Nancy Galbraith: Everything Flows
BMOP/sound

Everything Flows is a splendid addition to the ever-growing discography of conductor Gil Rose and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), the fifty-five-minute album's presentation of three concertos by Nancy Galbraith (b. 1951) a very satisfying complement to the company's other recent release featuring works by a female composer, Joan Tower. Galbraith, a Pittsburgh native and Head of Composition at Carnegie Mellon University, is well-served by the BMOP and the soloists who premiered the three concertos, flutist Lindsey Goodman, violinist Alyssa Wang, and percussionist Abby Langhorst. While Galbraith has created many choral works, it's her instrumental side that's accounted for on Everything Flows. The Violin Concerto No. 1 (2016) and Everything Flows: Concerto for Solo Percussion and Orchestra (2019) were written for Wang and Langhorst, respectively, who entered the composer's orbit as students at Carnegie Mellon.

The violin piece and the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra (2019) both adhere to three-part structures that see uptempo movements framing slower ones; the percussion piece, on the other hand, is a dynamic single-movement work. The faster sections are animated by syncopated rhythms, the tranquil ones marked by lyrical expressions. While the material is largely tonal, it's not averse to venturing outside it when needed, dissonance deployed not for superficial effect but for authentic reasons. Naturally, each concerto is designed to showcase the virtuosity of the soloist whilst maintaining a good balance between her and the orchestra.

Goodman, principal flutist of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, distinguishes the opening concerto with a poised performance that meets the many challenges put before her. The work engages from the first moment thanks to the shimmering textures the composer fashioned for it with harp, piano, strings, and percussion. Goodman sweetens the music's alluring quality when her flute dances confidently into position. Its bright, agile presence illuminates the playful movement until the “Nocturne” second exchanges animation for contemplation and mystery. Crotales and strings set the scene for the flute's delicate entrance, the mood peaceful and the restrained orchestral backdrop an ideal ground for the soloist to emote over. As the flute doubles via a recording delay effect, the arrangement broadens to include wind rustlings and whistles. The final movement reinstates the opening's fast pace, with this time flutter tonguing one of the techniques on display. Anvil-like accents also amplify the syncopated feel of the groove and reinforce the movement's powerful sense of momentum.

Composed for Wang, the Violin Concerto No. 1 is elevated by a superb performance from the Carnegie Mellon University alumna. The opening movement emerges in a rush of energy, with Wang taking little time at all to join the fray and its underlying pulsation almost Glass-like. Rhythm-driven, the infectious movement makes side-long nods to tango and folk, the omnipresent solo violin the through-line connecting the various changes in direction. Conceived in tribute to a pastor friend of the composer's who died unexpectedly in late 2016, the central movement, titled “Eggshell White Night,” is ethereal yet also rich in expressive feeling. Wang's violin sings its tender lament alongside a dignified accompaniment of harp, piano, strings, and woodwinds. The third movement naturally re-establishes the breathless attack of the first, the writing for violin now calling on Wang's virtuosity for its rapid sixteenth-note passages. Again hints of Glass surface, though not displeasingly so.

Featuring Langhorst, percussionist of The Brass Roots, Everything Flows: Concerto for Solo Percussion and Orchestra was originally intended to be a three-movement work, but Galbraith ultimately decided to merge the parts into a single, uninterrupted flow, even if distinct sections are discernible. Opening furiously with snare drumming and the orchestra at full-throttle, the work engages quickly, especially when the percussion arsenal encompasses gongs, glockenspiel, marimba, castanets, and more. The middle part casts a dream-like spell by blending woodwinds, crotales, bongos, strings, and marimba, and as if the wealth of timbres isn't ear-catching enough, Galbraith accents the arrangement with spiky electric guitar. Hold on too for the ferocity of the closing, drum-powered finale. No doubt the sight of Langhorst performing the concerto would add to one's appreciation of her contribution, but the audio presentation tells a sufficiently convincing story.

March 2024