She begins by thanking the audience for coming, it is after all late at night, and heavy rain outside. It may not be the whole world, but enough to appear as a break with the relatively rigid conventions and rituals of the classical music world. MONTGOMERY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MUSIC: Star composer and musicians at a packed concert on Thursday evening. Photo: Kristian Wanvik / Kamfest Sitting in a packed Dokkhus in Trondheim, it strikes me that this is unlike any other classical concert I have attended as a reviewer in the last ten years. The woman who speaks, plays and listens this evening is Jessie Montgomery, this year’s festival composer at the Trønder capital’s annual chamber music festival. But I wonder if the audience and festival management really understand what kind of sensation they have going on in their midst. MUCH HYPE: She represents the “true language of American classical music”. Is this a mention Jessie Montgomery deserves? Photo: Jiyang Chen During 2021, Montgomery’s orchestral works were performed over 400 times by American orchestras – a number that is completely beyond the reach of a living composer. Jessie Montgomery has become the very symbol of a new American classical music, rooted in values such as community, communication skills, diversity and social justice. Jessie Montgomery (born 1981) Photo: David Swanson / Reuters American composer, violinist and educator Grew up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Daughter of African-American playwright and civil rights activist Robbie McCauley, and white composer and record producer Ed Montgomery. Studied violin at the famous Juilliard School, and played until 2021 in various chamber ensembles. Released own works on disc in 2015. House composer for three seasons until this year as Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Named Musical America’s Composer of the Year in 2023. Won Grammy for the work “Rounds” (2022) this year for best classical composition. According to the New York Times, she is the composer who, more than any other, leads the way in the development of “the true language of American classical music”. It’s certainly a bit of a burden, and after hearing a bunch of Montgomery’s work during Kamfest, I have to admit that I’m not sure if it’s something her artistry is worth. Bartók in the melting pot The concert at Dokkhuset is entitled “100% Montgomery”, and joins a fine tradition during Kamfest of dedicating an entire concert to works by the festival composer. In addition, several will be played at other concerts this week. NAKED AND PERSONAL: Jessie Montgomery performs her own music at Dokkhuset in Trondheim. Photo: Kristian Wanvik / Kamfest The concert opens with Montgomery himself playing one of his most frequently recorded works: “Rhapsody No. 1” for solo violin (2014). The references to composers such as Bach and Bartók are obvious, but at the same time Montgomery has something of his own – something contrasting, searching and personal. The playing is a little sloppy compared to her ten-year-old recording, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it. There is something honest and naked about the game that makes an impression. HUMOR-FILLED: A bit of tinkering with the iPad with the notes before Elena Urioste (left) and Jessie Montgomery start playing “Musings”. Photo: Kristian Wanvik / Kamfest She is then joined by the renowned violinist Elena Urioste in the work “Musings” (2023), five duets for two violins. She says that she has known Urioste for 20 years, and that Musings is inspired by Béla Bartók’s well-known 44 duets for two violins. The playing is vital and moody, but these duets appear to me to be overly simple and conventional in expression. Compared to Bartók, this music is rather round at the edges. The speed increases The concert increases approx. 14 notches in volume when four percussionists take their place on Dokkhuset’s cramped stage to perform Montgomery’s “Study No. 1” for percussion quartet (2023). DRIV: Helgi Þorleiksson, Hans-Christian Green, Henriette Øfstedal Kolset and Lars Sitter perform Jessie Montgomery. Photo: Kristian Wanvik / Kamfest These musicians play daily in the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, among others, and the performance has insane drive and precision. The work also fully demonstrates the rhythmic vitality that characterizes Montgomery’s music at its best. At the same time, parts of the work are too little original, both sonically and conceptually. The concert ends with two of Montgomery’s most frequently played chamber works: “Source Code” (2013) and “Strum” (2006). Both of these works exist, typically for Montgomery, in versions for both string quartet and string orchestra. This evening, the orchestral versions are played in a fabulous way by the Trondheim soloists under the direction of Guro Kleven Hagen. FABULOUS: The Trondheim soloists under the playing direction of Guro Kleven Hagen. Photo: Kristian Wanvik / Kamfest When I hear these two works, I understand why Jessie Montgomery’s career exploded in the US in the 2010s. This is music that comes across as exceptionally inspired, fresh and vital. Although I can’t quite put my finger on why, it also sounds unmistakably “American”. Yes, the music has some audible elements of spirituals and various rhythmic music styles. But what is typically American is perhaps most in her liberating attitude, that the entire landscape of musical impulses is free to use without any serious requirement to be on par with History. Less stiff Jessie Montgomery’s work “Starburst” was performed no less than 114 times in her annus mirabilis 2021. YouTube is full of American orchestras with or without blindfolds playing this three-minute piece. The high number has partly a trivial reason: Montgomery’s list of works is not very extensive. I can’t quite shake the feeling that her popularity rests mainly on a handful of short works for strings composed in the years 2012–14. Both “Starburst”, “Rhapsody No. 1”, “Source Code” and “Strum” are among these works, as is “Banner”, which was performed at The Proms in 2021. Whether Montgomery manages to retain the joy of creation, freedom and vitality in his new position as America’s national composer , remains to be seen. My impression is that Montgomery’s works from later years do not hold the same level as the early ones. However, it is important not to lose hope, because a classical music culture that is more up-to-date, diverse and looser is a dream on both sides of the Atlantic. The public got a glimpse of this dream with their own eyes during Kamfest this week. news reviews Performances: “100 % Montgomery”, concert with music by festival composer Jessie Montgomery Genre: Classical With: Jessie Montgomery, Elena Urioste. Musicians from the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Musicians from the Trondheim Soloists with musical director Guro Kleven Hagen. Place: Dokkhuset, Kamfest/Trondheim Chamber Music Festival Date: 25 September 2024 Published 27.09.2024, at 15.32
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“100% Montgomery”, Trondheim chamber music festival – Reviews and recommendations
