By Daniel Buckwalter
The lush richness of contemporary chamber music recently met up with the pulsating rock-like sounds of guitar pedal effects tied to the clarinet, its amplification ricocheting off the walls and ceiling of Art House.
To say the least, it was an interesting night of music at the iconic neighborhood venue on East 13th Avenue in downtown Eugene. Oasis Ensemble took over the first half of the program — Music to an Imaginary Video Game — and classically trained Chris Mothersole took the second half with music from his first album (Press Start) on his electro-acoustic clarinet and bass clarinet.
The contrast was striking, and it’s the type of performance I hope Oasis Ensemble can put together again at Art House.
The Eugene-based Oasis Ensemble — founder and flutist Dawn Weiss, cellist Austin Bennett and pianist Tung Nguyen — opened the program with six works.
Two of them (Tangueramente by Fabricio Gatta and Soundtrack to an Imaginary Video Game by Meadow Bridgham) were selected from the 2025 Oasis Ensemble Call for Scores competition, a project dear to Weiss’ heart.
Bridgham’s submission won the competition, an often playful five-movement piece that traces a video gamer going to a seaside town, only to be lured by all sorts of absurdities until, in the final movement, the gamer is “Beat Up by a Giant Squid.”
It was the perfect segue to the second half of the program, Mothersole on stage as a soloist, a Texas transplant now living in Eugene who is inspired by old and new video soundtracks. He performed all six selections from the album Press Start.
Think of this as alt-classical with thick threads of rock music. Mothersole composed all six songs, and it is the most inventive use of the clarinet I’ve heard. I would encourage anyone to give it a listen.
At minimum, you’ll be moving to the beat.
Chris Mothersole’s solo album, Press Start, is available online at MothersoleClarinet.com
