by Karen Moorman
September 26, 2008, Durham, NC: On a balmy autumn
night, friends, neighbors, musicians, and composers gathered at the
Ark Dance
Studio on Duke University's
East Campus
to celebrate the life and music of Jennifer Fitzgerald (1975-2007). The intimate
yet spacious setting, doubling on this occasion as a sanctuary, was set up with
piano, marimba, vibraphone, drum kits, and a variety of recording
equipment. Members
of the Duke New Music Ensemble
[dnme] and pulsoptional,
performed; they were joined by mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer (of New York);
Sloan Hoffman,
horn (Los
Angeles); and John McDonald
(Tufts University). The concert included seven of Fitzgerald’s works,
tributes
by Sidney Marquez Boquiren and John McDonald; and John Cage’s "Theatre
Piece" (1960).
Fitzgerald was a founding member and co-director of the composers' collective,
pulsoptional. A student of John McDonald and Anthony Brandt at Tufts University,
she later studied with Stephen Jaffe, Scott Lindroth, and Anthony Kelley at Duke
University, where she was awarded a Ph.D. in composition and a women’s
studies certificate. One of her works, "Having Once Been, Movement 1," was performed
by
the American
Composers Orchestra in New York City in May 2005, a prestigious moment for an
emerging artist. The list of accomplishments, performances, and accolades, especially
for a composer so young, are impressive, as were the artists who played on this
special
evening,
Fitzgerald’s oeuvre consists of large ensemble pieces with unusual groupings
of instruments — orchestral and solo (and duo) works — and opera.
Musical offerings for the concert were the first installment
of
a project
to preserve
her work. The opening, "pulsopoly" (2005), featured members of both
[dnme]
and pulsoptional; it had the feel of a well rehearsed improvisation. Calling
for
percussion,
violins, electric and acoustic guitars, flute, banjo and vocals, players built
soundscapes with the abandon of watercolorists yielding the wonderfully chaotic
effect of animated cartoons. There were more high-energy ensemble pieces: "Boitoi"
(2003), featuring pulsoptional and George Lam, piano; "How Terrible Orange" (2005),
with
pulsoptional and John McDonald, piano; and "A Thousand Machines" (2007),
for
violin,
piano and
clarinet.
Solo works also reflected the intense, even uplifting spirit of the evening.
John McDonald’s performance of Fitzgerald’s riveting "Incidence"
(2007) kept me on the edge of my seat. (Even Henry Cowell would have jumped when
he whacked
the piano strings with a 2x4!) And mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer peeled the paint
off the ceiling as she filled the house with incredible sound. Collaborating
with pianist Kirill Zikanov, her performance of "Fingers 1" (2007) wasn't just
passionate, it was thrilling! Fitzgerald’s college roommate Sloan
Hoffman displayed the stamina of an Olympian in her gutsy performance of a
horn
solo from Renga (2002).
There were also some personal send-offs, works created by her contemporaries,
each characteristically unique. I was completely spell-bound by the extended
vocalizations
of Sidney Boquiren’s inventive and bitter-sweet "O-we-yówa"
(2008).
John McDonald’s piano work "Rester," Op. 285, No.1 (1997-98), a suave Bill
Evans-like solo, and "After Rester," Op. 438, No. 3 (2008), were affectionate
embraces.
Finally, John Cage’s delightfully realized "Theatre Piece" was a fitting
and
jubilant
closing. I pictured the sage anarchist greeting a radiant Jennifer Fitzgerald,
both
with beatific smiles.
Pulsoptional is Sidney Boquiren, composer, marc faris, composer/electric
guitar, Todd Hershberger, composer/bassoon/alto sax, Thom Limbert, composer/percussion,
Caroline Mallonée, composer/violin, John Mayrose, composer/guitar/bass,
and Carrie Schull, oboe/English horn. The personnel of the Duke New Music Ensemble
[dnme] are
Peter Dong, flute, David Garner, banjo, Sarah Griffin, violin, Tim Hambourger,
piano/voice, George Lam, violin/piano,
Dan Ruccia, viola, Jonathan Wall, piano, and Kirill Zikanov, piano.
