JLA Invades With Dark Waves

I stage managed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert last night at Krannert Center. As would be expected, it was fantastic - I only got to hear it through the stage monitor, but it was a great concert.

The first piece was Dark Waves by John Luther Adams. (You can hear it here, at the top of the page - it's about 12 minutes long). Marc Geelhoed & Alex Ross have talked about about how much JLA will be in Chicago this season, and I'm glad that his music came to Urbana, too. I've liked his music for a long time but never heard anything live. I think it's a rare occurance, but hopefully not as rare as it used to be.

Soprano Measha Brueggergosman sang selections from Kindertotenldier, ending with the beautiful and stunning "Ürlicht" that Mahler later used in his Second Symphony. The concert ended with a performance of Shostakovich's 8th Symphony.

If you're unfamiliar with the music of JLA, his website is a great place to start. It's cliché to say that Alaska influences his music, but it's easy to hear that connection. Check out who Alex Ross calls one of the most original thinkers of our time.