“ ‘The Pleiades,’ an enchanting new piece the Grant Park Music Festival commissioned from the Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds for the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus … received its world premiere Wednesday night at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park,” writes John von Rhein in Thursday’s (6/21) Chicago Tribune. “Esenvalds’ popularity is not hard to figure out, given the accessibility and sheer beauty of his … writing. The quiet spirituality of his choral pieces hovers between mysticism and pantheism. All of that is apparent in ‘The Pleiades,’ a 30-minute work in four sections framed by a prologue and epilogue, inspired by the eponymous star cluster as reflected in ancient myths of various indigenous societies of North and South America, specifically the Zuni, Inuit, Pawnee and Nez Perce tribes…. Several sections stood out as especially inventive. One evoked the furious excitement of an Inuit legend about a bear pursued by angry dogs, in breathless choral declamation over a racing snare drum.… The most charming movement, ‘Seven Dancers,’ set choral voices in spirited dialogue over sprightly dance rhythms over whooping strings, brass and drums…. The composer was present to join in the enthusiastic ovation.”
Posted June 25, 2018
