New music isn’t child’s play.
By its nature contemporary compositions force musicians to execute unusual combinations of notes often in
puzzle-like patterns at dizzying speeds and to figure out ways to create new sounds on their instruments
— sounds like, say a garbage truck, or at least what a toddler imagines a garbage truck sounds like.
That’s just what Christopher Dietz asked his Bowling Green State University colleague flutist Conor
Nelson to do in “Kinderspiel.”
The piece is included on “Nataraja,” a recording released late last year by Nelson and pianist Thomas
Rosenkranz on New Focus Recordings.
Dietz said the piece is a musical re-enactment of a play date between his rambunctious 2-year-old son and
more sedate twin girls.
The flute, he said, has the role of the son, full of engine sounds, while the girls — Rosenkranz’ two
hands — hold a tea party.
That means he buzzes his lips and pops his keys and groans, while Rosenkranz prances underneath.
Dietz said this venture into musical theatrics was an experiment for him. He wanted it to be musically
fulfilling, not campy, while still capturing the sense of play, parallel play, up to the point the boy
finally draws the girls into his world.
The collaboration is indicative of the way the College of Musical Arts nurtures new music within its
halls. The CD also includes “Archetypes” for solo flute by doctoral student C.R. Kasprzyk.
In fact, “Kinderspiel” had its roots on the day when both Dietz and Nelson were on campus to interview
for jobs. They knew each other from when they both studied at the Manhattan School of Music, and Nelson
said if they both landed positions at the university, Dietz should compose a piece for him.
“It’s like nothing else I’ve ever heard or played,” Nelson said of the result of that passing
interaction.
“Nataraja” is full of such challenges both for the players and the listeners. It’s bookended by two
pieces by Jonathan Harvey, opening with another descriptive piece “Run Before Lightning” where
Rosenkranz’ thundering piano seems to chase Nelson’s spidery flute, and closing with the title piece,
which portrays in mercurial fashion the Hindu deity Shiva as Lord of the Dance.
Nelson said the atmosphere in the school is “one of openness and acceptance to new music and concepts and
directions for our art form.
“It’s very inspirational to be here. … I’ve been inspired to delve deeper into contemporary music.”
He and Rosenkranz work well together. “He has this kind of improvisational zest to his playing,” Nelson
said of the pianist. “It’s very flexible.”
The flutist said his own playing is “unpredictable at times. That’s something we have in common.”
The performances unfold “in the moment,” with subtle shifts in tempo, dynamics, articulation.
Not that they’re tinkering with the notes. “Some of these pieces are so hard there’s no wiggle room.”
Rosenkranz recalled that their collaboration started when Nelson asked him to perform “Run Before
Lightning” with him. “I was at first reluctant to do it because of its numerous  challenges.” Then
Nelson followed that up with a request they do “Nataraja” as well “which is five times harder,”
Rosenkranz said.
The pianist agreed. “It’s hard to say ‘no’ to Conor Nelson.”
Rosenkranz said that while “there is a lot of new music swimming around at BGSU … it is also balanced
out by traditional music.”
“This sends the right message to the students that all music is a breathing, living, thriving art form,”
he said. “When one is working on a brand new piece one is forced to make real creative, musical
choices,” he said. “One has to have a musical point of view because it has never been done before and a
performer feels the responsibility to the composer in that regard.”
That freshness though should also inform performances of the classic literature. “New music forces one to
be convincing instead of trying to be right,” Rosenkranz said.
Even in a time of streaming music, producing a physical CD still has value, Nelson said. “We’re
cataloguing and recording these works for our own growth as artists and to further the growth of these
composers and their repertoire,” he said. “Perhaps other people will hear these recordings and play
these works as a result.”