Who can resist a birthday celebration where everyone receives a musical treat? That's exactly what happened Sunday afternoon in Hertz Hall, when Cal Performances celebrated composer and music professor Jorge Liderman's 50th birthday. Although it didn't include cake, the smile-filled afternoon featured some of Liderman's favorite players in definitive performances of music he wrote for them: Cuarteto Latinoamericano, pianist Sonia Rubinsky, guitarist David Tanenbaum, and, working as a trio, clarinetist Carey Bell, marimbaist Florian Conzetti, and pianist Karen Rosenak.
As Liderman explained in the program notes, these artists "not only served as interpreters of my music, but also as a source of inspiration during the compositional process. Their virtuosity, expressiveness, and tightness were present in my mind while writing these pieces."
Born in Buenos Aires, Liderman joined the UC Berkeley composition faculty in 1989, one year after receiving his doctorate in composition from the University of Chicago. The recipient of awards and commissions from the Guggenheim Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Fromm Foundation, and University of California President's Fellowship, he has also been granted a fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center, a Radio France Award, and two Argentine Tribune of Composers Prizes.
Liderman's works have been commissioned by a host of international and local ensembles. The short list includes the London Sinfonietta, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tanglewood Orchestra, Radio France, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Arditti String Quartet, Duo 46, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Earplay, and San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
At its most engaging, Liderman's music possesses tremendous spirit, compelling rhythmic buoyancy, and visceral drive. That is not to say he always seems intent on inviting listeners in. The first and earliest work on the program, Tropes IV (1990), is a case in point. Liderman wrote the work for pianist Sonia Rubinsky, who added some extra sparkle to the music thanks to her shiny, dangling earrings and open-toed silver heels that sported equally sparkling straps.
The composer describes the work as "a series of character pieces." I can't vouch for any character save my own, but I found the music to be far less a welcome statement fit for a birthday celebration than an overly intellectual, "here I am, come along for the ride if you so desire" fait accompli.
Jason Victor Serinus regularly reviews music and audio for Stereophile, SFCV, Classical Voice North America, AudioStream, American Record Guide, and other publications. The whistling voice of Woodstock in She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, the longtime Oakland resident now resides in Port Townsend, Washington.