Charles Coleman News

WORK IN PROGRESS

Violin Concerto Coleman has been commissioned by Paavo Jarvi to write a violin concerto to be performed by Tatiana Berman in Europe.

Charles Coleman in profile

REVIEWS

Triumph in Cincinnati!
Review by Mary Ellyn Hutton in the May 5th, 2007 issue of The Cincinnati Post:

..."All of this was evident in Coleman's 'Deep Woods,' a 15-minute work inspired by New York artist Charles Yoder's painting of the same name. Allegorically rich, it's kind of a sylvan 'Streetscape,' Coleman's tribute to New York premiered on Jarvi's inaugural concert in 2001.

The bustle and kinetic excitement of 'Streetscape' are all there - the majestic stand of trees in the painting, dark against the light filtering through the bare trunks down below, also pulses with motion. So are the ebb and flow. Like 'Streetscape,' there is a clamorous opening, a beautiful, lyrical center and an optimistic, ebullient ending (victory of light over darkness?). This reviewer was struck by a literal echo of "Streetscape" in a surging, scalar figure in the horns, heard toward the end.

Coleman is a master of instrumental color (percussion have a field day), his musical ideas are vivid, and his characteristic multi-rhythms and contrasting harmonies engage each other and the listener completely. The work's propulsive, "minimalist" moments recall John Adams, but there is an urban flair and grit to it that is all his own. Järvi laid it out with great skill and the result was a vibrant sonic canvas.

The composer, who has spent five weeks in residence with the CSO this year, strode on for a well-deserved ovation.

Review by Janelle Gelfand of May 4, 2007 issue of The Cincinnati Enquirer:

..."the concert opened with New York-based composer Coleman's 'Deep Woods', inspired by a painting by Charles Yoder. Coleman has a knack for capturing the mood of 21st Century living. Edgy and compelling, it opened with bold gestures in timpani and brass, and the intensity seemed relentless.

Coleman's musical vocabulary included propulsive strings, urgent repetitions (he has minimalist influences), snatches of jazzy rhythms and colorful percussion. A slow section, a glimmering canvas of flute and harp, was like the calm after the storm, and stood out for its mysterious atmosphere..."

Coleman's "The Lime Factory," a work echoing the empty factories of America's Rust Belt...has been most recently played by the Ulster (Ireland) Symphony. The Belfast Telegraph raved, calling it a work of, "striking brilliance" and compared Coleman favorably to John Adams' "The Chairman Dances" which appeared on the same program. The Irish Times called "The Lime Factory" "amazing" and added, "Coleman's piece is a fascinating study of the interface between mechanics and music and how each claims a place in the artistic landscape. This was a surprisingly engaging piece, originating, as it does from an image of a part of a steel factory."

"Red Oak Dawn" was greeted by the Newark Star Ledger as "joyously bombastic" and added, "Coleman's greatest accomplishment is in the small, imaginative details: the opening slithering duet for two flutes, a sexy trumpet solo announcing the jazz section, a riotous timpani solo and a feathery, upward pealing finale..."

The New York Post said of Coleman’s “Absolution,” at Alice Tully Hall,

“...a busy, bright ten minute piece, alive with off-kilter brass riffs, touches of jazz and colliding rhythmic patterns, all mixed together in what seems high good humor. The composer notes that he aimed at ‘a liberated, powerful noise,’ and he got it.”

At the Cincinnati Symphony world premiere of "Streetscape" The Cincinnati Enquirer music critic Janelle Gelfand said,

"Streetscape," composed by New York composer Charles Coleman, 32, for the occasion, was a celebratory contrast. The 20-minute work was inspired by the composer's walks around New York City. Its many layers - driving repeated notes, sustained brass chords and jazzy rhythms - gave it an edgy. urban feel. The soul of the piece was the slow section, a largo, which began as a lyrical elegy for cello (Eric Kim) and violin (concertmaster Timothy Lees). Its faster sections were busy, bright and witty - sort of a mix of John Adams and Leonard Bernstein. The composer exploited the percussion section to great effect, with instruments such as bongos and cowbell, and created a cadenza of spectacular drumming with a touch of salsa. Mr. Jarvi led with wonderful style and even a bit of swing........"

The Cincinnati Post's Mary Ellyn Hutton said,

..."Coleman's 'Streetscape', commissioned by Jarvi for CSO debut, bore an uncanny resonance in view of the World Trade Center disaster. A native New Yorker (and neighbor of the former landmark), Coleman wrote it to celebrate the ebb and flow of city life. Drenched in percussion, including anvil, cowbells, xylophone, tom-toms and sandpaper blocks, it calls up the vitality of the urban scene, even if in memoriam on this occasion. There are echoes of Broadway, Latino music and jazz, as well as plangent moments that recall Barber's Adagio. Former percussionist Jarvi led it with energy and relish, taking care to highlight its abundant melodic as well as rhythmic elements...."