SFCMF Commision - Aaron Jay Kernis

The third SFCMF commission I heard this season was written by Aaron Jay Kernis. In the Save-the-Best-For-Last tradition, this piece was extraordinary. At the pre-concert lecture, Kernis was very earnest and serious in his answers to questions from Marc Neikrug and the audience. He was always very modest. He talked about the process of composing, and the changes that have occurred in his approach over the course of his musical journey. Kernis started his answer with the words "As a young composer", stopped himself, and interjected, "I hate that phrase!" He continued by saying "As a composer in my 20's". This modesty told us so much about what a truly accomplished artist he is. In his 20s, he composed by planning the entire piece out, both mentally and in notes, including musical notation and words. Later in life he began to allow a composition to evolve and find it's own way. One approach is not better than the other, but it is an interesting topic for all of the arts. I have heard novelists speak of the same two techniques. From Kernis' examples, comments by Edward P. Jones and Michael Ondaatje come to mind. He made insightful observations about this piece, Perpetual Chaconne. First, he noted that when Marc approached him about the commission, Kernis asked that the commission be for clarinetist David Shifrin and the Orion String Quartet. The title refers to the structure of the piece which includes many repeats and internal references. He talked about how this structure has been frowned upon by academics, go Aaron! Speaking of which, he told us that the piece is largely tonal with some dissonance, which arises and recedes. I love this format in contemporary music and it works beautifully in Perpetual Chaconne. He was quite disarming as he spoke at length about the changes in his thinking on the tempi in the piece. He questioned the tempi used by both the OSQ and the Calder Quartet in La Jolla. He made minor changes and sounded pleased with both approaches.

This is a great piece of chamber music. It is complex, beautifully structured,  and has some gorgeous string passages that use the tonal/dissonance motif. This beauty comes without sentimentality, which of course gives it all the more impact. The wonderful tone of the Orion String Quartet and the superb playing of renowned clarinetist, David Shifrin, were perfect for it. The  piece was co-commissioned by La Jolla Music Society. I was able to chat with Kernis at intermission and encouraged him to seek a recording of this piece. He was accompanied by his wife and three young children, which I found delightful. I asked his son, a cellist perhaps 10 years old, how he liked his father's piece. "It's the best thing ever." I agree.

And, my thanks again to the SFCMF and their donors for all of these commissions!