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by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the March 20, 2002, edition of The George-Anne Poetry is truly an artform. A well-written poem can touch many people in so many different ways just by being read. However, when put to music, poetry can rise to greater and more inspirational heights. A fine example of this was an installment of the Faculty-Guest Recital Series, presented by the GSU Department of Music. The packed Carol A. Carter Recital Hall hosted the music of Lori Laitman, composer-in-residence, on March 5th. Laitman began the program by telling those in attendance about herself. At age five, she was playing piano, and had started on the flute at seven. She graduated from high school at sixteen and went to Yale. From there, she spent time compsing film and theatre music before moving on to writing chamber music. She has since written over 100 songs. Next was the opening performance by Carolyn J. Bryan on alto saxophone with Tom Pearall on piano. The duo performed "Lullaby," which is one of the few instrumental compositions Laitman has composed in the last ten years. Bryan also performed the premiere of the song in 1997 at Indiana University. "Metropolitan Tower" and "The Hour," two selections from poet Sara Tasdale's "The Metropolitan Tower and Other Songs," were performed next. Tim Hall took over on piano and was joined by soprano Alysa Smith. They were among the first set of art songs that Laitman composed and were written for Lauren Wagner's debut CD. The Arden Duo Bryan on alto saxophone and soprano Sandra McClain, followed with a set entitled "I Never Saw Another Butterfly." The set of six poems were written by children from the Terezin Concentration Camp. In the midst of the horror around them at the time, the children wrote some amazing poetry full of hope. |
Selections performed included "The Butterfly," "Yes, That's the Way Things Are," "Birdsong," "The Garden," "Man Proposes, God Disposes," and "The Old House." Diana Ricks, mezzo-soprano, and pianist Tom Pearsall performed the first of two compositions from "Mystery," which is a song cycle setting poems by American poet Sara Teasdale up with compositions by baritone Kurt Ollmann. The duo performed "Nightfall," which reflects on a set of lovers' past walks together and their current unhappy present. Mezzo-soprano Sara Hancock and pianist Michael Braz then came out to perform the next two selections. First was "Echo," which Laitman composed for friend and Yale classmate Robert Kennedy. The poem, written in 1854 by Christina Rossetti, tells the tale of dreams and lost love. Following that was the second song from "Mystery," as the two performed "The Rose," another poem reflecting on lost love. The final performance of the night was "Armgart," performed by soprano Heidi Bindhammer and pianist Tom Pearsall. The piece was composed for The Boston Art Song Compilation and set to text by George Eliot. "Armgart" allowed a nice ending to a great hour of compositions. Lori Laitman and her music were greatly recepted by those in attendance. A night in the recital hall can provide a nice, relaxing break from the hectic life of going to class and studying for tests. Stay tuned for future editions of the Faculty-Guest Recital Series coming soon to GSU. |
