Hey there, reader/listener/new friend!
Thanks for stopping in! All of us here at Loop38 firmly believe that it’s much easier to enjoy a concert when you have some background in what you’re about to hear and why it’s incredible! SO, leading up our concerts this year, I will be posting these short little tidbits about our featured composers. Hoping that this will feel like you’re chilling with a friend, getting psyched about great music! Feel free to take a peak, have a listen, and get a taste for what’s to come!
Our upcoming concert bayou born is in only two days away!! It will be up at the Live Oak Meeting House, which is also a James Turrell designed space. If that isn’t enough to motivate you to come join us, let’s get to know a couple of the composers on our program, René Eespere and Evan Chapman!
First up we have Estonian composer René Eespere! Eespere was born on Dec 14th, 1953 in Tallinn, Estonia. Eespere became publicly known first by his allegorical short ballets A Man and a Night, The Furies, and Ancient Dwellers that were all staged in the 1970s at the Vanemuine Theatre (Tartu). He is well known for incorporating idomatic influences of baroque and rock music into the world of estonian folk music and minimalism. Spiritual and ethical questions dominate eespere’s work, including contemplations on existence and humanity. He is especially well known for his vocal music and using that idiom to carry these ideals.
If there is a better way to contemplate the meaning of life than through gorgeous chanted Estonian folk music, then I don’t know what it is. Listen below to a selection of his choral work from a HUGE outdoor song celebration in Estonia:
As previously mentioned, Eespere’s first chamber works were inspired by Baroque music, with an emphasis on sound colour and exploration. You can hear this Baroque sensibility in his piece for guitar and violin, Respectus:
Up next is the multi-talented Evan Chapman!
Evan Chapman is a composer, percussionist, and filmmaker out of Philadelphia. A signature of his work is his seamless blend of multimedia and contemporary music. Especially his skills as a filmmaker have brought him in collaboration with many prominent names in classical music like Bang-On-A-Can, Chris Cerrone, Alarm Will Sound, and Julia Wolfe. Here is the trailer for an incredible collaboration between him and So Percussion!
In addition to his incredible film work, he is a founding member of the contemporary-classical percussion trio/band Square Peg Round Hole. I’m really digging their stuff, take a listen to one of their videos below!
If you’re as into Evan’s music as I am, check out one of his many compositions with video up on Youtube! This dark, pulsing number is one of my new favourites, especially with the dance component.
Hope you all had a great time listening to all that groovy music! If you want more (which I hope you do!!) make sure to sign up for a spot at bayou born this Tuesday night! Did I mention it’s free?
See you next time xx
-Ally