and memorable recital.
