The Meadows Wind Ensemble paid tribute to the changing seasons on Sunday with their concert, “The Leaves are Falling.”
The ensemble performed classic American numbers with the Suite of Old American Dances.
Consisting of numbers like “Cake Walk,” “Wallflower Waltz” and “Rag,” the ensemble played with precision and patience.
When Warren Benson’s “The Leaves are Falling” began, tingles floated about the room as small, sharp chimes echoed throughout the song.
Joan Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No.2” was played dramatically and quite precisely. The ensemble hit every note correctly and reached every beat with strength and grandiose. This eventful piece required the ensemble to perform tightly, working together as a team to create a flowing and very dramatic piece of music.
When Jung Moo Lee conducted a number by Eric Whitacre titled “October,” the energy in the room shifted.
The ensemble stirred up the beauty in this piece and formed a successful, moving performance. The ensemble’s horn section proved to be a leader in this song, with the other section following along as they added their own, magical touch to the music. The clarinets, bassoons and trombones worked together tightly to achieve the grandiose this piece deserves.
As the performance went on, a lesson had been learned in that percussion decides on whether a piece of music may live, or die. Beautiful movements and suites may satisfy the ear, but percussion judges on whether it moves the whole body forward. The percussion section consisted of Nathaniel Collins, Elliott Andress, Daniel Medina, Jaime Zolfaghari, Charlotte Andersson and Christopher Larson. The group worked together to pick up punches and beats at just the right second. Songs were made when they entered the mix. Gongs, cymbals, tympanis, xylophones, drums and more shocked a contemplative audience. Their masterful sound gave the ensemble and edge and dimension.
The Wind Ensemble’s percussion section shined so bright in pieces such as Xi Wang’s Music for Piano, Percussion and Wind Ensemble. Xi Wang, an alumna of Cornell University, wrote an exciting, classically futuristic piece that excited the audience, entering and going out with a bang.
The percussion in this number served up perfection once again, becoming exciting and a bold statement of beautiful music. Percussion ensemble members Charlotte Andersson, Nathaniel Collins and Miyoun Jang played instruments that weren’t average wind ensemble or percussion instruments, but they gave spice to the song.
Each movement such as “Introduction,” “Andante,” and “Allegro” each had their own special twist. The speed at which Wang’s music was played at was truly impressive by the three percussionists. Wang’s movement was a glimpse into the future of classical music. The expressionistic and flexible sound broke down barriers, sounding beautiful while doing so.
The Wind Ensemble delivered a wonderful performance. Slower pieces were upgraded as the ensemble performed them with sharpness and higher volume. The concert in its entirety was an opportunity for percussion to show what future it may have. The beauty and three-dimension that percussion gives to music was definitely seen and heard here.
