Pair of La Jolla Summerfest review articles - 22 August 2009

[DirtyMartini]

1. "Review: Police’s Stewart Copeland rocks SummerFest"

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-22 ... summerfest

An excerpt about the premiere of "Retail Therapy":
[quote]On Friday, “Retail Therapy, ‘La Jolla’” (2009) received its peppy and upbeat world premiere at La Jolla’s nearly sold-out Sherwood Auditorium in the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Copeland and his music made the venue seem more like a club than a concert hall, especially when the rock showman was at his most flamboyant.

As presented by an ace ensemble that included violinist Kyoko Takezawa, bass clarinetist Frank Renk and Copeland (on percussion), the nine-minute-long composition reflected such influences as rock, jazz and minimalism. I wish there had been greater interplay between the instruments and more melodic variety. But there was no denying “Retail Therapy’s” straightforward, rhythm-happy appeal, judging by the cheers from enthusiastic audience members.[/quote]


2. Commissions and Premieres at SummerFest: Something for Everyone?

http://www.sandiego.com/index.php?optio ... bf8f5c1c67

Biggest Copelandy chunk:
[quote]Perhaps challenging Tsontakis for the honor of cheapest title, Copeland called his SummerFest commission "Retail Therapy, La Jolla." Therapeutic or not, the work for winds, strings, piano and drums sauntered with a decidedly Latin beat and an infectious melody that will be as at home in a night club as in the concert hall. Of the four Copeland works on the program's second half, the final all-percussion offering "The Gene Pool" (written in 1994, it was the oldest piece on the program) stood out as the most inventive and compelling. Three large marimbas, a xylophone, crotales and a host of drums created a glorious rumble of sound, a combination of the contrapuntal intricacies of Conlon Nancarrow's player piano works and the earth-shaking force of Japanese kodo drumming. David Cossin's amazing, speed-of-light marimba solos set him apart from his estimable colleagues, the players of the San Diego-based ensemble red fish, blue fish.

Not everyone was enthralled with Copeland's visceral, showy pieces, and I heard some post-concert voices dismiss them as simple-minded. I suggest the real test will be whether or not other players and ensembles take up Copeland's compositions without the star drummer's participation. I, for one, would not wager which of the various new works heard Friday night will have currency 20 or 50 years from now. And this is part of what makes new music so fascinating.[/quote]