“Preparing for the world premiere of a percussion concerto about the end of life as we know it has been as challenging as you’d expect for the designated composer and soloist,” writes Jeff Kaliss in Sunday’s (10/6) San Francisco Classical Voice. The San Francisco Symphony will premiere Adam Schoenberg’s Losing Earth featuring Jacob Nissly, the orchestra’s principal percussionist, on October 17. Nissly has been “busy assembling a brand-new instrument, dubbed a ‘Frankenstein marching set,’ which will also debut with the concerto…. The thematic inspiration [for Losing Earth] came to Schoenberg on his smartphone, in [a New York Times article] called ‘Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.’ … ‘It was terrifying,’ says the composer…. Nissly’s effort at Davies will be reinforced by six other percussionists, with Cristian Măcelaru guesting on the podium…. What Schoenberg brings to this canon, assures Nissly, ‘is very tuneful, stuff you’d remember,’ though it will also ‘pay homage to my time in marching drum corps.’ All sections of the orchestra have a place in the score, and Nissly supposes [that the] 23-minute piece may allow players and audience ‘to see percussion in a different light than just a 100 percent supporting role.’ ”
Posted October 9, 2019
