Occasionally musical performances leave a lasting impression. The melody will linger or the piece will be performed with such enthusiasm that it 's impossible
not to enjoy.
Frequently it is the new sounds, which redefine our idea of music, which stick eternally in our minds, whether the particular piece appealed to us or not.
On Thursday, Fairbanks experienced a real treat, something never before considered music in this town -- tearing paper and banging rocks. The piece is a thrilling combination of organic sounds and resonant percussion with occasional sharper and harsher bursts. Andres Diaz on the cello made all the elements fit in occasionally discordant harmony.
"Elegy: Snow in June" is a piece created by the same composer who gave the world the Oscar winning
music from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Tan Dun designed the dirge in 1991 to memorialize Tiananmen Square and lament victims around the world.
For this piece, the music dictates that the cellist be surrounded by the four percussionists who have different extremely elaborate
setups. They literally have all the bells and whistles needed to, at times, overwhelm the more classical sounds of the cello which continues to hum through the sounds of rocks banging and various
booming and chiming natural sounds.
Sophomore percussionist Caitlyn Hatcher listed her instruments: marimba, cowbells, gong, timpani drum, rocks, paper, Chinese
cymbals, crash cymbals, congas, bells, and a whistle.
The sounds built on each other in several interesting and unique climaxes. The tones were patient and the hung in the air to be savored
or were immediately drowned out by contrasting sounds. The resulting effect was evocative of simple ink calligraphic paintings.
"I came because I like the timbre of the cello," said Katy Wilson, a sophomore
photography student. "I wasn 't expecting the percussion and I found it different and surprisingly
beautiful. This was definitely the first time I 've heard anything like it."
Another lady in the audience was so excited about the piece that afterwards she told Diaz that the student percussionists who performed with him should get A 's for the semester.
The title "Tan Dun" borrowed from a 4th century Chinese legend and an 800-year-old play about a woman who was executed for crimes she was innocent
of. Her last words protested her blamelessness and called on the forces of nature to attest to her claims, and because she was innocent
it snowed in June.
