Jennifer Koh & Missy Mazzoli: Tiny Desk Concert

Рет қаралды 89,619

Ай бұрын

Tom Huizenga | March 20, 2024
Thankfully, few no longer believe that playing classical music requires an evening gown or a tux. When composer Missy Mazzoli and violinist Jennifer Koh made their way into our Tiny Desk office space, we took note of the beautiful ink on Mazzoli‘s arm, her clunky black boots, and Koh’s bright blue hair and sleeveless leather dress.
The two artists have been collaborating for 15 years and this ferocious and beautiful set traces that history. It also reveals an essential equation of how classical music works: Mazzoli, the composer, who is currently writing a work for the Metropolitan Opera, conjures up music in her head, and Koh, the performer, breathes life into it.
Koh opens with Hail, Horrors, Hail, a recent solo piece she included on Alone Together, a homespun album recorded during the height of the pandemic which earned her a Grammy. Mazzoli joins at the keyboard in a bespoke arrangement of the final movement from Procession, Mazzoli’s sumptuous violin concerto, inspired by medieval healing rituals, which Koh premiered in 2022 with the National Symphony Orchestra.
Dissolve, O my Heart, the first piece Mazzoli wrote for Koh, spirals out into an emotional journey touched with spasms of joy and grief. It’s rooted in late-night discussions fueled by Chinese food, cupcakes and Bach’s revered Chaconne D minor that is quoted at the beginning. Koh closes with Kinski Paganini, unsettled music inspired by the German actor Klaus Kinski’s volatile performances.
Hearing this set, in all its rugged delight, feels like we’re eavesdropping on something personal - a fruitful, collaborative friendship between composer and performer that has yielded amazing music.
SET LIST
Mazzoli: Hail, Horrors, Hail
Mazzoli: Violin Concerto (Procession): “Procession Ascending”
Mazzoli: Dissolve, O my Heart
Mazzoli: Kinski Paganini
MUSICIANS
Jennifer Koh: violin
Missy Mazzoli: keyboard
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Tom Huizenga
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Ted Mebane
Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
Photographer: Keren Carrión
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#tinydesk #jenniferkoh #missymazzoli

Пікірлер: 84

@eliznaomistuart 25 күн бұрын

Thank you again Tiny Desk for including fabulous contemporary chamber music composers and performers! This was sublime!!

@jeanwestcott915 Ай бұрын

I saw them a few weeks ago at the Kennedy Center. I bought tickets with no knowledge of either artist as I was in town for a few hours and looking for an affordable performance to indulge in. I was bowled over by their music, their performance. They explained that they had just recorded a Tiny Desk and I was excited to be able to look forward to share my excitement at the beautiful and transportive music with friends. The set I saw included more of Missy Mazzoli's keyboard and electronic music so I will look forward to learning more about both of their creations.

@ChilleBruh Ай бұрын

What a lovely surprise of a show that must have been! ❤😮

@xtendedline Ай бұрын

wonderful peformance, many thanks for great morning inspiration! Music matters!!

@anapaulalourenco7188 Ай бұрын

Good morning to everyone here in Brazil! I loved this presentation, Congratulations.

@uptone12111 Ай бұрын

That just took me for a ride😮❤

@MLHunt Ай бұрын

I'm not at all familiar with contemporary classical music. This was eye-opening (ear-opening?). That just by subscribing to this channel I know I'll be exposed to a wide spectrum of musicians and musical styles/genres is one of the great things about it. Thanks Tiny Desk!

@RobertSlover Ай бұрын

great player, but less blue hair and more interesting compositions! the music is all that matters.

@Kowzorz Ай бұрын

@@RobertSlover Did someone with blue hair hurt you? Or are you just incapable of following your own wisdom about "all that matters"?

@bshayc79 Ай бұрын

@Kowzorz yeah that guy just sucks apparenly. He replied dumb stuff like this on a few people's comments. Mine included.

@FranktheBlindArtist Ай бұрын

Robert is apparently just an unabashed SNOB

@Diatonic5th Ай бұрын

Brilliant!! I love her Bach & Beyond albums.

@orlandopalosaari2855 Ай бұрын

Nice🎉... Good vibes from México ❤

@AndSarahAppeared Ай бұрын

❤❤❤❤ Love This Thank You

@soccerchick1 Ай бұрын

Fantastic!

@yesloow Ай бұрын

Fantastic work, Missy! And I love how when you entered, you put your hands together in reverence. Galak Tika at heart! ❤️

@slothsby Ай бұрын

This is the kind of performance that just takes my mind to different places and emotions. Amazing!

@otisokg Ай бұрын

I didn’t know I needed to cry, thank you for letting me let it all out to your beautiful masterpiece of artwork. 🙏🏼 🎻 ❤ Bravo 👏🏼

@ivan7291 Ай бұрын

This bouta have the hood gettin sturdy

@RobertSlover Ай бұрын

dork.

@OngoingBox 22 сағат бұрын

awesome!!

@TheMetroGnome Ай бұрын

Well worth the wait ❤

@jochikondur Ай бұрын

Chappell Roan's Tiny Desk wig spotted!

@tia8245 Ай бұрын

ahhh i was waiting for someone else to say it too!!

@laurahussey8678 Ай бұрын

dissolve o my heart is one of my favourite pieces written for solo violin ever

@michelet.9233 Ай бұрын

Excellent!

@mccypr Ай бұрын

Thanks! 😎🙂

@_dx_dy Ай бұрын

The amount of talent on display here is mind boggling

@anthonywhite2960 Ай бұрын

That last piece was wonderful.

@ortem000 Ай бұрын

Not only did I enjoy the music, I enjoyed her energy and how she looks like an action hero. This was great. Thanks!

@VeganBalaclava Ай бұрын

loved this! vey unique duet. Love to see women in music NPR.. Bring Young Miko please 🙏

@ChilleBruh Ай бұрын

Absolutely phenomonal pieces, played brilliantly! 🫶 Edit: 9:27 “Dissolve, Oh My Heart” 🥲

@Tish1068 Ай бұрын

❤❤❤

@petartumbov1214 Ай бұрын

Kinski Paganini IS SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN BEFORE.... PHENOMENAL, MAGESTIC, ONE OF A KIND!

@garydiamondguitarist Ай бұрын

Jennifer has unusual violin technique - she reminds me of a guitarist playing in open tuning with a lot of double stops, which is usually more of a rock and blues technique - perhaps partly due to the way Missy writes. Some of her playing is surprisingly violent to the instrument as well, which is refreshing to see as a lot of violinists baby theirs too much. All interesting and convention challenging stuff.

@shirtz69r Ай бұрын

Oooh here early. I jave no idea who this is but great vibes already

@paulwhetstone0473 Ай бұрын

I kept hearing Yoko Ono screaming in the background.

@RCshockwave Ай бұрын

Same 😒

@caca20299 Ай бұрын

💐😍

@arboldediana5 Ай бұрын

niceee

@aaronedgeart Ай бұрын

Wondrous and moody!

@bshayc79 Ай бұрын

They make kickass music for movies

@RobertSlover Ай бұрын

thats a product not music.

@bshayc79 Ай бұрын

@@RobertSlover uhh.. okay 👍

@jsizemo Ай бұрын

Is she one of those child prodigy violinists that was on the Tonight Show in the late 80s?

@carolinavaz6483 Ай бұрын

cosmo pyke!!

@cometczar Ай бұрын

Open D open G and Bartoks infinite tonality.

@kricket8ify Ай бұрын

One single thought

@ezrafinkelstein2634 Ай бұрын

Talking about "beautiful ink on Mazzoli‘s arm" and "sleeveless leather dress" is an unusual choice to open the description for a classical performance

@kskirthana Ай бұрын

Agree 👍🏽

@soccerchick1 Ай бұрын

I think she looks great!

@koflan Ай бұрын

Sometimes people remark on things in the video, and sometimes those remarks aren't limited to praise for the primary subject. There's no intellectual superiority to be gained from this attitude. No one experiences anything in isolation, an idea that Elliott Carter even incorporated into his compositions. Also, a performer doesn't wear unusual or outlandish clothes for a performance just to scold everybody for noticing them. The whole performance is the whole performance.

@antkn33 Ай бұрын

Not really. They were making a point about it.

@stefaniap9870 Ай бұрын

What about the music?

@shroommcfanta2020 Ай бұрын

James Jameson used one finger

@vroomgrrly Ай бұрын

The first piece is like a Bach-ish Chaconne for the 21st century. Brilliant!

@RobertSlover Ай бұрын

no.

@AlanDSouza-pe3gx Ай бұрын

It sounded like... Noise

@aprilrosario6869 Ай бұрын

I’m no expert in playing instruments and I haven’t touched a violin since the 4th grade… but um, is she doing that right?

@githerax5303 Ай бұрын

"Thankfully, few no longer believe that playing classical music requires an evening gown or a tux."? Who is writing this copy? You meant to write "many no longer..." And why 'Thankfully'? Is formal wear a problem if someone likes it? Here, let me fix this: "Classical music no longer requires an evening gown or a tux, as artists Jennifer Koh and Missy Mazzoli demonstrate."

@miriamharbour5613 Ай бұрын

But what does it mean

@tannerparsons977 Ай бұрын

I getting some thing one, thing two vides from that hairstyle 😅

@karlajusten Ай бұрын

Me too!!! I love her hair so much!

@karlajusten Ай бұрын

Beside her amazing violin playing skills

@karlajusten Ай бұрын

Actually the other lady with black hair and light tips also has an amazing hair. I live for it!! ❤🐱

@BigAwkwardChunk Ай бұрын

Every part I skipped to sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I love violin, cello, fiddle etc. This just wasn't doing it for me. Just my personal opinion though.

@somebloke3869 Ай бұрын

That's unfortunate. I found some parts rather jarring, but it had built up to that and didn't turn me off.

@ivonne6088 Ай бұрын

Me parece música sicopática, ya que tiene sonidos extremistas, no expresa más que disonancia o caos, distorsión; suena básico y desagradable, con falta de creatividad, etc. Lo otro sicopático es el look, ya que se tiñe el pelo, es decir, no respeta la naturaleza, su naturaleza propia y, como es obvio, tampoco la de su entorno, por los sonidos o ruidos (y eso que a mi tampoco me gusta la música "fifi" o "floripondia" o como se le quiera decir, pero sí me gusta que sea creativa, hermosa, interesante, etc.). Lo del vestido, si es de cuero, da para debatirlo largamente.

@arboldediana5 Ай бұрын

sos un rompe pelotas hermano

@RobertSlover Ай бұрын

great player, but less blue hair and more interesting compositions! the music is all that matters.

@AlanDSouza-pe3gx Ай бұрын

Nails on chalkboard. I dont understand it

@Calinoma Ай бұрын

Skill issue

@rd4660 Ай бұрын

Can't watch, sorry. Visually and musically too much clutter.

@shroommcfanta2020 Ай бұрын

Thanks for trying, I,m sure you gave your best. Don,t be sorry anymore, it’s not your fault and you are forgiven .

@jeffsiegwart Ай бұрын

I hate ads! Keep it up and you will loose my subscription. Sorry!

@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Ай бұрын

You’re gonna get ads on every KZfaq video. Why complain to NPR specifically? They have no control over the ads KZfaq puts on the videos. You can get ad blocker, or you could pony up & get the ad free KZfaq. I think it’s 6/7 bucks a month. This isn’t NPR’s issue though.

@sirzebra Ай бұрын

Adblockers are free and have existed for two decades, i havent seen a single ad on youtube or anywhere else on the internet since 2007. If you're serious about wanting to live without ads in your space, why are you complaining instead of taking the half minute i'll take you to download and install an adblocker and get rid of them forever ? Entitlement wont help you, grow up, Jeff. So that you can act and realise i'm not just mcritical for the sake of it, i recommend using a combination of adblock+ and ublock origin together for the best adfree experience, wheter you are browsing on chrome or firefox they exist for both and are compatible.

@shroommcfanta2020 Ай бұрын

Oh no ! Please don’t,t ! Without you the whole thing would make no sense !

@antkn33 Ай бұрын

It’s not npr’s fault. You get this free and you’re too cheap to pay for KZfaq premium.

@emersonslidian Ай бұрын

Medical healing rituals … you got me there. I love it! Open minds/open eyes to the alternative ❤✨🤍

@cardiac666 Ай бұрын

I really enjoyed procession ascending very haunting sounding but I think the atmosphere and tension would have ascended better if the keyboard was louder

@markaprill6501 Ай бұрын

I have fancy headphones…..the keyboard sound was very unique and totally blended with the violin in a very interesting way. You may want to upgrade your audio equipment if you can afford it or at least use headphones when watching KZfaq.