If Life Were to Sing

Ruslan Biryukov and Friends Cello Ensemble. Reviewed by Jose Ruiz. From Review Plays.com

The Positive Motions Foundation which operates as the Glendale Philharmonic Association held the second concert of its relatively young life on February 6 at the First Baptist Church of Glendale. The evening focused on the cello, the tenor member of the string family as Ruslan Biryukov, Master cellist and founder of the Glendale Phil assembled a group of gifted musicians for a unique evening of performances which spanned several centuries of music literature, going back to Bach /Gounod’s Ave Maria to the introduction of two world premieres recently written especially for the instrument.

Equally intriguing was the second original composition, If Life Were to Sing written by Deon Nielsen Price. The composer who was also present, stated that the piece was inspired by a poem by Ila Mae Richardson who suggests that troubles could turn into blessings if we let our hearts take wing. Nielsen Price’s music indeed takes wing as she conducts the cello quintet in this modern, stylistic composition that is at once riveting and compelling. The composition holds several challenges for the musicians and even for the audience, for many may still feel that classical music is the traditional Bach, Brahms and Beethoven genre not realizing that today’s contemporary art music has gone beyond the experimental or avant-garde. The ultimate test for music is not its chord structure or juxtapositioned time signatures but what the listener feels when it’s played. Holding that benchmark to this piece, it passes with flying colors and as played by the group it is a grand success.