After an extensive world tour, many musicians would use their
homecoming to take a break. UCLA Professor Jens Lindemann had a
better idea.
A pre-eminent soloist and the lead trumpet of the Canadian Brass
for five years, Lindemann plans to host an evening of chamber music
from his journeys, aptly titled “A Little Night Music with
Jens Lindemann and Friends,” on Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. in
Schoenberg Hall.
Lindemann has previously performed throughout the world in
renowned classical trumpet competitions and has played in major
concert venues from Suntory Hall in Tokyo to the Great Wall of
China, and with prestigious philharmonic orchestras from New York
to Berlin.
For this concert, however, Lindemann is determined to bring the
experiences of his travels to the UCLA community, putting together
a program that boasts a variety of global musical styles and
periods in a single evening.
Although Lindemann has received world renown and has an active
international performing career as a soloist, his upcoming UCLA
concert was prompted by his belief that he needed to spread the
music of the distinguished musicians and groups around the world
with whom he has collaborated.
“It is important to share this expertise at UCLA,”
he said, referring to his academic obligations. “As a
professor, (I want) to create enlightened young men and
women.”
Putting together UCLA students, prominent faculty members Doug
Masek (saxophone), Bobby Rodriguez (trumpet), Jennifer Snow
(piano), Susan McClary (harpsichord), and others, “A Little
Night Music” promises to offer a dynamic and engaging
performance beyond what its humble title suggests.
“I wanted to put together a wide variety of music that
would be very appealing to an audience at large,” Lindemann
said. “We are intentionally going to cover a lot of musical
ground while taking the listener on an international
journey.”
Despite the conservatism normally associated with chamber-music
concerts, the pieces chosen for “Night Music” will
break into more liberal territory.
“If we do not take (classical music) in new directions
then we marginalize its potential to reflect our current
society,” Lindemann said.
Still, he believes it is important to preserve the historical
layout of a classical concert.
To achieve this synthesis of classical and contemporary
performance styles, the evening’s music will range from
Handel and Mozart to a modern, jazz-inspired Canadian sonata.
The program will also feature an Argentine tango by Piazzolla,
an ethnic compilation of Greek and Baltic virtuosic pieces, and
compositions inspired by Irish riverdance styles.
“There will even be some down-and-dirty blues, with
dueling toilet plungers (that) you’ll just have to see to
understand,” Lindemann added, laughing.
Amid this assortment of conservative and innovative cultural
pieces, the tour de force of the evening may lie in
Lindemann’s performance of Allen Vizzutti’s suite
“Rising Sun,” in which three movements, each played
with a different individual instrument, unfold to depict three
contrasting images of Japan.
However, Lindemann is not as concerned about the specific pieces
being presented as he is about the response he hopes to evoke from
the performance as a whole.
Students wary of notions of formally dressed musicians and
silent concert halls will be welcomed with open arms. He encourages
prospective attendees of the upcoming performance to forget their
preconceptions about formal concert experiences and simply
appreciate an evening of music.
“With most music that people may not necessarily know much
about, it is often misunderstood because people think they are
supposed to behave in a certain way or understand this musical
language that may be foreign to them,” Lindemann said.
“There is no room for stuffiness at my concerts.”
Second-year trumpet performance student Tom Terrell, who is
currently training under Lindemann, believes his professor’s
wide range of travel and performances with musicians across globe
translates well to the stage.
“When Jens (Lindemann) performs, he’s up there
having a good time and the entire audience can feel that
vibe,” Terrell said. “It’s not just a classical
concert anymore. You’d normally expect chamber music to be
more stern and predictable, but he brings a refreshing energy and
dynamism to his performances.”