Anna’s Listening! Week 5 - Reena Esmail
This week I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico this week conducting the New Mexico All-State Orchestra. Though I will write about my experience later this month, I am inspired and excited to make a positive difference for students that I will work with and to reconnect and meet so many educators, friends, and colleagues who are in the business of making music an important priority for youth education.
Part of my inspiration comes from my listening list this week from the fabulously talented Reena Esmail. There are MANY reasons why Reena’s music moves me, however today I want to focus on three of her pieces.
The History of Red, influenced by Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915,” Esmail’s composition offers the listener a chance to hear the complexities of emotions in our journey through life through the eyes of a strong and self-aware woman. The composition is written for a solid university ensemble and up.
Black Iris (formerly known as #metoo) is a deep and emotionally complex piece. In my opinion, it is a stand out composition that should be on any music director’s radar that is interested in using musical performance to make a meaningful impact on their community. This is again for a solid university ensemble and up. https://youtu.be/rHktTlMWxfE
In her program notes for Concerto for You, Reena wrote the question, “What if I could write a concerto where it is the job of the soloist to support the orchestra as much as the orchestra supports the soloist” What I love about this composition is that Esmail wrote “Concerto for You” because of the inspiration that her friend and colleague Vijay Gupta provided for so many of his students through his “kindness and collegiality, with his openness to new ideas, and with his willingness to listen deeply” – of course – as well as his fabulous playing! This composition is geared for a high school or youth string ensemble to be accompanied by a professional soloist who would be an amazing mentor and collaborator with the ensemble. https://youtu.be/kZu1qrXHllM
I plan to dive much deeper into Esmail's music in the coming weeks, however I hope that each of you have a few minutes to listen to her powerful works. Each composition has a story and her personal history and specific storytelling from each work flows strongly and effectively. Make sure to check out her website https://www.reenaesmail.com/ as she has all of her compositions listed with excellent notes on each.
For the cost of a good cup of coffee per month, you can get quick access to these awesome compositions and many more at https://annascomposerdatabase.com/ Additionally, you will find a great place to explore, find repertoire for the needs of your ensemble, as well as get terrific ideas for concert programming.
Contact me if you have any questions.