More than just wonderful music
Serbian composer dedicates performance piece to Mumia
By Brian
Becker
New York
The music of world-renowned Serbian composer Milos
Raickovich was performed in concert here at the Miller Theatre
at Colombia University on Feb. 4, to the delight of hundreds of
enthralled listeners.
Raickovich's style of music, which he calls "New
Classicism," would have certainly given any audience a lot to
cheer about. But the Feb. 4 concert was more than just
wonderful music.
The concert ended with a new composition entitled "Alarm."
The composer dedicated it to Mumia Abu-Jamal, the African
American journalist and political prisoner who awaits execution
on Pennsylvania's death row.
"Alarm" is a highly emotional piece that conjures up the
fiendish sounds of wailing sirens, which became a nightly
commonplace during the 78 days of bombing by the United States
and NATO against the people of Yugoslavia in 1999.
Raickovich is not only a brilliant composer. He is an
anti-war activist and an internationalist opponent of
racism.
"'Alarm' is dedicated to Mumia Abu-Jamal," Raickovich
explained in a prepared statement to the audience at Columbia
University.
Raickovich continued: "In his brilliant text 'NATO/U.S. Out
of Yugoslavia!,' written during the bombings, Mumia
courageously wrote from the death row: 'NATO is a fig leaf for
American 'interests,' and the bombing of Yugoslavia is but a
global demonstration of the ruthlessness of the American
Empire. ... This isn't about 'human rights'... It's about
establishing who will be boss in the next century... Empires
are maintained not by reason, but by ruthless terror. It was so
in Rome. It is so in the U.S. ... Down with imperialism! Stop
the bombing! U.S./NATO out of Yugoslavia!'
"To this," Raickovich added, "I say let's liberate the U.S.
political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal."
In his statement Raickovich explained to the audience that
this haunting anti-war composition was a fitting way to end the
concert.
"During the bombings, the concert halls and theaters
throughout Yugoslavia were open every day, giving free
performances to the public. At my former workplace, the
Belgrade Opera House, I was told, both the public and the
performers had tearful eyes, as they applauded each other,
against the background noise of the sirens and NATO bombs."
Raickovich describes his "New Classicism" as a blend of
musical Minimalism and the styles of Viennese Classical and
early Romantic music. Its form is Classical--e.g., the sonata
cycle--but the tonality is reduced to only a few notes of the
scale.
Raickovich explains that "New Classicism enables me to
express my feelings while at the same time it satisfies my need
for a clear and coherent musical language."
A compact disk featuring Raickovich's music, performed by
the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and others, is available from the
Mode label, PO Box 1026, New York, New York 10116.
The Feb. 4 concert featured Tatjana Rankovich on solo piano
and the Andrea Trio: Renee Jolles, violin, Dorothy Lawson,
cello, and Christopher Oldfather, piano.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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