thirteen ways

For all who don’t me, my name is Brian Malnassy and I am eighth blackbird’s intern/artistic assistant and this is my story and perspective of  eighth blackbird’s  concerto: “On A Wire.”

I was in eighth blackbird’s studio when  Jennifer Higdon’s concerto came in the mail. I have witnessed this piece’s growth from its infancy to its world premiere in Atlanta with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Jennifer came to the studio for rehearsal and I was surprised at how smart, kind, and genuine she truly is. “On A Wire” is an exceptionally difficult and colorful concerto that features solos from all the members of eighth blackbird. Upon looking at the score for the first time, the only thing I could think was: I have never seen so many notes! The package arrived with Jennifer’s piano bows made of fishing line. From Lisa Kaplan’s first note on prepared piano, I was hooked. The music was hypnotic and the difficulty level couldn’t be higher. After a number of rehearsals, the ensemble started to truly “play” this piece and “On A Wire” was on its way to becoming a masterpiece.

One issue that eighth blackbird had early on was the prepared piano sections. It was then assigned to me to procure/create a piano bow that was easily playable and also produced a lush, full, and vibrant sound. After many hours of fiddling with many materials including weed-wacker thread and orange flagging tape, I had a couple of solutions that I presented to the blackbirds. We decided the best sound and most playable was a “bow” made from interwoven synthetic bow hair. Jennifer came to the studio just after receiving her Pulitzer Prize and Grammy and the bow debacle was discussed. She was very intuitive and was adamant about the sound she wanted (as a Pulitzer Prize winning composer should be). Drawing extended techniques from a previous piece that Higdon composed for eighth blackbird, “Zaka,” she employed a large array of extended techniques. Some of these techniques are amazingly colorful when the entire sextet is doing them simultaneously. From using a guitar pick inside the piano and muted piano harmonics to Tim Munro’s very loud and definitive tongue ram on flute, this piece has everything a listener can ask for.

The ensemble took all of her words of criticism to heart and began to rehearse with a new energy. This piece was on the way to becoming a living and breathing thing except something was missing…..the orchestra. The ensemble had been listening to the MIDI recording of the piece since its arrival but I had not heard it and was unaware of how it would really sound. I know this concerto very well but I only know the sextet’s concerto, not the sextet + orchestra concerto, BIG DIFFERENCE.

When I heard that the ensemble planned on memorizing this piece, I wasn’t surprised. I have no idea how much each player practiced but with a piece of this size and difficulty, it must have been a true challenge and commitment. One of eighth blackbird’s signatures is performing new music from memory and true to their word, they did.

One “fear” everyone had expressed is they had no idea what “On A Wire” would actually sound like with the orchestra. A common discussion during rehearsal was how to blend and perform with the orchestra while still being heard and remaining musical. Blackbird would rehearse sections repeatedly with small (but important) changes each time and discuss what sound would be best. Sitting in front of the ensemble with the score in hand, I have heard this piece performed a thousand different ways. I can say that eighth blackbird has a truly great taste for making the music shine as well as themselves. They can add the right color and energy to a small section that can make the piece go from good to great. The week before leaving for Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra was full of nervous excitement and the ensemble couldn’t wait any longer. The nervous smiles on all of their faces led me to believe that the premiere of this concerto was going to be amazing and truly special.

So with all this context established, let’s talk about the premiere. Wow. I was a ball of nerves leading up to Lisa’s very first bowed note and when she started, a huge sigh of relief rushed over me. When the orchestra entered for the first time my face was frozen and my jaw was on the floor. Jennifer truly outdid herself and lived up to her recent Grammy and Pulitzer Prize. Watching eighth blackbird’s faces of frustration from early rehearsals to seeing them smile and adding a jovial wink during the performance showed that this piece had truly come to fruition. The audience was enthralled and captivated and nearing the end of the piece, I heard the sextet’s ending section and braced myself for a roaring finale. Needless to say, standing ovation.

“On A Wire” has been a journey of true musicianship and dedication. Who knows what this piece will be like with the next orchestra…and the next….and the next…

-Brian Malnassy