Composer David Yeagley on "Arts on the Town" Radio
This weekend's performances (taking place in Scottsdale, Mesa and Downtown Phoenix) focus on examples of Native American influence in classical music. Renowned flutist, James Pellerite will be performing on the Native American Flute in works including Mauldin's Dreams of the Child of Light and David Yeagley's Wessi vah-peh.
Composer David Yeagley spoke with Ken and Susan LaFave, hosts of Phoenix's own "Arts on the Town" radio program about his composition, the challenges of writing for Native American Flute and how Native American music fits into the classical music world. To listen, just click on the play button below (flash plug-in required):
Arts On The Town - Hosted by Ken and Susan LaFave with special guest, David Yeagley
Composer David Yeagley spoke with Ken and Susan LaFave, hosts of Phoenix's own "Arts on the Town" radio program about his composition, the challenges of writing for Native American Flute and how Native American music fits into the classical music world. To listen, just click on the play button below (flash plug-in required):
Arts On The Town - Hosted by Ken and Susan LaFave with special guest, David Yeagley
10 Comments:
After last night's concert in Scottsdale, I was asked what I thought about the pieces that included use of the Native American flute. After a pause, the best evaluation I could come up with was "Boring." I've been disappointed with quite a bit of the modern music that the Symphony has presented over the last few seasons, although in general I appreciate and enjoy hearing new music. No doubt tastes differ, and I realize that every new composition can't realistically be expected to match the best of Adams, Corigiano, et al -- let alone the best of Beethoven, Mahler, and the other masters. I just find it frustrating because the Phoenix Symphony is the only professional classical orchestra in the Valley, and it offers only roughly 21 unique classical concerts a season. Being presented with music that I find neither exciting nor intellectually challenging simply makes me want to retreat to my CD and DVD players. I would be less negative if I could see a real increase in the size of the audience at downtown Classics concerts, but Thursday nights are still poorly attended except when a superstar soloist is involved. So where's the payoff for the direction in which the Symphony is being led?
"Anonymous," an appropriate nomenclature for such comments. The laudation of Adams and Corigiano [sic] (Corigliano) indicate the level of appreciation of the author. The comments are not critical, but practical, and indeed based solely on personal taste, not intellect, or even knowledge.
I don't have a Blogger/Google account, so it looks like I'll have to be "anonymous" as well!
I was at the well attended Saturday night concert at the Orpheum. As a classical musician,
I was extremely happy with the musical selections for the Native flute.
Conductor Golan and flutist Pellerite chose 3 completely different styles of modern music.
The Mauldin started us off with the most typical of Native flute sounds, pleasant, long-winded phrases, with the last note bending downward. Of course, the soloist's ability to produce much more than the pentatonic scale allowed a complete interplay with the classical string orchestra. The audience greeted the composer, who was present, with the longest applause of the 3 pieces.
The Yeagley, who was alse present, gave us the most far out, showcasing the avante garde of this "traditional" instrument. This was the most western piece of the three, although it was written by a Native American. It could easily have been played by a regular orchestral flute with similar results. One could hear the harmonic and rhythmic influence of Dan Asia, formerly composer-in-residence here.
The Hill piece was more fun and games involving the fuller orchestral sounds. It did indeed sound like a drug-induced and wacked out dream sequence as the conductor described it. It made me curious about Hill's other CD with Golan conducting.
By the way, Anonymous should be aware that the Phoenix Symphony is far from being the only professional classical orchestra in the Valley. If you are looking for large-scale modern music written for orchestra, try a concert by the Musica Nova Orchestra in Scottsdale. You just missed the Arizona premiere of Boris Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.3“Sebastopol." Their next concert features the regional premiere of Zemlinsky's The Little Mermaid.
I sure am looking forward to this feast of premieres being presented by the Phoenix Symphony. Next up: the world premiere of Mark Grey's "Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio." Be among the few to witness this rare event.
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I was "Anonymous" No.2, who took umbrage with Anonymous No.1. I am Radu, for future reference.
When someone says he's bored, and offers no specificity, it indicates insensitivity and lack of education in the subject, usually. It is the pretended critic who is boring, not usually the subject.
There are exceptions. Sometimes pretended creative artists are indeed boring.
However, I would like to say, I thought Golan, the conductor, was first class, as well as the symphony performers.
Question for Maestro Golan: Why did you choose not to take the repeat in the opening section of Dvorak's 9th Symphony?
In the old LP record days, many symphonic repeats written by the composer were systematically omitted (e.g., Schubert's 8th Symphony). But, in this age of lomg playing CDs, conductors have restored the opening repeats in both studio and live performances. It was odd at first in the case of Dvorak, but I've gotten used to it.
So, why the retro Dvorak? Was the first half of the program too long? Overtime looming? Please explain.
I basically agree with anonymous one. I've lived here for many years and we hear all the same stuff over and over again. I found this guy's classical music for Native American flute lacking in contrast or excitement, and did not really have anything Native American in it but the flute itself. This guy's talk on the radio wasn't very informative either, my anthro professor at NAU told me the most common flutes were the 4-holed ones, followed by the 6. But his talk far out-shined his music. I'm betting the new Navajo Oratorio will put this to shame. How could it not?
After searching, I discovered that David Yeagley is more of political blogger than a composer, and one not respected in his own culture. The one piece they performed adds up to about 1/5 of his entire collected works. I think PSO should focus on professional artists, and leave the amateurs for other lesser orchestras. Nice venue though, I love the 5th Ave shops.
Sonny-
Thank you very much for the thoughtful question. Actually, my decision to not take the repeat in the first movement of the Dvorak had nothing to do with the length of the program or what may have been done on any recordings past or present. It was a musical decision based on Dvorak's use and development of the thematic material throughout the whole of the symphony.
While most symphonies have four movements, each containing the presentation and development of thematic material that is unique to each movement, the "New World" has a structure that is "cyclic", meaning that material from earlier movements reappears in later movements. For example, in the last
movement, both in the Development and the Coda (which in this case is like a second development), themes from all four movements reappear. Consequently, being of the belief that the themes are heard enough throughout the symphony to make an indelible mark on the ears of the listeners, I deemed the repeat in the first movement unnecessary.
Again, thank you very much for your very thoughtful question.
--Lawrence Golan
www.LawrenceGolan.com
I am David Yeagley, the Comanche composer of "Wessi vah-peh," the memorial for my departed mother.
I certainly appreciate the fact that the Phoenix Symphony provides a public venue such as this blog. One does well to consider all reactions, as there is always something to be learned--even from those who may assert a comment but who did not actually attend the concerts.
I realize I am not fulfilling expections of people in the way of American Indian stereotypes. That isn't my purpose, really. Regarding my music itself, one faces "expectations" there as well. A composer must always listen to the audience's reaction.
However, the audience reaction to my music, and to me personally, was overwhelmingly positive, so, forgive me if have to search for the meaning of some of the blog criticism here of my work. I am perfectly willing to consider it, once I can decipher what it references.
I am far and away the most recording American Indian classical composer, with music on five different albums (four different professional labels, and a new one coming. This has been only in the less than four years, once I made the effort to present my music to the public.
2004 - Awakenings: New Music for Native American Flute by David Anthony Yeagley. James Pellerite, Native American flute. Cleveland, Ohio: Azica Records.
2004 - New Music for the Northern Plains Flute. Contains Clouds of an Evening Sun. Performed by James Pellerite, Native American flute, with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, David Oberg, conductor. Opus One Records.
2005 - HaNitzol, for oboe and orchestra; Jacek (opera).Performed by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, David Oberg,conductor. Opus One Records.
2006 - Masterworks of the New Era, Vol. 8. 2 CDs. ERM Media.Contains Ha Nitzol by David Anthony Yeagley. Performed by the Kiev Philharmonic, Robert Ian Winstin, conductor.
2007 - Visions, Dreams & Memories. Contains Wessi vah-peh by David Yeagley. Performed by James J. Pellerite, Native American flute, with the Moravian Philharmonic, Lawrence Golan, conductor. Albany Records.
The new album is "Wessi vah-pah" recorded on Opus One, with Timothy Archambault (Kichisiperini) on the American Indian Flute, with the Polish National Radio Symphony, Opus One label. This was supposed to be released in December 2007.
I have been composing serious music since I was thirteen and my catalogue includes quite a large body of of solo piano music, chamber music, piano and vocal music, choral music, symphonic music, and a grand opera. I have only recently, however, made the effort to present my music to the public. I am an academic scholar, and have spent much time writing.
Here are my degrees:
B.Mus. Oberlin Conservatory
M.Div. Yale University
M.A. Emory University
Art.Dip. University of Hartford
DMA. University of Arizona
I have written many academic works in the field of religious studies, though I have not made the effort to publish. I have presented professional papers, however, at the Society of Iranian Studies in Bethesda, Maryland, 2000 and 2002.
My point is, I am open to a variety of perspectives, and I sincerely appreciate different views when kindly expressed as they are here.
Regarding the NAU anthropology topic introduced here: I know that four-holed flutes characterize many Oriental instruments, as the Japanese shakahachi. I am unaware of four-holed flutes characterizing American Indian instruments. There are six-hole and five-hole flutes. Pellerite plays the five-hole. Doc Tate Navaquaya, the famous Comanche flute player, made widely famous the six-hole. I would personally like to know about the American Indian four-hole tradition.
Once again, I am most impressed with the fact that the PSO has this blog, and quite impressed with the symphony as a whole. Maestro Golan obviously had complete command of the orchestra, as they have great respect for him. It is an awsome thing, to bring a large group of individual human beings together and witness the grandeur of their humility in submitting themselves to a larger picture--the music. I have the highest regard for this symphony and its conductor, and I am most grateful that they considered my music for performance. I hope there can be more performances in the future. I have a variety of works to present.
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