Stanford University Live presents Kronos Quartet, with Rinde Eckert and Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, performing the world premiere of Jonathan Berger's My Lai
2015-10-10
Bing Concert Hall
Stanford University, 327 Lasuen St, Stanford, CA
7:30 PM, Saturday, October 10, 2015

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[6:30 PM pre-show talk with Trent Angers – unfortunately, we missed it]
[7:31 PM lights down, announcements by ? Acting Executive Director ?]

1. [7:34 PM] [Jonathan Berger](http://jonathanberger.net/): My Lai Lullaby for string quartet, đàn bâu, and đàn tranh (2015)
   [work ends 7:44 PM]

Jonathan Berger: My Lai: A monodrama for tenor, string quartet and Vietnamese instruments (2015)

Part I: First Landing

1. [7:44 PM] Flight
2. [7:51 PM] Descent
3. [8:01 PM] the Ditch
    
4. [8:11 PM] Game Show Interlude I
    
   Part II: Second Landing
5. [8:14 PM] Hovering
6. [8:19 PM] the Bunker
    
7. [8:29 PM] Game Show Interlude II
    
   Part III: Third Landing
8. [8:32 PM] Postcard
9. [8:40 PM] Fishing
   [show ends 8:46 PM]

[8:53 PM post-show talk with Trent Angers, Jonathan Berger, Harriet Scott Chessman, Rinde Eckert, David Harrington, Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ; talk ends 9:24 PM]

Kronos Quartet

• Hank Dutt: viola;
• David Harrington: violin;
• John Sherba: violin;
• Sunny Jungin Yang: cello.

• Rinde Eckert: vox;
• Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ: đàn bâu, đàn tranh, t’rung.

• Trent Angers: journalist;
• Jonathan Berger: composer;
• Drew Cameron: creative consultant;
• Harriet Scott Chessman: librettist;
• Janet Coperthwaite: producer;
• Brian Mohr: sound designer;
• Brian H. Scott: lighting designer, theatrical designer.

Given the subject matter of the work, I was expecting something somewhat more dark and harrowing than what was performed. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. To me, My Lai represents an impossibly shameful episode in history that has yet to be fully acknowledged by the American public – No doubt there were more than a few folks in the audience who had no idea what they were in for. Sometimes that's a good thing!

Rinde Eckert did a fine job with the libretto – and in expressing the anguish and confusion of Hugh Thompson in confronting both the massacre and the ramifications of his actions later in his life. Overall, I found tonight's performance to be a bit too vague – as if the event was so horrible that it could only be confronted through shards of story. No pictures (thankfully!). No overwhelming soundtrack behind the musicians (though there was judicious use of foley sound). And plenty of sad, anguished music. Successful, but perhaps as not as powerful as it could be. I wish I could see the next iteration – a more fully staged presentation scheduled for Jan 29 in Chicago. Hopefully that one will end up on YouTube!

Rebecca Wishnia posted a nice review of the event on SFCV.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2015 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2015 event list! ☸ On to the next event!