Nick Main's Symposium Playlist
Junior Advisory Council Member and Symposium Composer Nick Main has curated a special playlist featuring works from the Stay-at-Home Symposium.
#23 Etchings Triptych
The atmospheres in “Etchings Triptych” begin with Benjamin Voce playing the strings of the piano, creating a dark timbre, contrasted with Nathalia Milstein’s bright tones on the keys. Halfway through, Voce elaborates on his earlier string playing by introducing his viola seamlessly into the mix.
#5 Souvenirs de Chaises
André Kertész painting, “Chairs, Paris” is quite a stark image for musicians this year as concert halls remain empty. In his piece “Souvenirs de Chaises” (chairs’ memories), Skyler Baysa musically depicted scenes of what these chairs may have experienced in years past. It features a recurring theme based loosely on Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédies”, interjected with a dissonant yet playful motif, and bookended with longing major-seventh harmonies.
#20 Arcadia
“Arcadia” for violin and piano captures an array of emotions through its gorgeous romantic melodies and longingly lurid harmonies. The musical piece brought my attention to different aspects depicted in its inspirational painting by June Yokell, “Paradise Lost”. Amid the soaring violin line and the vast, roaring skyline is a beautiful nostalgia and longing.
#24 Metaxis II
“Metaxis II” is an absolute must-see! (and I mean that literally—in addition to the painting it’s based on, the visual element of the performance is definitely part of the experience.) It takes us into a soundscape of guitar harmonics and electronics which is calm and meditative on the surface, but with a growing insidiousness that breaks the fourth wall.
#13 Controlled Explosion
I particularly chose this piece to close out the playlist because I admire the way that the medium of solo piano itself is used expressively. That is, the 88 keys and our classical connotation with the instrument act as a control or restraint for the explosive yet attentively constructed material. Michelle Li’s musical reinterpretation of Darril Tighe’s “Controlled Explosion” captures both a pressure to push beyond and a certain contemplative aftermath found in the painting. It also finishes out the playlist with a bang!
