Concert review: Jeffrey Zeigler (cello)

Once again, Andrew Ousley and his Death of Classical concert series put together a memorable immersive artistic experience that was matched by its enchanting location. This performance of solo cello (plus electronics in some works and interspersed with poetry and accompanied by dancers) in the catacombs of the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn made for a haunting and memorable evening.

Jeffrey Zeigler (formerly of the Kronos Quartet) performed with confidence, poise and a compelling sense of intention. The evening’s music was composed by Paola Prestini – whom Ousley aptly described in his introduction as a woman who creates ‘powerful explosions of creative collaboration’ – and certainly this programme lived up to that. Her compositions Eight Takes, Oceano, Ophelia and Houses of Zodiac were interspersed with related poetry readings and brought to life not just by solo cello but also two dancers.

The works themselves more strongly resembled Britten than Bach, and Zeigler’s detailed sense of purpose with each note, pizzicato, harmonic and double stop made for a powerful effect. Meditative sections often gave way to pulsing, rhythmic passages and throughout Zeigler brought an intensity to each phrase that was mesmerising. While sometimes I felt that the dance distracted from the music, the intension – for the two to be interwoven – was clear. The power of that collaboration and the commitment of all the performers made for an unforgettable evening.

LEAH HOLLINGSWORTH