The good news is that Camerata Pacifica will play its February concerts — featuring percussionist Ji Hye Jung, violinist Kristin Lee, clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester, and pianist Molly Morkoski — live and on stage, in the same space as the live audience.
There is no bad news,
The Camerata’s fascinating February program iincludes Lou Harrison‘s “Varied Trio, for Rice Bowls, Violin, Vibraphone, and Piano” (1986); Andy Akiho‘s “Stop Speaking Stop Speaking, for Solo Snare Drum & Digital Playback” (2011); Thierry De Mey‘s “Silence must be!for solo chief” (2002); Mark Applebaum‘s “Aphasia, for singer and two-channel tape” (2009); Christopher Cerrone‘s “’Hoyt-Schermerhorn’ for piano and electronics” (2010); and Kevin Puts‘ “And Legions Will Rise, for violin, clarinet and marimba” (2001).
I have now listened to the entire concert, and I would need to write a book-length preview to encompass how wonderful it is. Since that is, to say the least, impractical, I will simply advise you to attend one of the four performances listed below and discover its treasures one by one, for yourselves.
All but the first piece are by living composers, and as for Lou Harrison, his work is so much in keeping with the rest of the show that the other composers appear more or less in the nature of his children. Some modern works are dense, spikey and intense; others are spacious and meditative.
This entire program belongs to the latter category — not so spacious as Morton Feldman, perhaps, but quite roomy and comfortable for the listener.
Camerata Pacifica performs this program in Santa Barbara at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18 in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road. They also perform it at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 in the Museum of Ventura County in Ventura, 100 E. Main St.; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15 in Rothenberg Hall of The Huntington Museum in San Marino, 1151 Oxford Road; and 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in Zipper Hall of The Colburn School in Los Angeles, 200 S. Grand Ave.
Admission to all venues is $68. For tickets and other information, show up at the box office, call the Camerata Pacifica, 805-884-8410, or email tickets@cameratapacifica.org
As for the inevitable Covid restrictions, the Camerata says: “The health of our audiences, artists, and staff is among our highest priorities. All ticketholders must provide proof of COVID vaccination and proof of a booster shot. You will receive a link to upload your vaccination and booster credentials via email with confirmation of your ticket purchase.
“In addition, face coverings must be worn at all times during our performances. Please read our full protocols by clicking the link below.”
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.