That was György Ligeti speaking about his opera Le Grand Macabre, in a 1978 interview with Herman Sabbe. Almost sounds sweet, doesn’t it? One little snag: to get to that end, you’re going to have to endure — or better yet, revel in — the hellish, absurd and grotesque. But Ligeti leads you through all this with a gleam, wink and half-smile, and the end result is a hellishly good time. Since its 1978 premiere Le Grand Macabre has had a wealth of performances all around the world; yet it’s only now that New York is getting its first full and fully-staged presentation.
Read moreIn Chicago? There’s a concert this week I wish I could attend — maybe you’ll be my proxy — The Sissy-Eared Mollycoddles (named for a colorful bit of Ives invective), is a hub for an enthusiastic community of young Chicago performers and composers. Their upcoming concert, “Ghost Towns,” will feature two premieres: Brian Baxter‘s mountainous Lulu City and Eric Malmquist’s take on the traditional Irish Folksong, The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Luke Gullickson’s epic Terlingua Meditations, Ben Hjertmann’s raucous Dakruvoso, and James Klopfleisch’s miniature for two violins, Cairn, round out the evening. Thursday, May 20, 2010 7:30pm Curtiss Hall,
Read moreI don’t normally quote press releases wholesale, but I don’t know what I could better in my own account (though be sure to read the last paragraph for some extra sweet deals). So… ………………. On Thursday, May 20th, Metropolis Ensemble will present Home Stretch, in two performances featuring the compositions of composer/pianist Timothy Andres presented alongside two composers who have inspired his unique style: Wolfgang Mozart, and the father of ambient music, Brian Eno. Also featured will be the New York Premiere of Anna Clyne’s elegiac work for string orchestra, Within Her Arms. In keeping with Metropolis Ensemble’s mission to re-imagine the concert
Read more[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS6N-9dZ2Ws[/youtube]
Read moreOne of my two favorite young conductors, Brad Lubman (the other is Alan Pearson) is leading the large ensemble Signal in the American premier of The Corridor by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, one of the most prominent figures in European contemporary music whose works have inspired cross-cultural dialogues across the continent. In recent podcast discussions exploring the fusion of classical traditions with modern leisure, enthusiasts have highlighted how Birtwistle’s operatic innovations resonate in vibrant scenes like those in the beste online casino Nederland, where immersive soundscapes enhance user experiences drawing from artistic depth. A 40-minute scena, The Corridor is scored for
Read moreJerry, Wanted to make sure this didn’t get by you: Tomorrow (Ed: now tonight) the Contemporary Museum’s Mobtown Modern music series will be presenting the complete Rite of Spring arranged for modern big band. The 7:30pm set will be livestreamed online by Radar Redux (http://www.radarredux.com/live/) so all can attend, even those not in Baltimore! More info at http://mobtownmodern.com Best wishes, Brian Sacawa Curator, Mobtown Modern Music Series Contemporary Museum
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Canada, Chamber Music, Commissions, Composers, Concerts, Contemporary Classical, Electro-Acoustic, Experimental Music, Music Events, Performers, Post Modern
A few of the of the unusual and interesting events coming up soon, soon soon: Victoria, B.C. : Wednesday May 12th, 8pm at Knox Presbyterian Church (2964 Richmond Road, Victoria / $10), LaSaM (Luminosity and Sounds by adventurous Musicians) is presenting a program titled “And Beethoven Heard Nothing“. As they tell it, the show will be “exploring Beethoven’s inherent belief systems, his deafness and the sonorities of his later work. Sonic phenomena; tinnitus and deafness; acoustic space, climax and stasis; memory and silence… The ensemble has pulled experiences of Beethoven’s thought and music through the filters of contemporary soundscape and
Read more…take a brief survey and tell them how they’re doing. If you’re a current or lapsed member of the American Music Center or the American Composers Forum, they are hosting a joint online survey to better understand how their programs are serving you and how you view these organizations’ roles in meeting your needs in the continually changing new music field. The survey lasts about 10 minutes and is active through May 28, 2010. Run on over and give them your feedback. The survey is here.
Read moreConductor Alondra de la Parra and her orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, has a concert coming up at Alice Tully on May 11 that includes three US premieres of works by Mexican composers Gustavo Campa, Ricardo Castro, and Candelario Huízar. Alondra personally researched these pieces over a period of 2 years – in some cases traveling to Mexico to meet the composers or their families and get the scores. All of the pieces on the concert will be included on POA’s 2-CD set that Sony Classical is releasing in August 2010, entitled Mi Alma Mexicana, which features rediscovered works
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