Mark Fewer
violin
Artist page |
|
50th annual concert commemorates infamous composer, musician and "Bad Boy" George Antheil
November 10, 2009, 12:00 am
50th annual concert commemorates infamous composer, musician and
"Bad Boy" George Antheil
November 2, 2009
By Seharish Rehman
Contributing Writer
This past Thursday evening, an annual concert was held in
remembrance of George Antheil, one of the most unique yet
talented composers and musicians of the modern period
(1910-1949). Held right here at UMBC, in the recital hall of the
Fine Arts building, the show was just about to start as UMBC
students, faculty, and intrigued guests arrived, waiting to see
how the two musicians who had teamed up to reflect Antheil's
musical stylings would interpret his works.
Marking this the 50th annual concert in Antheil's memory, the
talented duo of Mark Fewer, a gifted Canadian violinist, and
John Novacek, a skilled American pianist, presented Antheil's
compositions of Sonatas 1, 2, and 4 in a spectacular manner. How
was it though, that Antheil became internationally recognized,
which led us to honor his unique talents till this day?
Antheil, known for compositions, as well as written works and
harmonious melodies, was born July 8, 1900 in Trenton, New
Jersey. His self-proclaimed "bad boy" image was acquired from
his musical representation of his compositions. He used an array
of musical instruments, along with clocks, sirens, bells,
xylophones and airplane propellers. In "Ballet Méchanique"
(1925), which set him apart from other composers of the modern
period; the way he presented his musical pieces made him quite
distinctive. After moving to London, the "Ballet
Méchanique" made him internationally well known. Soon
after his second attempt of this composition, at the Carnegie
Hall in Paris, he passed away in New York City in 1959.
Even in the 21st century, his intricate musical compositions are
remembered and celebrated for his distinguishing styles. Fewer
and Novacek were not afraid to portray the edginess of his work
within this concert. The violin strings were used harshly but
still a melodiously; one could see it as a form of abstract
expression. Similarly the piano keys were played with a lot of
energy, bringing dramatic, playful, humorous, joyful, serene and
energizing moods to the musical performance. The first part
included mainly the piano and violin, and the second part had a
minute transition of Novacek implementing the drums, to soften
and change the mood. Anethia Benson, a student at UMBC explains
how it was "jumpy, but sounds like it still had a purpose," and
that she "really liked it."
There were even times when the audience found some pieces
comical and entertaining at the same time, since there were
unexpected transitions from high to low, or low to high keys. By
incorporating the drums, and creating a mellow mood in the
second part of the musical performance, the musicians brought
the level of energy much higher in the third part of piece in
which the harmonious short strokes of the violin were
transitioned back and forth from dramatic to softer tunes
– it was impressively used in a melodious sense, that
needs to be heard in person to get the actual experience. The
strokes of the bow were shortened to create that effect, and not
as continuous, which is one of the parts that portray Antheil's
avant-garde quality through his musical workings.
The entire performance was stimulating, in the sense that it is
something that was quite uniquely expressed, making clear the
way Antheil was able to distinguish his work from other
compositions done by musicians of his time. After the show had
ended the audience applauded and cheered Fewer and Novacek for
quite some time, and stood up in recognition for their excellent
performance in portraying Antheil's work. Indeed, his work was
greatly appreciated for his eccentric and fresh musical styles,
which were presented on Thursday.
The Retriever
|
