Reviews
Like A White Daisy Looks
"Like A White Daisy Looks" is, quite simply, an extraordinary work. It has a melancholy to it without being maudlin; there's a gentleness and an elegance to the music that, even without knowing Elizabeth Green (for whom it was written), makes it obvious she was much-loved, and remembered fondly, by the composer.
Symphony No. 1 for Band
Jager's symphony is a handsome affair from start to finish. There are many fine passages of thematic originality and a solid sense of structural design. There is no question of the vitality and brio of the work, or of its excellent workmanship.
I Dream of Peace
This music paints a haunting picture of war, while it movingly engages the texts of children of Bosnia and Croatia who had seen their lives torn apart by war.I Dream of Peace
Jager is helping define an emerging genre in which composers regard the aesthetic possibilities of children's voices on equal terms with the orchestra and adult choral color palette.
I Dream of Peace
The major work on the program was the West Coast premiere of I DREAM OF PEACE by Robert Jager...The children's abhorence of war and its consequences and their longing for peace are deeply moving, and Jager's setting only heightens these feelings. It's an intense piece of music.
I Dream of Peace
Jager's stunning work opens with a short, austere symphonia employing strong dissonance that paints a stark mood of the realities of war where a wasteland is left and nothing is present. "War is the saddest word that flows from my quivering lips"...begins Movement Three. The young soloist, one of many solos voices...conveying the sadness of war and at the same time offering the listener a hope for our future. {Movement Four} The growing force of strong uneven rhythms along with pervasive dissonances in the orchestra and the intense aleatoric speaking from the chorus created the chaos of a raging battle. Testimony (the fifth part) was one of the most moving sections of this sensitive composition...the orchestra background enhanced the narration of the singers who showed us terror and hopelessness with their body language and their voices. Finally composer Robert Jager leaves us with a dream of peace. We hear a relaxation of the tonal structure, but yet the essence of war remains somewhat in the background. The choir sings, "When I close my eyes I dream of peace." Dona nobis pacem instructs the musical mood."
The Wall
Robert Jager's THE WALL had its premiere Sunday night on the West Lawn of the Capitol by the National Symphony Orchestra. The audience, estimated at between 65,000 and 70,000 people, applauded Jager enthusiastically. THE WALL is a meditation on mortality, which ends in consolation with a long, spacious melody, but en route it passes through moments of considerable anquish.
I Dream of Peace
I am told that three (curtain) calls is unusual for Mid-American Productions. Bob, I believe that the audience kept applauding because of the compelling nature of the work. It deserves to be performed in even grander venues. I am so pleased that I chose your work for this performance.
Concerto No. 2 for Alto Saxophone
This is a true epic fantasy for the saxophone in the theatrical sense. It opens with a lovely and tender soliloquy by the alto and then the excitement begins. the band enters with all the excitement that an adventure fan could ever want. The piece lightens up with beautiful lines intertwined between the band and the soloist.
I Dream Of Peace
A dark mood prevailed during the final concert of the Greater Lansing (MI) Symphony Orchestra season. Conductor and music director Gustav Meier opted for four somber pieces. Beginning with Brahms' Tragic Overture the orchestra then performed I Dream of Peace by Robert Jager...The acclaimed Michigan State University Children's Choir, directed by Mary Alice Stollak, was featured in I Dream of Peace. The work grew out of a UNICEF book of the same name with images of war by children of the former Yugoslavia. The letters and poems from that book provided the text for the seven-movement, 22-minute piece. The horror and pathos of war is made even more dramatic when expressed by the angelic voices of a children's choir. Jager's delicate orchestration allowed the children's voices to be heard in a wonderful blend with the orchestra. Peace is a poignant work that was performed with sensitivity and warm expression.
