May 19-25, 2005

music

Music in Motion

From new music rebels to mainstream powerhouse: Relâche turns 25.

by Peter Burwasser

classical

When Relâche gave its first concert 25 years ago, the performers did not have to bother creating an image for themselves as scrappy outsiders. It was their birthright. The new music scene in those days was an exciting, messy and highly contentious place, and Relâche was enthusiastic about carving out a new place for the living composers they were championing. The original music director of the ensemble, Joseph Franklin, was never a man who avoided controversy, but this was not part of his mission. "Over time as the Relâche Ensemble evolved and the organization grew in stature and maturity to present internationally acknowledged artists, something happened. Relâche became more than a performing ensemble or a producing/presenting organization; it became a community."

On a parallel course, something even more remarkable occurred: Relâche entered the mainstream. Although some of the original members might shudder at the thought, Relâche is now as established on the cultural scene here as the orchestra and the opera company. The current managing director of the group, Christopher McGlumphy, puts it this way: "The original Relâche Ensemble gave its first performance before I was even 1 year old. So for as long as I've been alive, Relâche has represented to me what's happening now in music."

It has not been a road without bumps. There have been some wonderful highlights, including Franklin's creation of Music in Motion, a national collaborative vehicle for new music commissions that is still going strong today. In the go-go 1980s, Drew Keegan, then marketing director, corralled major corporate sponsorships, allowing for significant commissions from such luminaries as Alvin Curran and George Russell. But a decade ago, the group seemed perilously close to going out of business. Truly, it was the intense dedication and spirit of the musicians themselves who saved the day as they rallied to keep the dream alive.

In the next two weeks, Relâche will close out this landmark season with a final concert and then a 12-hour marathon of music to honor the anniversary. The last concert of the regular season is itself celebratory, including world premieres by two major artists, Gavin Bryars and Toby Twining. The music of these composers happily defies stereotypes about new music; it is, superficially, easy to listen to, but there are many levels of accessibility. Consumers can relate to the art at whatever layer they choose to.

The marathon promises to offer a similar aesthetic that combines the silly and the sublime. "It's the Lollapalooza of contemporary classical music," says McGlumphy. It will be an especially fitting tribute in that many of the composers to be heard are now well-known figures who were first introduced to local audiences via Relâche performances, including Philip Glass, Louis Andriessen, Frederic Rzweski, Michael Nyman and Robert Ashley. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. in Rittenhouse Square with an open-air tribute to John Cage.

The marathon will also include an aspect of Relâche history from the tenure of artistic director Thaddeus Squire, namely, the performance of new and vintage film scores. The ensemble will move to the Prince Theater to accompany films of René Clair (music by Erik Satie), as well as cartoons by Max Fleischer of Betty Boop and Popeye fame with a new score by Relâche regular Arthur Jarvinen. Squire explored fascinating new interactions for Relâche, including the film series, which has continued, and collaborations with dance groups, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Wagner Free Institute of Science.

Just prior to the inevitable post-event party (at the Prince, public invited), Relâche will conclude the musical activities with a work that might serve as their anthem, "In C," by Terry Riley. This 1964 piece was a watershed for the minimalist movement and combines qualities of improvisation, simplicity and, ultimately, a serene sense of beauty that symbolizes the ideals that Joseph Franklin sought to infuse into the Philadelphia scene a quarter of a century ago. His latest disciple, Christopher McGlumphy, is hardly content to rest on any laurels. "We're just getting started."

Future Sounds III: Tragedy and Hope, Mon.-Wed., May 23-25, 8 p.m., $10-$20, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., 215-569-9700. Revue Relâche, Sat., May 28, 10-11:30 a.m., Rittenhouse Square; noon-10 p.m., after-party 10 p.m.-midnight, $25 all-day pass, Prince Music Theater.