My Oberlin faculty colleague, Tim Weiss, the celebrated director of the Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, is also Music Director of the independent musical organization, Zohn Collective, named after the collective’s co-member and composer, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon. This ensemble produces new music generated by its members, and, with impressive grant support, performs widely. Three of its members, soprano Tony Arnold, flutist Molly Barth and saxophonist, Noah Getz, are Oberlin alumni. The ensemble’s guitarist, Dieter Hennings, is a longtime friend and colleague in guitar circles. He is a onetime classmate of Oberlin alum, Randall Avers (at the University of Arizona), and has been my guest in the past, both as a guest of Tim’s Contemporary Music Ensemble and in his flute/guitar duo with Molly Barth.

This visit was occasioned by a very special performance by the Collective of Zohn-Muldoon’s extraordinary Comala, his 24-movement musical exploration of the Mexican writer, Juan Rulfo’s novel, Pedro Páramo. This performance was particularly notable for its incorporation of a unique staging featuring puppetry devised by the famous Mexican puppet and theatre company, La Coperacha. The unique life-sized puppets, combined with actors in matching costumes, acted out subtle interpretations of the poetry on a small stage, occasionally behind a gossamer fabric screen onto which was projected abstract, sometimes psychedelic imagery. The ensemble played to the audience’s left; the puppet stage was in the center. A special large puppet stood above the ensemble on a balcony, and presented moments of spoken narration. Above the stage was projected supertitles, translating for us the Spanish texts. The effect was hypnotic and moving. The ensemble played with razor-sharp mastery, the singing, by the remarkable Tony Arnold and tenor Zachary Finkelstein was highly expressive and compelling and the overall effect was mesmerizing. This is clearly a masterwork. (For full piece details, ensemble membership and program notes, see the program, reproduced at the end of the post).

In addition to Comala, the Collective played a new work by member/pianist/composer, Daniel Pesca, entitled Nocturnes. Comprised of four movements and making up the first half of the concert, Nocturnes was a spacious and colorful large chamber work for tenor and the ensemble. Based on poetry of Irving Feldman, it captured the moods established by the texts in compelling musical tapestries.

In both works, the guitar was an integral part of the musical conversation, and, with light, effectively “invisible” amplification, balanced perfectly with the other instruments.

This was a highly memorable evening of terrific new music. While in town, Hennings gave a short master class for my students. Following are photos of the concert, the concert program, and the master class. Many thanks the Tim Weiss for bringing this show to Oberlin!