On the 8th of April, Rochester will be one of the cities in the direct pathway of a total solar eclipse. A rare celestial event worthy of celebration and awe. In anticipation of the event, local chamber ensemble fivebyfive played a series of three sold out concerts at the Rochester Science and Museum’s Strasenburgh Planetarium the past two weekends.
“Light and Dark: Eclipse Music,” two years in the making, included five world premier pieces commissioned specifically for this concert, each written specifically in celebration of this monumental event. Each composer interpreted the concept of a solar eclipse in their own way. fivebyfive’s audio and visual engineer, and Executive Director, Marc Webster added his own interpretations, developing visuals for each to project on the dome of the planetarium. He approached the video treatments from a musician’s standpoint, taking cues directly from the scores. It was a feast for the ears and eyes for the audience, comfortably seated in recliners encircling the intimate space.
A unique event deserves to be celebrated in a unique way by a unique ensemble. Made up of Laura Lentz on flute, Marcy Bacon on clarinet, Ken Luk on electric guitar, Eric J. Polenik on bass and Haeyeun Jeun on piano, fivebyfive certainly fit the bill. But the compositions called for the band to stretch it’s legs even more with some auxiliary sounds and techniques. Finger-tapped guitar added to the data-driven melodies of Glenn McClure’s set opening “Totality,” as numbers rained down from the skies. Bass clarinet, alto flute and a bowed guitar added warmth to Jessica Meyer’s “In the Path of Totality,” tapping into the human emotional response to the eclipse’s grandness and beauty. Light literally controlled the music for Julie Herndon’s “I Can Take.” Guest conductor Armand Hall conducted using only light bulbs strewn through the band’s setup. Through composed sections and even some improvisation, the bulbs dimmed and brightened in the darkened room, as the music ebbed and flowed along the way.
The venue, the visuals, the music. It all came together perfectly in celebration and anticipation of an event that Rochester will remember forever. Las Vegas may have it’s much-hyped Sphere, but Rochester’s Strasenburgh Planetarium made an excellent host for these shows, and only one of those city’s is in the path of totality. With two more months to go there’s plenty more time to keep the celebration going so stay tuned for more events to come.
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