Aninventionersary —2014
Composed in honor of the legacy of Julius Baker, legendary flutist and teacher of both Mimi Stillman and Jeffrey Khaner, principal flute of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Inspired by Bach, whose works are fundamental in the flute repertoire, this was one of 7 world premieres written by composers with ties to Philadelphia.
Aninventionersary, in keeping with the Bach-themed program celebrating Dolce Suono Ensemble’s 10th Anniversary Season, is both an invention and an anniversary gift, hence the playful title. The main theme consists of three motives, one for Julius Baker, in whose honor the concert program was organized, and one each for two of Baker’s most exceptional students, Jeffrey Khaner and Mimi Stillman, who gave the premiere of this piece. The meters and notes of each of the three motives is a reflection of the three names, based on the number of syllables and letters of the musical alphabet found in them.
Reviews
Robert Maggio’s Aninventionersary wasn’t conceptually promising: The composer explained that he had based his note choices on the number of syllables in the names of various concerned parties, a practice that can yield something more like a crossword puzzle than music. Yet what came out was a series of warmhearted melodies that tag-teamed each other and then stylishly turned into something distinctly Maggio.
– David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer
