ROCCO PRIOLETTI
Staff Writer
At 4 p.m. today, Del Sol Quartet will sail Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall seaward during their performance spanning eight unique works. Wading into the vast sea of distinctive compositions slated for tonight, the quartet will perform the East Coast debut of “Moananuiākea” by Leilehua Lanzilotti.
The piece celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Hōkūle‘a’s first expedition to Tahiti, which Lanzilotti musically personifies to audiences. Whether this manifests in sounds of overhead rainfall or gliding conch shell greetings, Del Sol’s program, broadly, is both a celebration of and call for the protection of nature.
The quartet recently performed a handful of tonight’s pieces on Angel Island in San Francisco, California, including the premiere of “Moananuiākea.” Charlton Lee, Del Sol Quartet’s violist and artistic director, reflected on Lanzilotti’s ability to immerse and portray lived experiences with precision.
“It’s funny, at the premiere, there was a captain from the Hawaiian traditional canoe-journeying group, and he had never heard the piece — he had never spoken to the composer. But, when he heard it, he described it perfectly.”
Lee recalled a lecture from people associated with Hawaiian Hōkūle‘a voyaging and wayfinding groups. Continuing in their oral tradition, Lee explained one of the techniques they use to “navigate by the stars and sun” through the Pacific Ocean without any navigational assistance.
“When they’re heading towards the island, you’re not just heading for that one dot, that physical dot,” Lee said. “But, actually, it’s a bit of a cloud because you need to know what kind of birds, seabirds, are associated with that island. And then, you look for those birds.”
Like “Moananuiākea,” Lee hopes that Del Sol’s program “can help transport people to different places and different experiences.”
He relayed that the Angel Island repertoire resonated particularly with the audience, due in part to the performance necessitating a ferry for travel. Given the average Chautauquan’s knack for seafaring the nearby lake, Del Sol’s mission should surely also resonate with local concertgoers.
The quartet’s repertoire spans a vast array of inspirations and dedications.
For instance, Michael-Thomas Foumai’s piece, “Ka Makani Pa’akai (The Salt Wind),” is inspired by the poetry of Brandy Nālani McDougall, a Native Hawaiian author. The composition is a reflection on Native Hawaiian identity. “The Salt Wind” itself acts to conserve both culture and generational pains across history.
What unites these pieces is their contemporary nature; Del Sol makes it an initiative to emphasize current voices in classical music whose works are “inspired by what is happening to their lives now.”
“There’s a relevance, I feel, that is really important — a relevance that is being expressed by who we feel are incredible artists,” Lee said. “And so, it’s a pleasure and an honor for us to be able to share that with as many people as we can.”
Lee felt that relaying a greater message through music possesses an inherent, powerful abstractness which enables audiences to engage in the material in a unique way. Without outright stating the work’s subject matter or emotional intent, concertgoers are able to interpret and feel the music differently.
“I think that’s what we hope can happen — that people can continue the dialogue about these topics,” Lee said. “Whether or not they felt a direct connection, through that music, to whatever they were feeling or thinking. But, that it gives them a platform to engage.”
Prior to Del Sol’s first performance at Chautauqua Institution in 2011, Lee spent a couple of summers in Chautauqua’s School of Music. Lee originally studied math and physics in college before switching to music — the School of Music marked Lee’s first summer program he had been involved with.
“… It’s been a while. So, I look forward to it,” Lee said on returning to the Institution. “I always had a lovely time there.”
