Music at the Mansion
LSU School of Music’s Cello Studio of Dennis Parker
Louisiana Old Governor's Mansion
April 22
It’s often said that music is the universal language. But sometimes when listening to an unfamiliar genre, one finds the music more intimidating than universal. Despite (or perhaps, because of) this, Baton Rouge has made considerable efforts to make classical music feel more accessible to the general public in the form of casual, free concerts at various locations around the city.
At the Old Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday, students from the LSU School of Music’s Cello Studio performed as part of the Music at the Mansion series. Eleven performers from seven different countries took the stage with selections from different composers including Richard Wagner, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Niloufar Iravani among others. The cello ensemble felt like a human choir in its range and harmonies, and one didn’t miss other string instruments from this ensemble.
Instructor Dennis Parker gave short introductions to the pieces before the first half and right after the intermission, explaining a little bit of the history and feel of each piece on the program. This might make the difference between a concert that feels accessible and informative and one that feels random and awkward for those who are newer to classical music.
We often experience music or places out of context. A song plays in a department store and you have no idea who sings it. Or you walk into a building and you have no idea who made the beautiful crown moldings that line the room or why. Parker’s introductions served as a guide to help the audience process the music. Armed with the knowledge that the first piece, Fratres for Cello Ensemble (by Arvo Pärt), mimics a Gregorian chant, people can listen deeply for the echoes and harmonies as it echoes off the walls. The awareness that Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 is the first piece of its kind arranged for eight cellos makes one pause. Cellos are often providing harmonies or part of bass line but not always given the melody in an ensemble; so having a piece that is specifically all cellos plus soprano (Emma Littleton) shows off the range of the instrument. I couldn’t believe it was just cellos.
For her part, Littleton is a gifted singer. She swayed on stage as if in deep conversation with the music. Listening to the piece felt like the live recording of a dramatic movie soundtrack.
The Old Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge was built by Gov. Huey P. Long during the Great Depression. It was modeled after the White House in Washington D.C. and required a lot of not-completely-above-board political maneuvering and prison labor to complete. These days it’s an events venue and historic house museum. The concert series brings people into the building after hours and invites people to tour the space after hours and meet the musicians.
It feels significant given everything happening on the global stage that among the seven pieces selected, one was by Iranian-American composer, Niloufar Iravani, who did her Master’s and Ph.D degrees at LSU. In a world full of uncertainty and headlines bringing news of stalled peace negotiations, the Music at the Mansion series is bringing people together from three continents to play music together.
