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“Lament for M” (1994)
Work suggested by ... J. Karla Lemon
Composer ... Gunther Schuller
“Lament for M is a beautifully
touching, jazz-influenced piece for chamber
orchestra, written by Gunther Schuller as
a memorial to his wife.”
Written for saxophone virtuoso Joe Lovano, and first performed during the recording of Lovano's 1994 album Rush Hour, in April of that same year, American composer Gunther Schuller's Lament for M is an endearing tribute to the memory of his late wife Marjorie, and represents a continuing example of Schuller's embrace of both jazz and classical forms.
In describing his development of the piece, Schuller gives a marvelously detailed view of his composition, as well as of Lovano's performance, when explaining "Its anguished opening statement, so passionately rendered by Joe, gives way to a three-way cadenza for tenor, bass, and drums which builds to a considerable climax, gradually subsiding into a more tranquil, flute-led episode." He goes on to add "But a brief, twelve-tone, pizzicato bass passage initiates another 'free' cadenza, this time reaching an even more anguished climax."
When describing the final sections of the piece, Schuller clearly brings the emotional aims of the work into focus when he explains "This is followed by a music of utter; almost motionless calm and prayerful stillness. Indeed, after a descending, twelve-tone chord in muted, solo strings, and a final, quite, peaceful lament from Joe, one seems to hear a hushed Amen in the strings, adorned only with a fluttering flute trill and gentle 'teardrop' harp harmonic."
Gunther Schuller's deep respect for Lovano's musical ability can also clearly be heard in his description of the performer's approach to the music of Rush Hour, and Lament for M, when stating "Joe immediately and almost effortlessly heard his way into the music, no matter how complex, no matter what context, and whatever its demands. This, coupled with a sovereign command of his instrument(s), made it a joy and a deeply moving experience to work with Joe. I consider it a great privilege to have been asked to provide him with a variety of stimulating musical vehicles in which to express himself creatively."
About Gunther Schuller:
(b New York, 22 Nov 1925). American composer, conductor, and author. Beginning his career in jazz as a French Horn player with Miles Davis in 1949, Schuller's broader performance career included the American Ballet Theater (1943), the Cincinnati Symphony (1943-5), and the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1945-59). In a 1957 lecture, he first introduced the term "third stream" to describe music that combines elements of Western art music and jazz, and in the decades to follow has gone on to compose numerous works according to its principals.
About J. Karla Lemon:
American conductor. A former pupil of Gunther Schuller, Karla Lemon made her conducting debuts with the San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and San Francisco Women's Philharmonic in 1999, and has conducted throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Previously serving as Director of Orchestras for Stanford University, as well as Music Director for the Ensemble for Experimental Music, she was appointed Resident Conductor of the Henry Mancini Institute, in Los Angeles, in 2002.
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