“The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s special concert in memory of composer Steven Stucky was called ‘Radical Light,’ ” writes Mark Swed in Thursday’s (4/21) Los Angeles Times. “The memorial could just as easily have been dubbed ‘Leave It to Steve.’ That is what the L.A. Phil did for more than 20 years with its composer-in-residence and new-music advisor. So the most characteristic way for the orchestra to honor Stucky, who died in February … was with a reminder of the … concerts he and Esa-Pekka Salonen put on…. The Lyris Quartet… gave an exquisite performance of Stucky’s ‘Nell’ombra, nella Luce.’… Pianist Gloria Cheng … played Stucky’s ‘Four Album Leaves.’… She also joined her Piano Spheres colleagues in the premieres of six solo piano miniatures written for the occasion by composers close to Stucky…. The [LA Phil’s] president, Deborah Borda, [announced] the creation of a composer fellowship fund in Stucky’s name…. Salonen’s… contribution was conducting three important ensemble pieces, two by Stucky and one by Lutoslawski … Stucky struggled to finish a short choral piece, ‘The Music of Light,’ in his final weeks. A luminous performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale revealed that Stucky reveled in light to the end.”
Posted April 22, 2016
