For anyone attending the world premiere of Henry Brant's "Ice Field" in
Davies Hall last December, today's news will come as a shock:  the San
Francisco Symphony-commissioned piece received the 2002 Pulitzer Prize
for Music.  The prize is for a "distinguished musical composition of
significant dimension."

Entertaining at best, the composition's only distinction was being one
of the most pointless and frustrating concert experiences in my memory.
On the plus side, this musical "curiosity," performed by 120 musicians
scattered around the huge hall, benefitted from Michael Tilson Thomas'
passionate advocacy and Brant's own organ virtuoso, however off his beat
might have been as MTT waved his arms frantically, Brant never looking in
the conductor's direction.

Other finalists for the $7,500 prize were "Rilke Songs" by Peter Lieberson
(heard in Berkeley, vastly enhanced by the magnificent Lorraine Hunt
Lieberson's performance) and David Rakowski's Second Symphony ("Ten of a
Kind").  Were these really the three best symphonic works premiered in the
US last year?

Janos Gereben/SF
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