L.A. Philharmonic Captures Poetic Spirit of Stucky’s ‘American Muse’

In 1988, Andre Previn chose Steven Stucky as composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 1992, when Esa-Pekka Salonen, a composer himself, became music director, he did something very unusual. Instead of bringing in someone new, Salonen made Stucky new-music advisor (the foundation funding for the composer-in-residence post had dried up).

Although Stucky continues to divide his time between the orchestra and a teaching post at Cornell University, he has made himself not just indispensable to Los Angeles’ music community but also, through his mild manner, self-deprecating sense of humor and devotion to a wide range of music, very well liked.

It was, then, an obvious gesture to celebrate Stucky’s 50th birthday this year with a commission for a new orchestra piece. It was, however, a sign of certain affection that the commission came directly from the Philharmonic’s board president, Robert Attiyeh, and his wife, Linda, and that Salonen chose to make the new work, “American Muse,” the centerpiece of an important concert Friday. The program marked the last Salonen will conduct at the Music Center until 2001. (He will lead a special concert of his own music in January at Royce Hall and he will appear at the Hollywood Bowl next summer. But otherwise, 2000 is his sabbatical from conducting to compose).

“American Muse” is a setting of four American poems for the baritone Sanford Sylvan and the orchestra. Stucky writes in his program note that he had wanted to address the nature of “American-ness” but quickly found out it can’t be done in 20 minutes. He is wrong. It can be done, and he has done it. “American Muse” gets under the skin almost immediately.

The American-ness of Stucky’s songs is not a grand vision; it doesn’t, of course, tell us everything about who we are. But it does make four small, precise observations, each capturing an essence of the American experience. And it is in such small essences, not overwhelming concepts, that we tend to find our identities.

One recognizes the landscape from the first two bars--a rocking, rhythmic phrase rising in the clarinets, with an exclamation point given by the brass. That sets the tone for John Berryman’s jazzy, snazzy couplets in “American Lights, Seen From Off Abroad.” The other texts are e.e. cummings’ “Buffalo Bill’s,” A.R. Ammons’ “Delaware Water Gap” and Walt Whitman’s famous “I Hear America Singing.” The music is never fancy. The scoring is often thin. Stucky has an ear for orchestral color, and there are marvelous instrumental effects; Ammons’ view of America from a mountain summit is lighted by the glitter of harp, celesta and vibraphone knocking against each other.

The orchestra is a cushion for text. Stucky’s settings are lyrically pure, a highlighting of poetic line and meter, and Sylvan’s singing was amazing. Not a single word was missed; indeed, it was as if this powerful, direct and hugely communicative baritone were delivering each word into the audience’s lap as a loving gift.

Salonen, who has been conducting the Philharmonic almost constantly for the past three months, leaves it sounding in excellent health. He began with Hindemith’s symphony “Mathis der Maler,” the sound aglow. He ended with Brahms’ First Symphony, which he also conducted at the Hollywood Bowl and at various community concerts during the past three months.

Salonen has been a reluctant Brahmsian in the past, but he now has the measure of this symphony. The performance was extraordinary in its intensity, clarity, freshness and sheer stunning power.

A music lover just awakening from a seven-year sleep would surely be shocked to have wandered into this concert. The young European modernist who took over the Philharmonic in 1992 has grown enormously.

But the music lover would likely be further shocked, as well, by the inadequate attendance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Friday. Is the new Staples Center intimidating drivers from heading downtown, or is there a larger attendance issue to address? Over the next 14 months, the Philharmonic’s challenge--and Los Angeles’ challenge--will be to be worthy of Salonen’s return.