What About Now?

Peter Burwasser on Classical

by Peter Burwasser

At a concert of new music presented by Chamber Music Now! last season, the audience included members of Relâche, musicians from Network for New Music, composers from Penn and Temple, and a member or two from the Philadelphia Orchestra, among other fellow travelers. It was, actually, the usual gang of suspects, and yet, in the not-so-distant past, you wouldn't have been able to find such a diverse group. This was once a divisive, even bitter, environment, which all comes back to life on the pages of Joseph Franklin's new memoir, Settling Scores (Sun Stone Press).

Franklin was one of the founding members of Relåche. When the ensemble started life in 1977, it was committed to offering an alternative to the new music of the academy. The new music world was already starting to change, with minimalism coming on strong in California, and the so-called downtown scene in New York well along. All of this was regarded with derision by the university-based composers, who considered the creators of the new material as amateurs. Franklin, a tough ex-boxer from Kensington, was not afraid to take on the establishment. The book is well written and tells a lot of good stories, but shrinks from the fire of the real-life character. The Joe I remember was pugnacious to a fault, and even those who worked with him and admired him would roll their eyes at the level of intensity he could display. He once told me that the Philadelphia Orchestra was run by criminals. The Relåche marketing director at the time, Drew Keegan, questioned the validity of the quote, but didn't need much convincing that his boss really did make the remark.

That mixed crowd at the CMN event was made possible for a number of reasons — principally, a recent convergence of styles and methods by all stripes of classical music composers and performers. Most of the push came from the downtown side of the equation, and nobody pushed harder than Joe Franklin. He made people uncomfortable, and he burnt bridges that the ensemble he helped to create, still humming along today, is just now starting to rebuild. But when Joe was in town, there was a level of energy and purpose here that has not been replaced. His style was not for everybody, but his sincerity and commitment were without doubt. We could use a blast of that fire and brimstone just about now.

(p_burwasser@citypaper.net)