Glasser photo credit: Jonathan Turner
About Liquid Music
Liquid Music is a concert series presented by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra that expands the world of classical music through innovative new projects, boundary-defying artists, and unique presentation formats. Liquid Music performances invite adventurous audiences of all ages to discover the new and the fascinating in the colorful landscape of classical music today.
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On May 9th the final concert in this season’s Liquid Music series was held at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Performing were Noveller, Victoire, and Glasser.
Noveller performed first on electric guitar, and played a 35 minute set. She was accompanied by Victoire on the opening song, and played solo after that. Though solo, it was hardly the sound of a single guitar. Noveller used and created loops to build complex multi-layered songs. Her music was accompanied by images, mostly abstract, projected on a screen at the back of the stage.
Victoire followed with another 35 minute set, playing the compositions of one of their members, Missy Mizzoli, from their two albums. Their ensemble of six included the violin, clarinet, keyboards and electronics, a double bass, and a vocalist. Noveller joined them on electric guitar for one song. Their music was ethereal, at times operatic. They too, were accompanied by projected images, adding to the mood created by their music.
The last artist, Glasser performed solo for the first 25 minutes of her set, and then accompanied by Victoire for the last 15 minutes. Solo, her songs were accompanied by a variety of recorded music. She had an animated, sensual presentation, using her arms and body to act out many of the sounds of the accompanying recordings, and to embellish the mood of her songs.
The music of the three artists really represents three different genres. Noveller’s music can be seen as avant-garde experimental rock, her songs sometimes minimalist, sometimes complex. Victoire’s music, could be termed avant-garde as well, but is rooted in classical, rather than rock music. Vocals are featured in their music, whereas Noveller’s is strictly instrumental, and a single instrument at that. Glasser’s music is the most vocally centered of all. Hard to categorize, it features her ethereal, but often emotionally expressive, vocals over sparse electronic rhythms.
Despite their differences they do have quite a bit in common, their collaborations during the performance making that clear. They are of course all women, and they are each exploring music that pushes against accepted categories, and blurs distinctions between genres. For the audience it was an opportunity to face challenges to their own expectations about music. And probably for most, the opportunity to encounter musical directions they had not seen in performance.
Noveller performed first on electric guitar, and played a 35 minute set. She was accompanied by Victoire on the opening song, and played solo after that. Though solo, it was hardly the sound of a single guitar. Noveller used and created loops to build complex multi-layered songs. Her music was accompanied by images, mostly abstract, projected on a screen at the back of the stage.
Victoire followed with another 35 minute set, playing the compositions of one of their members, Missy Mizzoli, from their two albums. Their ensemble of six included the violin, clarinet, keyboards and electronics, a double bass, and a vocalist. Noveller joined them on electric guitar for one song. Their music was ethereal, at times operatic. They too, were accompanied by projected images, adding to the mood created by their music.
The last artist, Glasser performed solo for the first 25 minutes of her set, and then accompanied by Victoire for the last 15 minutes. Solo, her songs were accompanied by a variety of recorded music. She had an animated, sensual presentation, using her arms and body to act out many of the sounds of the accompanying recordings, and to embellish the mood of her songs.
The music of the three artists really represents three different genres. Noveller’s music can be seen as avant-garde experimental rock, her songs sometimes minimalist, sometimes complex. Victoire’s music, could be termed avant-garde as well, but is rooted in classical, rather than rock music. Vocals are featured in their music, whereas Noveller’s is strictly instrumental, and a single instrument at that. Glasser’s music is the most vocally centered of all. Hard to categorize, it features her ethereal, but often emotionally expressive, vocals over sparse electronic rhythms.
Despite their differences they do have quite a bit in common, their collaborations during the performance making that clear. They are of course all women, and they are each exploring music that pushes against accepted categories, and blurs distinctions between genres. For the audience it was an opportunity to face challenges to their own expectations about music. And probably for most, the opportunity to encounter musical directions they had not seen in performance.