The Reader Soundtrack
from Monday, November9th of the year2009.
This is one of those scores where the devil is in the detail, where the little instrumental touches and clever combinations are more appealing than the swooning themes.
This is one of those scores where the devil is in the detail, where the little instrumental touches and clever combinations are more appealing than the swooning themes.
Mr. Muhly’s appealing instrumental compositions drew on Philip Glass’s harmonic stasis and the rhythmic vitality of Stravinsky and Ligeti, mixed with a flair for electronic counterpoint that was all Mr. Muhly’s own. Yuki Numata, a terrific violinist from the ACME group, brought out an ardent romanticism in “Honest Music,” for violin and electronics.
Muhly’s sense of humor shines through in his music, too. Though he interpreted the likes of “Quiet Music” and
“A Hudson Cycle” (both from his ï¬rst album: Speaks Volumes) with all the nuance and gravity they merit, his
default mode is decidedly lighthearted.
In the final epic number, Muhly found his special alchemy, fusing the best aspects of classical and pop rather than boiling them down.
Impish Ãœber-talent Nico Muhly, known to some as Philip Glass’s protégée, to others as the guy who helps make Björk, Rufus Wainwright, and Antony sound better, and to most as the one of the next great hopes for the future of classical music, is about the head to Paris for the premiere of his second […]
The climax of the concert was a riveting performance of “The Only Tune,” from Muhly’s new album, “Mothertongue.” Starting with a quirky little folk song called “The Wind and the Rain,” Muhly built “Tune” into a searing, explosive powerhouse that defies categorization: a work of brain-bending originality and power.
The composer’s reaction against one tradition is actually a re-embrace of an older one.
The last time Nico Muhly played Boston, in the spring of 2007, he was put up at the Copley Place Hotel and given a prime seat at Symphony Hall. That’s when the Boston Pops performed his orchestral piece “Wish You Were Here.” This time, Muhly will arrive by van. He’s going the indie-rock route, coming […]
Muhly, 27, is difficult to write about.
Monday, August 18th, 2008. Look at this crowd! Rarely have I seen such a mix of people: hippie intellectuals and super-young music scenesters. Not anyone I recognized from sfSound or the improv scene or from SF Conservatory, although my drummer/percussionist Fred Morgan did. The house was full but not sold out; it depressed me for […]