There was something mildly amusing about the program offered Monday night at Carnegie Recital Hall by New Music for Young Ensembles, Inc. With major works by the late Samuel Barber and the very late Maurice Ravel being offered by the likes of the Dorian Wind Quintet – which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this season – and the Burdette Trio, one couldn't help wondering whether the name “Older Music for Established Ensembles” might have reflected more accurately what was being performed by whom.
But the point of the concert was to introduce new music, specifically, a scherzo for violin, cello, and piano by Larry McFatter and “Jabberwocky” for bass-baritone, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon by Elliot Goldenthal, works that won prizes last year in the New Music for Young Ensembles composition contest.
Mr. McFatter's first-prize Scherzo came across as a well-crafted piece that makes good use of its material without exhausting it, manipulates texture in an interesting way and exhibits a strong sense of continuity. The Burdette Trio, which really does qualify as a young ensemble, gave a solid account of it. Mr. Goldenthal's entry, based on Lewis Carroll's “Jabberwocky”, was performed by John Ostendorf, bass-baritone, and members of the Dorian ensemble. What this listener heard departed in many respects from the score – Mr. Goldenthal evidently made wholesale extensions and improvements to the piece after it won second prize last year. As revised, it is a delightful, imaginative work that might have easily won the first prize and merits repeated hearings.
The premiere of four songs newly arranged by John Freeman from his set “To Wrestle With the Angel” opened the concert. The vocal writing, especially in Mr. Ostendorf's care, was more effective than the scoring for flute, bassoon and piano, which sounded amateurish at points.