DSPM in the News
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
MAY 16, 2018
John von Rhein, tribune critic
Honoring Pierre Boulez, the titan of modernism who opened the ears of Chicagoans to the music of our timeCan we ever repay our enormous debt to Pierre Boulez? From 1991, when the eminent French composer and conductor began an annual series of residencies at the Chicago Symphony, he served a central role in the life of the orchestra, and in Chicago music. His relationship with the orchestra, which began with his CSO podium debut in 1969, at concerts that also marked the CSO solo debut of pianist and future music director Daniel Barenboim, was formalized in 1995 when Barenboim named him principal guest conductor. Musical modernism had no more eloquent or influential avatar than Boulez. His lucid performances of landmark 20th century scores and probing reappraisals of established repertory won him universal respect and admiration. His powerful advocacy of masterpieces that should have become part of the mainstream many decades earlier went far towards opening the ears and minds of musicians and audience members alike. There is no one with his degree of clout and prestige around today, and the classical music world is much the poorer for it.This coming weekend, Chicago musicians who worked with Boulez during his many years of service to the CSO are honoring his memory with a pocket guide to the modernist gospel he so fervently preached.This coming weekend, Chicago musicians who worked with Boulez during his many years of service to the CSO are honoring his memory with a pocket guide to the modernist gospel he so fervently preached.The North Shore-based chamber group Dempster St. Pro Musica, most of whose players are members of the CSO, will present a free concert of landmark 20th century scores by composers he championed – including the modernist triumvirate of Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Bartok – at 2 p.m. Sunday at SPACE in Evanston.CSO flutist Jennifer Gunn will be the soloist in Boulez’s own “Derive 1” (1984), and Cliff Colnot, whose working relationship with the composer-conductor dates back to 1990, will conduct.“Making Music Modern,” as the program is called, is the brainchild of CSO assistant principal oboe Michael Henoch, president and artistic director of Dempster St. It’s his way of thanking Boulez posthumously, he said in an interview, for all that Boulez meant to musicians personally, and to the orchestra as a cultural institution alive to the music of our time.As such, it seemed the ideal capstone for the chamber group’s 10th anniversary season.“I know that if Boulez were still around, he would say, ‘Oh, you don’t need to do that,’ because he was so self-effacing and didn’t want a lot of attention, at least in the years I knew him,” Henoch said. “I wanted us to do something special, something that would both challenge our audience and give them pleasure.”“Making Music Modern” has been in the planning stages for more than a year and a half, according to the oboist, who borrowed the title of Carol J. Oja’s book, “Making Music Modern: New York in the 1920s,” published in 2000. It took that long to round up the 17 participating musicians and find a performance date that would suit everyone’s busy schedule.Participants include CSO members John Bruce Yeh, clarinet; William Buchman, bassoon; Oto Carrillo, horn; Robert Kassinger, double bass; and Vadim Karpinos, percussion. The remaining players are Taimur Sullivan, saxophone; Stephen Burns, trumpet; Caleb Shemwell, trombone; Stefan Hersh and Minghuan Xu, violins; Anthony Devroye, viola; Julian Hersh, cello; Winston Choi, piano; and Daniel Schlosberg, harmonium.The program harks back to the “Music at the Millennium” series of key 20th century works the Chicago Chamber Musicians presented, sometimes under Boulez’s direction, here from 1998 to 2001.It ranges from a chamber arrangement of Debussy’s pathbreaking “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” to the rondo movement from Schoenberg’s 1924 Woodwind Quintet (one of his earliest purely 12-tone scores), to Bartok’s 1938 “Contrasts,” to notated and unnotated sound pieces – Edgard Varese’s 1923 “Octandre,” Earle Brown’s “December 1952” and John Cage’s iconic “4’33,” also from 1952.The master, no doubt, would have approved.“Boulez wanted to indoctrinate the audience to a lot of modern pieces that are anywhere up to 100 years old but that audiences still are not comfortable hearing,” said Henoch. “That was his mission.”The intellectually acute Frenchman worked tirelessly on behalf of music he believed was important and worth fighting for. He hoped that presenting such music at the highest level and with absolute conviction would open pathways of understanding, or at least greater tolerance, among listeners who would otherwise find such pieces inaccessible. (Boulez regretted that his conducting relegated his composing to the sidelines, resulting in a catalog replete with works unfinished or in perpetual revision.)In 1969, subscribers walked out when Boulez’s led the CSO in Alban Berg’s “Three Pieces for Orchestra.” Twenty five years later, subscribers not only remained in their seats but cheered when he conducted Luciano Berio’s no less challenging “Sinfonia.”“I think the people who are now coming to (CSO performances of contemporary music) are getting more out of them because of the work Boulez did during the nearly 20 years he was in residence with our orchestra,” Henoch observed.The oboist’s colleagues echo his assertion that playing under Boulez was like taking part in a master class in 20th century performance practice.“Nobody else could clarify the most complex music the way Boulez did,” said CSO assistant principal clarinet Yeh.Yeh has given numerous performances of scores written and/or conducted by Boulez. These have included the master’s “Dialogue de l’ombre double” (“Dialogue of the Double Shadow,” 1985), a spectral musical conversation between a clarinetist and his electronic alter ego; and the U.S. premiere in 1998 of Elliott Carter’s sportive Clarinet Concerto.“Boulez was so patient, efficient and exacting in the way he took a piece of music apart, cleaned it up and put it back together,” Yeh said. “He was one of the most honest musicians I’ve ever met. Over his long career on the podium he determined what was helpful to players and what was not. He knew precisely what he was doing at all times and got wonderful results.”Henoch plans to draw heavily on Boulez’s own writings for his, Henoch’s, written and spoken program notes to Sunday’s concert. After all, he said, “who knew better than Boulez about this music?”Dempster St. Pro Musica will present “Making Music Modern,” a program of 20th century chamber works dedicated to the memory of Pierre Boulez, at 2 p.m. Sunday in SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Admission is free, but reservations are required; 847-905-0875, www.dempstermusica.org.2207, ext. 310; www.cyso.org.Arts & Entertainment Music, Chicago Tribune May 16, 2018 John Von RheinHonoring Pierre Boulez, the titan of modernism who opened the ears of Chicagoans to the music of our timeJohn von Rhein, Tribune criticCan we ever repay our enormous debt to Pierre Boulez?From 1991, when the eminent French composer and conductor began an annual series of residencies at the Chicago Symphony, he served a central role in the life of the orchestra, and in Chicago music. His relationship with the orchestra, which began with his CSO podium debut in 1969, at concerts that also marked the CSO solo debut of pianist and future music director Daniel Barenboim, was formalized in 1995 when Barenboim named him principal guest conductor.Boulez assumed the title of emeritus conductor following Bernard Haitink’s becoming principal conductor in 2006. An invaluable caretaker at the Chicago Symphony until deteriorating eyesight put an end to his annual residencies after 2010, Boulez retained his title, along with the esteem that went with it, until his widely lamented death, at 90, in 2016.Musical modernism had no more eloquent or influential avatar than Boulez. His lucid performances of landmark 20th century scores and probing reappraisals of established repertory won him universal respect and admiration. His powerful advocacy of masterpieces that should have become part of the mainstream many decades earlier went far towards opening the ears and minds of musicians and audience members alike.There is no one with his degree of clout and prestige around today, and the classical music world is much the poorer for it.Arts & Entertainment Music, Chicago Tribune May 16, 2018 John Von RheinHonoring Pierre Boulez, the titan of modernism who opened the ears of Chicagoans to the music of our timeJohn von Rhein, Tribune criticCan we ever repay our enormous debt to Pierre Boulez?From 1991, when the eminent French composer and conductor began an annual series of residencies at the Chicago Symphony, he served a central role in the life of the orchestra, and in Chicago music. His relationship with the orchestra, which began with his CSO podium debut in 1969, at concerts that also marked the CSO solo debut of pianist and future music director Daniel Barenboim, was formalized in 1995 when Barenboim named him principal guest conductor.Boulez assumed the title of emeritus conductor following Bernard Haitink’s becoming principal conductor in 2006. An invaluable caretaker at the Chicago Symphony until deteriorating eyesight put an end to his annual residencies after 2010, Boulez retained his title, along with the esteem that went with it, until his widely lamented death, at 90, in 2016.Musical modernism had no more eloquent or influential avatar than Boulez. His lucid performances of landmark 20th century scores and probing reappraisals of established repertory won him universal respect and admiration. His powerful advocacy of masterpieces that should have become part of the mainstream many decades earlier went far towards opening the ears and minds of musicians and audience members alike.There is no one with his degree of clout and prestige around today, and the classical music world is much the poorer for it.Honoring Pierre Boulez, the titan of modernism who opened the ears of Chicagoans to the music of our timeCan we ever repay our enormous debt to Pierre Boulez?From 1991, when the eminent French composer and conductor began an annual series of residencies at the Chicago Symphony, he served a central role in the life of the orchestra, and in Chicago music. His relationship with the orchestra, which began with his CSO podium debut in 1969, at concerts that also marked the CSO solo debut of pianist and future music director Daniel Barenboim, was formalized in 1995 when Barenboim named him principal guest conductor.Boulez assumed the title of emeritus conductor following Bernard Haitink’s becoming principal conductor in 2006. An invaluable caretaker at the Chicago Symphony until deteriorating eyesight put an end to his annual residencies after 2010, Boulez retained his title, along with the esteem that went with it, until his widely lamented death, at 90, in 2016.Musical modernism had no more eloquent or influential avatar than Boulez. His lucid performances of landmark 20th century scores and probing reappraisals of established repertory won him universal respect and admiration. His powerful advocacy of masterpieces that should have become part of the mainstream many decades earlier went far towards opening the ears and minds of musicians and audience members alike.Can we ever repay our enormous debt to Pierre Boulez?From 1991, when the eminent French composer and conductor began an annual series of residencies at the Chicago Symphony, he served a central role in the life of the orchestra, and in Chicago music. His relationship with the orchestra, which began with his CSO podium debut in 1969, at concerts that also marked the CSO solo debut of pianist and future music director Daniel Barenboim, was formalized in 1995 when Barenboim named him principal guest conductor.Boulez assumed the title of emeritus conductor following Bernard Haitink’s becoming principal conductor in 2006. An invaluable caretaker at the Chicago Symphony until deteriorating eyesight put an end to his annual residencies after 2010, Boulez retained his title, along with the esteem that went with it, until his widely lamented death, at 90, in 2016.Boulez assumed the title of emeritus conductor following Bernard Haitink’s becoming principal conductor in 2006. An invaluable caretaker at the Chicago Symphony until deteriorating eyesight put an end to his annual residencies after 2010, Boulez retained his title, along with the esteem that went with it, until his widely lamented death, at 90, in 2016.Evanston Roundtable
August 20, 2008
"From the outset the considerable poise and virtuosity of the brilliant players of the Dempster St. Pro Musica engaged the listeners in a sound world of elegant melodic line and rich texture."
click http://www.evanstonroundtable.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=5701 to read full text of this article
November 5, 2012 Evanston Review by Dorothy Andries
Chicago Symphony Orchestra assistant principal oboe Michael Henoch established the Dempster St. Pro Musica in 2008. “Just before the economic crisis,” he remarked wryly to the audience Sunday afternoon Nov. 4. A packed house had filled the 120 seats at 1245 Chicago Ave., in Evanston’s cleverly constructed S.P.A.C.E.
Henoch’s Dempster St. has survived and is obviously thriving, with a dedicated audience enjoying its informal atmosphere and high performance standards. This critic arrived late, due to numerous tow-away signs on Chicago Avenue and only heard half Robert Schumann’s “Funf Stucke im Volkson” played by cellist Kenneth Olsen and pianist Andrea Swan.
The afternoon was titled “Brahms and Friends,” and focused on composers who were part of his intimate private circle. Schumann is a familiar name, but the program also featured a wind and piano quartet in four movements by Heinrich Von Herzogenberg, played by Henoch, clarinetist Steven Cohen, CSO hornist Daniel Gingrich, bassoonist Tariq Masri, and Swan.
“Herzogenberg was a fine composer, but not a great one,” Henoch said before the music began. It was implied that we should listen carefully, as, he explained, “You’ll probably never hear this piece again.”
It was, in fact, filled with charming music that brought out the distinct qualities of the wind instruments — the rotund French horn, the slender voices of the clarinet and oboe, plus the deep growl of the bassoon, set against the shimmering percussion of the piano. The score had a merry heart, laced through with a lilting folk-style.
A short number, Hirtenlied for oboe and strings, by another Brahms friend Julius Rontgen was followed by the Brahms Sextet No. 2. For this Henoch assembled his CSO colleagues violinists Robert Chen and Lei Hou; violists Lawrence Neuman and Yukiko Ogura, and cellists Kenneth Olsen and Brant Taylor.
The theme of the afternoon was fascinating, the program was unusual and was played by musicians who are among the best in Chicago. So it is not surprising that Henoch’s winning approach to chamber music is now in its fifth season.
"Classical Corner" Chicago Tribune/John von Rhein
DSPM recommended concerts: March 3, 2013: 'Northern Lights' and March 22, 2013; Benefit Concert for The Evanston History Center.
Dempster St. Pro Musica performs exclusively at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. , Evanston. Hear leading members of the Chicago Symphony and other internationally known musicians up close and personal in an intimate setting known for its superb acoustics.
"The theme of the afternoon was fascinating, the program was unusual and was played by musicians who are among the best in Chicago. So it is not surprising that Henoch’s winning approach to chamber music is now in its fifth season." Evanston Review(Dorothy Andries)- November 5, 2012
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