June 2, 2024
Lost Druid Brewery and Distillery
Avondale Estates, GA – USA
Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective (atlcmc), Bryan Michael Wysocki, director; Jordan Benator, synthesizer; Cole Hankins, electric guitar; Ryan Beresch, banjo; Vicki Lu, guzheng and dizi; Scott Brown, alto saxophone; Taylor Brandon, trombone; Katy Ray, French horn; Christopher Jeffer, double bass; Dominic Ryder, percussion and toy piano; Katie Ude, percussion; Noah Samuelson, percussion; Khesner Oliveira, percussion; Brianna Slone, percussion.
Terry RILEY: In C
Howard Wershil | 6 JUN 2024
Surveying Atlanta’s cultural landscape, I continue to be impressed by how many new music organizations are active contributors, with my latest discovery being the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective (atlcmc—lowercase is intentional), directed by Bryan Michael Wysocki. Their recent performance of Terry Riley’s classic minimalist groundbreaker, In C, at the Lost Druid Brewery and Distillery in Avondale Estates proved to be exciting and entertaining, and, for me, nostalgic as well.
For the performance on Sunday, the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective utilized 14 performers: Jordan Benator, synthesizer; Cole Hankins, electric guitar; Ryan Beresch, banjo; Vicki Lu, guzheng and dizi; Scott Brown, alto saxophone; Taylor Brandon, trombone; Katy Ray, French horn; Christopher Jeffer, double bass; Dominic Ryder, percussion and toy piano; Katie Ude, percussion; Noah Samuelson, percussion; Khesner Oliveira, percussion; Brianna Slone, percussion; and the ensemble’s director, Bryan Wysocki, xylophone and orchestral bells.
From my viewing position, I thought I saw additional instruments in the percussion mix: triangle, celeste, glockenspiel, two kinds of maracas, and an interesting instrument the performer called “saucer bells,” consisting of a number of bells that you might find to activate in a department store for customer service. All these different instruments, in such generous contrast and combination, brought a unique flavor to this particular performance, certainly validating the composer’s choice to avoid identifying a specific instrumental combination for the music’s realization.
Bryan’s performance of the high C pulse was likely the most demanding role of the piece, but any performance requiring extensive repetition of musical materials demands cool attention and focus to project consistency to the listener’s ear, especially when combined with the renditions by the other performers.
The Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective handled this requirement admirably. At no time during the almost hour-long performance did I hear any slacking in tempo or weakness from fatigue on the part of any performer. What I did hear was a marvelous continuous texture of consonant sonorities, transforming and evolving slowly over time, maintaining a backdrop upon which the patrons’ lives happily proceeded, and the fortunate sunshine cast its rosy glow.
Unlike performances of In C I’ve heard in the past, this one utilized drums, maracas, and bongos in a fashion new to my ears, both supporting and gently shifting rhythms that the listener often hears as groups of 3/4 or 4/4. Overhearing conversations by other audience members and utilizing magic that Google can provide, I learned that a group called Africa Express recorded a performance of the piece in 2015. That performance utilized predominantly West African instrumentation (calabash, balafon, kalimba, other tuned percussion, non-tuned percussion, voices, and more). The recording yields a rendition that uses percussion in a similar fashion to atlcmc’s performance but also takes the composition to an entirely different stylistic level. That phenomenon only accentuates the marvelous power and nature of the piece.
Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective performs Terry Riley’s “In C.” (credit: Mary Peabody)
In C” is amenable to an almost infinite selection of instruments, densities, and lengths, with each rendition yielding something of new and lasting value. Yet, no matter the performance, no matter the choices, “In C is always perceived as In C.
The Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective hasn’t been the only ensemble to utilize the appeal of In C. I’m sure there have been many.
And therein lies my nostalgia and coming reference to clearly archaic times, to be sure. When composer Terry Nichols and I formed The Atlanta Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (ACCE) in 1980, In C was one of the ensemble’s signature performance works. Minimalism was a relatively new genre at the time, and while it wasn’t the only kind of music we promoted, it was still a kind of compositional style undergoing scrutiny and criticism by some music colleagues while, in contrast, drawing the attention of audience members appreciating both its architectural complexity and its lack of dissonance.
The ACCE is now long defunct. At the time of its formation, In C was a 16-year-old composition. Today, 44 years past 1980, it is heartwarming to see that, at age 60, In C still serves as a vehicle for emerging ensembles and an experience that can still awaken and engage the listener. This is a fact I think the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective knows and appreciates.
I look forward to hearing more from the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective. It isn’t easy to appreciate the full scope and depth of a performance group from a single performance of a single piece of music, and I do know that the ensemble’s goals are ambitious.
For their 2024 – 2025 season, their six concerts include performances of music by a variety of composers, many with whom I’m not yet familiar and some of whom are now well-known, established figures. Both solo performances and performances with chamber orchestra will be presented, and a premiere by the ensemble’s director will also be featured. I think this is going to be an extremely exciting season for them. For more information, you can follow them on Instagram (@atlcmc).
In C was composed in 1964 for an indefinite number of performers and unspecified instrumentation. It consists of a series of short melodic fragments sequentially repeated at each performer’s discretion, with or without pauses between repetitions, to the beat of a constant pulse of high C’s. Performers participating in its initial performance at the San Francisco Tape Music Center included such musicians now considered visionaries as Steve Reich, Jon Gibson, Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, and Morton Subotnick, all near the beginning of their careers.
The resulting upbeat improvisation suggested for 35 performers (give or take) has immense historical significance as the first piece in the minimalist style emerging at that time to bring that genre to positive public awareness. In 2022, the Library of Congress recognized such distinction, selecting the 1968 LP recording of In C for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
So, given such accolades, why is a piece like this being presented on a relaxed Sunday afternoon to customers of a local craft brewery? Because, unlike some contemporary music as heard by the uninitiated, it reaches you, challenges you, and entertains you without persuading you to slowly exit the side door in silent dismay. Certainly, this is a kind thing to do to a clearly captive audience and a potentially useful act for the performance group as well.
Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective performs Terry Riley’s “In C” at Lost Druid Brewery and Distillery in Avondale Estates. (credit: Mary Peabody)
You see, anyone who chooses to promote contemporary classical music, whether their own music or the music of current and past composers, knows that their audience must be built beyond its existing devotees and that there is value in bringing the experience to the audience rather than expecting the audience to gravitate towards the unknown experience solely on their own.
I think the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective knows this as well.
There are scant few pieces available for an ensemble to schedule that can pleasantly and effectively introduce music lovers to the possibility that there could be even more works and genres for them to happily discover. In C fits that requirement superbly.
As I looked around the room at the attendees calmly sipping beer, I could see mostly wonder and delight on their faces. Perhaps a few potential future atlcmc audience members will slowly exit the side door in silent dismay when confronted with the additional myriad possibilities the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective and others will offer in new music experiences. Hopefully not.
If an auspicious experience as hearing In C can suggest to novice listeners a door to so many new and unanticipated sonic experiences, we can surely hope, optimistically, that most of them will venture through that portal with fresh enthusiasm, and reap the benefits enjoyed from having open ears. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective: bryanwysocki.com/atlcmc
Read more by Howard Wershil.
.png){kind=logo}