Our new production is approaching! The world premiere of Being Together comes to Joyce SoHo December 4-7 and 11-14.

Misnomer has collaborated with composer Evan Ziporyn, whose original music will be performed live by the Real Quiet ensemble during the first weekend of performances. Misnomer conducted a Q&A with pianist Andrew Russo, leader of Real Quiet, featuring his insights on working with the music for Being Together.

Q: What are some of your influences?

Andrew Russo: My artistic influences are really quite broad and numerous, so I’ll try to provide a sampling with hope that the pile of names might paint a portrait all by itself: John Adams, Eric Clapton, Steve Reich, Radiohead, Pierre Boulez, Miles Davis, David Bowie, George Saunders, Jaco Pastorius, George Crumb, Hieronymous Bosch, Frederic Chiu, Radu Lupu, The Beatles, The Bad Plus, Iva Bittova.

Q: How did you and Chris meet?

AR: I’ve actually never met Chris. We were put in touch about 18 months ago by Evan Ziporyn, and built a working relationship entirely over the telephone and computer. I’m actually afraid that our eventual meeting will damage what has been a wonderful ‘virtual’ working relationship! Just kidding

Q: What are some of the challenges of Evan’s score?

AR: Evan’s music presents interesting challenges. As a pianist, there are particular sounds that he draws from extended use of the instrument’s interior – harmonic glissandi on the strings, blocked notes, etc. Evan calls on the pianist to intersperse these techniques with traditional ‘on the keys’ playing in rapid succession. So one is constantly diving in and out of the piano in certain movements, yet needing to project an overall sense of rhythmic poise. A similar paradox exists in his lyrical writing. Music that sounds quite simple and in a square meter is actually notated in a series of complicated syncopations and cross-rhythms that must be executed seamlessly, so as to sound free and poetic. I believe that these dualities point towards the essence of his music.

Q: What are some of the differences between playing a concert and playing music for live dance?

AR: There are many differences between working with live with dancers and playing a solo or ensemble concert. First, dancers need a certain reliability from the musicians in terms of tempo and expression in order to flow through their lines. While this can eliminate some of the freedoms available to performers when they perform without choreography, it also illuminates other aspects of the score much in the same way that hearing the same music played in two different tempi does. I personally find it difficult to ignore the dancers while performing. Its tempting to watch them perform, which is an easy way to lose the musical focus so necessary to providing them what they need from you in that moment.

Listen to a past performance by Real Quiet: Loathing (A funky movement from Phil Kline’s Hunter S. Thompson tribute piece ‘Fear and Loathing’)