In Friday’s (5/27) Boston Globe, David Weininger writes, “Tonight’s concert ‘Sangita: The Spirit of India’ marks the end of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s season, and it’s been a busier one than usual. … Tonight’s concert centers on India and the intersection of its musical traditions with Western ones. The program originated with a commission for MIT composer Peter Child, who wanted to explore Indian scales and aesthetic concepts in his work ‘Shanti.’ And Rose had already discussed a new piece with Child’s MIT colleague Evan Ziporyn, who wanted to write a concerto for Indian tabla drums and Western strings. With the theme in place, Rose also approached Bowdoin’s Vineet Shende, whose ‘Naimittika Pralaya’ blends Western and Indian harmonic and melodic elements. Though Rose couldn’t have known it when he planned the program, the works complement each other nicely. … ‘They’re all taking on a different aspect of Indian artistic thought,’ [Rose says]. Typically for a BMOP concert, all three are world premieres. The one piece not written in the 21st century is in some ways the most unusual. ‘Three Mantras’ was composed by John Foulds, a British composer who was best known, early in his career, for writing light orchestral music. He became infatuated with Indian music during the 1920s and moved to that country in 1935.”
Posted May 27, 2011
