Music for a Time of War

Music for a Time of War contains four 20th-century classical compositions based on the theme of war. Kalmar stated that the program was not inspired by current events and that not every composition was written specifically because of war. He also warned that audiences should not attend the performances anticipating an optimistic conclusion: The program began with Charles Ives The Unanswered Question, originally the first of Two Contemplations, composed in 1906 (along with its counterpart Central Park in the Dark). Theodore Bloomfield, who served as music director of the Oregon Symphony from 1955 to 1959, conducted its world premiere at the Juilliard School in New York in 1946. The second composition was The Wound-Dresser, American minimalist composer John Adams' portrayal of Walt Whitman's experience as a medic during the American Civil War. The program continued with Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem (1940), commissioned by the Japanese government to commemorate the 2,600th anniversary of the Japanese Empire. The performance ended with Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 4, composed during 1931–1934. == Performances and broadcasts ==

, where the program debuted and was recorded for album release The Oregon Symphony presented the program at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland the evening of May 7 and the afternoon of May 8, 2011. Both performances were recorded for album release by the Boston-based company Soundmirror. On May 12, the Oregon Symphony repeated the program at the inaugural Spring for Music Festival, marking the orchestra's Carnegie Hall debut. The Symphony raised $300,000 to fund travel and hotel expenses for the concert series. The Carnegie Hall performance was broadcast live across the United States. WQXR-FM, the classical radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey and serving the New York City metropolitan area, broadcast the performance live in 3D sound in collaboration with the design and engineering consulting company Arup. WQXR also hosted a live chat on their website. Prior to the live broadcast, WQXR's Q2 Music provided their own take on the Oregon Symphony's war-themed concert by airing a program with works by Lowell Liebermann, Seppo Pohjola, Steve Reich, Frederic Rzewski, Dmitri Shostakovich and John Adams. KQAC rebroadcast the program in November. In April 2012, the station broadcast the album recording and has since aired individual works. Reception (concert) (pictured in 2010), where the Oregon Symphony performed at the inaugural Spring for Music Festival to a positive reception The concert program received a positive reception. The Oregonian David Stabler wrote that during the May 7 performance the orchestra displayed peak condition and "played with a precision and intensity that would have been unattainable a decade ago". Stabler wrote: "Everyone knows orchestras are fighting to survive, but on this night, the Oregon Symphony breathed long and deep of triumph." James Bash of Oregon Music News wrote a positive review of the New York performance, describing it as more enhanced, dramatic and intense than the Portland concerts, partly because of the venue's superior acoustics. Bash described the orchestra's performance of The Unanswered Question as "compelling and auspicious" and wrote that Sylvan's vocals during The Wound-Dresser "conveyed the sensitive text superbly". On his blog, "The Rest Is Noise", Ross called the Symphony's performance "extraordinary", one of the "most gripping events of the current season". In his two-page review of Spring for Music for The New Yorker, Ross devoted more coverage to the Oregon Symphony than the other featured ensembles and considered Music for a Time of War the festival's highpoint. He complimented the orchestra for playing with "controlled intensity" and said of Symphony No. 4: "The Oregonians' furious rendition of that symphony would have been impressive in any context, but as the capstone to a brilliantly worked-out program it had shattering force." After Clark's review was published, Ross posted on his blog that he and Clark concurred: the Symphony's performance was the most "remarkable" of the season. Ross included the Symphony's concert on his list of the most memorable classical performances of 2011. Allan Kozinn, music critic for The New York Times, considered the program "pained" and "thought-provoking", and wrote that Sylvan performed with his "characteristic acuity". The orchestra was invited to perform again at the 2013 Spring for Music Festival as one of two returning ensembles. Kalmar said of the return invitation, "To be invited once is a thrill. To be invited twice is clear proof that we are in the artistic big leagues." == Album ==

Music for a Time of War was released on CD by PentaTone Classics on October 25, 2011. It was recorded in hybrid multichannel (surround sound) Super Audio CD format. Blanton Alspaugh served as producer. John Newton and Jesse Lewis were the recording engineers; mastering and authoring was conducted by Jesse Brayman. In addition to recording the performances, Soundmirror edited, mixed and mastered the audio. The album's cover art photo is credited to orchestra member Martha Warrington. all under Kalmar's artistic leadership. Reception (album) The album performed well commercially and received favorable reviews. Music for a Time of War debuted and peaked at number 31 on Billboard Classical Albums chart the week of November 19, 2011. On November 19, BBC Radio 3 reviewed the album on its program "CD Review", which discusses and recommends new classical music recordings. AllMusic's Mike Brownell awarded the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that the Symphony "prove[d] they can easily stand alongside the world's great orchestras". Michael Miller of The Berkshire Review appreciated the "precision and sensitivity" of the playing and Karlmar's "lucid, straightforward, and ... virile" approach to the program. Horay continued, "Music for a Time of War serves as a powerful acoustic journey of peaceful resistance and questioning of power". James Bash of Oregon Music News called the album a "brilliant stunner", mirroring his positive review of the Carnegie Hall performance. Soundmirror also received compliments. Andrew Quint of The Absolute Sound described the sound as "vivid, highly detailed, and dynamic" as well as avoiding "digital steeliness". Quint called the front-to-back layering outstanding. Rubinson, who designated the recording as the year's best concept album, praised the program for being "thought-provoking and restorative" and appreciated the range of emotions it summoned. Eugene Weekly recommended the album as a "stocking stuffer" on their list of the best Oregon classical music recordings of the year. Contributor Brett Campbell called the recording one of the year's "most compelling", with "blistering, committed, sharply etched performances" that illustrate the orchestra's quality under Kalmar's leadership. Similarly, Portland Monthly included Music for a Time of War on its list of fifteen "giftable" Portland albums. Alex Ross of The New Yorker included the album on his list of the ten most "exceptional" classical music recordings of the year. New York City's Time Out included the album as number seven on their list of the ten "Best Classical Albums of 2011". The publication's Steve Smith called the collection "greater than the sum of its parts". The album received its second pressing in February 2012. Producer Alspaugh received a Grammy award for Producer of the Year, Classical for his contributions to the album and other recordings. Track listing Adapted from AllMusic and the album's liner notes. • The Unanswered Question (Charles Ives) – 5:44 • The Wound-Dresser (John Adams) – 20:18 '''Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20''' (Benjamin Britten) • "Lacrymosa (Andante ben misurato)" – 8:34 • "Dies Irae (Allegro con fuoco)" – 4:53 • "Requiem Aeternam (Andante molto tranquillo)" – 5:36 Symphony No. 4 in F minor (Ralph Vaughan Williams) • "Allegro" – 8:57 • "Andante moderato" – 10:01 • "Scherzo: Allegro molto" – 5:22 • "Finale con epilogo fugato: Allegro molto – con anima" – 8:33 ==Personnel==

Credits adapted from AllMusic and the album's liner notes. • Blanton Alspaugh – producer • Carlos Kalmar – conductor, primary artist • Steven Kruger – liner notes • Jesse Lewis – engineer • Jesse Brayman – authoring, mastering • John Newton – engineer • Oregon Symphony – orchestra, primary artist • Franz Steiger – liner note translation • Sanford Sylvan – baritone • Walt Whitman – text ==See also==