Musical maverick, Bay Area icon, visionary artist, writer and activist are just a few of the titles that have been bestowed on composer Lou Harrison since his death in 2003. Centennial celebrations of his birth and vibrant legacy are offering even more descriptions of the beloved man and his enduring impact on gay history, the Left Coast avant-garde, and the world. Last week SoundBox, the experimental performing venue and late-night music club of the San Francisco Symphony, started season three with an immersive and intimate event curated and conducted by SFS Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas.
The joyful concert started with MTT immediately adding a few more monikers to the Harrison bio. Calling his old friend and colleague both Santa Claus and bodhisattva, and a gay man who was "out before anyone really knew what that meant," our own musical pied piper launched a lively evening filled with excerpts from the composer's huge canon performed by members of the SFS.
Throughout the night and even during the generous intermissions, clips from the documentary film Lou Harrison: A World of Music by Eva Soltes filled in the fascinating historical backdrop to Harrison's life and his many musical influences. Of course, MTT had plenty to say, too, and he offered his own typically engaging remarks about the composer's personality and relationships with legendary musical teachers in a friendly, almost ad-lib style.
With atmospheric and often beautiful visuals by video designer Adam Larsen and lighting designer Luke Kritzeck, it made a perfect setting for the enthusiastic crowd, well-mixed with attendees who previously didn't know much about Harrison, and devotees and friends eager to share in some cherished memories. Playing as we entered SoundBox and right up to showtime, Mayang Sunda, a Santa Cruz-based West Javanese traditional gamelan ensemble, alerted listeners to one of the composer's deepest influences as they performed on authentic instruments in a tuning known as salendro , comparable to the slendro scale used in many of his compositions.
The concert that followed really covered the waterfront of modern Pacific Rim music, from Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone system (an early teacher of the composer) through Korean court music and the exquisite and ear-delighting sounds of the Indonesian gamelan. Large-scale works (Harrison wrote many) were absent, but a taste of the composer's self-described greed for musical knowledge was apparent in the many pieces that made up the satisfying mosaic of the program.
There were a few highlights that proved especially effective. Excerpts from the Suite for Violin and American Gamelan, with SFS violinist Nadya Tichman, an absorbed and absorbing soloist amidst percussion instruments created by the composer and his life partner Bill Colvig, earned a standing ovation from seated listeners and cheers from the many others already on their feet. The club setting would yield many more moments of direct communication, and I still can't get the projected image of Harrison and Colvig wearing straw hats covered with artificial fruit out of my head. MTT said they used to attend concerts together at Davies Symphony Hall wearing matching red corduroy shirts that were equally endearing.
The Concerto No. 1 for Flute and Percussion, with Tim Day, flute, and Jacob Nissly, Tom Hemphill, percussion, was another crowd-pleaser; and excerpts from the Suite for Cello and Harp, Jieyin Wu, harp, and Sébastien Gingras, cello, as well as selections from the Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra, Michael Hey, organ, further energized the packed space of the large room.
There will be much more to hear and learn of Lou Silver Harrison during 2017 and his centennial year. SoundBox: Pacific Harmonies was a great way to get the ball rolling in his old stomping grounds and happy proof new listeners will embrace his wondrous sound world when given an irresistible chance. The SFS will continue with more at DSH in June. For more information on all things Harrison, and upcoming 100th birthday celebrations, visit otherminds.org/lou100.