Dan Seltzer
Composer local nonprofit that promotes Avner Dorman literacy through slam poetry, at work also partnered with the Stockton Symphony to have students write poetry on the theme of conflict resolution, to be performed at With Our Words events and at the orchestra’s family concert on March 4. Other events took inspiration from the elements of conflict in the Uzu and Muzu story. The local Haggin Museum, which annually holds the McKee Student Art Contest and Exhibition, has this year made conflict resolution the official contest theme to connect with the Uzu and Muzu project. The Cesar Chavez Central Library also featured a display of books on music and conflict from The music of February 1 through March 10. ter for San Joaquin County, Uzu and Muzu For Dorman, writing Uzu develops in a the Mediation Center of San and Muzu was an opportu- way that reflects Joaquin, and Temple Israel. nity to engage with his own the story’s The music of Uzu and experiences of conflict, mostly growing conflict. Muzu develops in a way that emerging from his childhood At first, Dorman reflects the story’s growing in Tel Aviv. “Every Israeli is says, notes fall conflict. At first, Dorman very much affected day-to-day easily on the says, notes falls easily on by the Israeli-Arab conflict, ear. As the issue the ear. As the issue of conand the Israeli-Palestinian issue of conflict takes flict takes over, the key of C is part of it,” he says. “It still af- over, the key evolves into music that emfects my life today. My earliest of C evolves ploys multiphonics and overmemories have to do with ter- into music tones. “I used multiphonrorist attacks like bombs. Later that employs ics in the woodwinds, with my friends started going into multiphonics note bends in woodwinds the Army and had to deal with and overtones. and brass along with the use the war directly.” of multiple types of mutes,” He also notes a point of Dorman says. These he comconflict most Westerners never hear bined with the use of mistuned trills; the about: tensions between Jews from Euromusic also calls for string players to use pean countries and Jews from North Afpercussive techniques. The latter part of rica. “Many of the Jewish immigrants from the work is characterized by “an avoidance North Africa and other Arab countries in of traditional pitch use,” Dorman explains. the 1950s felt that they were mistreated by “While pitch is a unifying element, it gets the government, which was predominantly cacophonous fairly early where the harmade up of ex-European Jews,” Dorman mony becomes very dense and clustery. The says. His Ellef Symphony, a four-part work orchestration gets very noisy.” (A MIDI written in 2000, deals specifically with war. simulation of Uzu and Muzu can be heard This winter Dorman lent his own voice to on Dorman’s website: dormanavner.com.) those in the Stockton community by parJaffe notes that Uzu and Muzu not only ticipating in readings of the Uzu and Muzu engages the community around the issue of story at local libraries, as well as discussions conflict resolution, but can also be tailored about conflict at such local organizations as to young audiences. Uzu and Muzu is an the Mexican Heritage Center, New Bethel adult concert, but it’s also a youth concert, Baptist Church, the Peace and Justice Cenlike Peter and the Wolf, he says. “I’ll venture americanorchestras.org
to say that this piece will stick around and become part of the repertoire,” Jaffe predicts. “It shows off all the instruments so well, and it’s written for not that large an orchestra, so it is a work most orchestras will be willing to take on.” Dorman has orchestrated the work for between 60 and 75 players. Jaffe will be using approximately 60 musicians for the Stockton performances. Prior to Dorman’s second stay in Stockton this winter, Jaffe predicted that Uzu and Muzu, whether through performances or community events, would reach more than 5,000 people. And it seems a sure bet that Dorman’s Uzu and Muzu, like Chris Brubeck’s Music is the Power before it, will lay the foundation for further Stockton commissions. With Dorman’s residency the orchestra launched a new “Commissioning Club.” Prospective donors were invited to the home of a board member, where Dorman offered a preview of Uzu and Muzu, along with his personal insights as a composer. Soon after that event the orchestra received a generous gift to help with future commissions. “We are a modest organization and we cannot achieve the infinite,” Jaffe says. But with its latest commission, the Stockton Symphony appears to be well on its way. EDWARD ORTIZ is an arts reporter and critic with the Sacramento Bee, and writes for NewMusicBox.org, Stanford Lively Arts, and San Francisco Classical Voice.
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