Anonymous Man, Pt. 2: I Moved

Chronique

The Crossing choir and its conductor Donald Nally have had unexpected success commissioning new choral works in the only marginally contemporary music-friendly U.S., but few of the group's releases work as well as this one. Composer Michael Gordon calls Anonymous Man "a memoir about my block," on Debrosses St. in lower Manhattan. The prose texts deal with Gordon's romance and marriage, his conversations with two homeless men (who are named -- apparently the "anonymous man" is Gordon himself), and the street's history, ranging from Abraham Lincoln's funeral cortege to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. These are set as somewhat minimalist choral intonations, descendants of the urban soundscapes of the first generation of minimalists. The everyday quality of the texts and the elevated singing of the choir set up a strong basic contrast, and there are ingenious touches throughout; the vocal slides and the echoes of Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (from Oklahoma!) in "On That Terrible Beautiful Morning," the 9/11 movement, will not soon be forgotten. The singing is up to The Crossing's usual high standards, and beyond that, Anonymous Man is a unique choral work likely to be absorbed into the general repertory.
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