by Nick Stubblefield
Hiroyuki Ito for The New York Times

I've attended many great presentations of new music in New York City over the past couple of years, so when I stepped into Miller Theatre last week to hear Chicago's eighth blackbird perform, I thought I knew what to expect. Instead, what followed was a one-of-a-kind concert experience that defied performance conventions and reinvigorated my interest in this music. 

eighth blackbird, who describe themselves as, “combining the finesse of a string-quartet, the energy of a rock band, and the audacity of a storefront theater company,” kicked off their program with Duo for Heart and Breath (2012) by Richard Reed Parry, one of the members of of Arcade Fire. Just beforehand, audience members were informed that the tempo of the piece would be based solely on pianist Lisa Kaplan’s pulse, who wore a stethoscope for the performance. The piece had a delicate heartbeat-like groove on the piano, with swelling, breath-like long tones from violist Yvonne Lam gently resting on top. It was meditative and entrancing, and it effectively captured the essence of slow and gentle human breathing. 

Following were arrangements of Claudio Monteverdi’s Lamento della ninfa (1638), Carlo Gesualdo’s Moro, lasso al mio duolo (1611), and Bon Iver’s Babys (2009). The works featured some beautiful arrangements and textures, with room for extensive, intricate solos.