# Vijay Iyer at Zellerbach Hall Auditorium, June 17, 2017

[Cal Performances](https://calperformances.org/performances/2016-17/ojai/ojai-at-berkeley.php) presents _Stravinsky & Iyer_ featuring [Vijay Iyer](http://www.vijay-iyer.com/) with [Tyshawn Sorey](http://www.tyshawnsorey.net/), Steven Schick, and the [International Contemporary Ensemble](http://iceorg.org/)  
[Zellerbach Hall Auditorium](http://www.calperfs.berkeley.edu/)  
[U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94305 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=U.C.+Berkeley,+Bancroft+Way+at+Telegraph+Ave,+Berkeley,+CA+94305+USA&hl=en)  
8:00 PM, Saturday, June 17, 2017

[[2017-06-17|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2017|Up to the 2017 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2017#June_events|Up to the 2017 event list!]] ☸ [[2017-06-18|On to the next event!]]

## Set One: Stravinsky: the Rite of Spring

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): _Le Sacre du Printemps (the Rite of Spring)_  (1913; arr. 2016 by Cliff Colnot, b.1947)

[8:04 PM lights down, announcements, band out]

Part I: Adoration of the Earth

01. [8:06 PM] _Introduction_
02. [8:09 PM] _Augurs of Spring: Dance of the Young Maidens_
03. [8:13 PM] _the Ritual of the Abduction_
04. [8:15 PM] _Spring Rounds_
05. [8:18 PM] _The Ritual of the Two Rival Tribes_
06. [8:20 PM] _Procession of the Elders_
07. [8:21 PM] _Dance of the Earth_  
   
Part II: the Sacrifice
08. [8:23 PM] _Introduction_
09. [8:27 PM] _Mystic Circle of Young Maidens_
10. [8:30 PM] _Glorification of the Chosen One_
11. [8:33 PM] _Evocation of the Ancestors_
12. [8:34 PM] _Ritual of the Ancestors_
13. [8:37 PM] _Sacrificial Dance of the Chosen One_  
[set ends 8:40 PM; applause & bows for a few minutes; all off by 8:43 PM]

### Performers

* Kyle Armbrust: viola;
* Kivie Cahn-Lipman: cello;
* Gabriela Diaz: violin;
* Gareth Flowers: trumpet;
* Rebekah Heller: bassoon;
* Ross Karre: drums, percussion;
* Levy Lorenzo: drums, percussion;
* John Minor: timpani;
* Joshua Rubin: clarinet;
* Steven Schick: conductor;
* [Cory Smythe](http://corysmythe.com/): piano;
* [Alice Teyssier](https://www.aliceteyssier.com/): flute;
* Randy Zigler: contrabass.

## Set Two: Iyer: Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi

[9:08 PM lights down, introductory comments by Vijay; short film about Bhargava]

Vijay Iyer (b.1971): _Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi_ (2014; soundtrack to accompany the film of the same name directed, edited and designed by Prashant Bhargava) 

Part I: Adoration of the Earth

01. [9:19 PM] _Dawn_
02. [9:23 PM] _Promise_
03. [9:26 PM] _Summoning_
04. [9:27 PM] _Spring Fever_
05. [9:29 PM] _Procession_
06. [9:31 PM] _Colors_  
   
Part II: Transcendence
07. [9:35 PM] _Thirst_
08. [9:38 PM] _Intoxication_
09. [9:41 PM] _Exaltation_
10. [9:43 PM] _Spirits_
11. [9:45 PM] _Rituals_
12. [9:47 PM] _Purging Rites_  
[set ends 9:52 PM]

Care to watch the film? Lucky you, the trailer is on [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Hicne21OY) and [Vimeo](https://player.vimeo.com/96cb553e-8366-4ccf-9754-980da231bcf5)

### Performers

* [Vijay Iyer](http://www.vijay-iyer.com/): piano;
* Steven Schick: conductor;
* [Tyshawn Sorey](http://www.tyshawnsorey.net/): drums;

#### International Contemporary Ensemble

[International Contemporary Ensemble](http://iceorg.org/)

* Claire Chase: executive director;
* Joshua Rubin: program director;
* [bio info for other performers](http://iceorg.org/about/artists).

* Kyle Armbrust: viola;
* Kivie Cahn-Lipman: cello;
* Gabriela Diaz: violin;
* Gareth Flowers: trumpet;
* Rebekah Heller: bassoon;
* Ross Karre: drums, percussion;
* Joshua Rubin: clarinet;
* [Cory Smythe](http://corysmythe.com/): piano;
* [Alice Teyssier](https://www.aliceteyssier.com/): flute;
* Randy Zigler: contrabass.


## Notes

Outside at break, about 8:45 PM. The sun has set, but the sky is still quite bright, fading to dusky blue as I look to the East. The temperature is absolutely perfect. Not at all cool, with just the barest wisp of a breeze to aid my enjoyment of the evening. A small crowd is smiling about in the plaza, observed by a smaller group enjoying the balcony. I'd prefer it to be quiet, but instead the rumble of traffic on Bancroft competes with the rumble of heavy duty HVAC units in the surrounding buildings, setting up a busy bass continuo throb and counter-throb between the various noise elements while the laughter and conversation of the crowd dances on top. Music of the spheres? Not!

ICE's version of the _Rite of Spring_ was a revelation: by reducing the instrumentation to a spare baker's dozen, Colnot's arrangement strips the work to it's essential core: the piece came across to me as much more elemental and primal: far less powerful than the typical bombastic symphonic rendition, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. It will be quite interesting to hear how Iyer interprets this ritual against the Hindu Holi celebration in the second half!

---

So what'd I think? It was good. Interesting! Engrossing to watch. Even more so to hear! In contrast to a few reviewers, I found the music to be quite complementary to the visual material; to describe it as inessential background is to presume that visual stimuli has some sort of preeminence over auditory stimuli. I really liked it when the ensemble evoked the folk music of Indian village drum and brass bands. It would be fun to experience this show again in a few years!

Prashant Bhargava's film was shot over the course of a single Holi festival in Mathura, a town in Uttar Pradesh, India. The accompanying composition was created by Iyer in collaboration with Bhargava, who cut his film in order to match their shared artistic vision of creating a response to Stravinsky through Indian eyes, as commissioned by Carolina Performing Arts. Iyer debuted the work at Beasley-Curtis Auditorium at Memorial Hall, UNC on Mar 26, 2013; as far as I know, the piece has lain dormant in the interim, but Iyer and ICE revived it for a national tour that began last fall and continues this spring.

NPR posted a nice [summary article](http://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2013/05/28/186442052/colors-swirl-in-a-real-rite-of-spring) about the film when it first came out.

And ICE has posted additional multimedia for this program. Start [here](https://iceorg.org/events/event/ojai-at-berkeley#.WVHnjFWGNaQ) for particulars about their Berkeley visit, then look to the "digitICE" link at the bottom for more.

Mark Satola posted a fine [review](http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2016/10/intl_contemporary_ensemble_re-.html) of a performance of this program in Cleveland last fall. Daniel Hathaway's [review](http://clevelandclassical.com/vijay-iyer-international-contemporary-ensemble-ice-at-cma-october-19/) of the same show gives an interesting alternative view.

Raul da Gama posted a [review](https://jazzdagama.com/films/radhe-radhe-rites-of-holi/) of the commercial release of the film by [ECM](https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue/143038752965/radhe-radhe-rites-of-holi-by-prashant-bhargava-vijay-iyer-prashant-bhargava) on blu-ray disc.

{{tag>music Vijay_Iyer Tyshawn_Sorey International_Contemporary_Ensemble Steven_Schick Zellerbach_Hall_Auditorium Claire_Chase  Kyle_Armbrust Kivie_Cahn-Lipman Gabriela_Diaz Gareth_Flowers Rebekah_Heller Ross_Karre Levy_Lorenzo John_Minor Joshua_Rubin Cory_Smythe Alice_Teyssier Randy_Zigler}}

[[2017-06-17|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2017|Up to the 2017 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2017#June_events|Up to the 2017 event list!]] ☸  [[2017-06-18|On to the next event!]]