In mid-2008, Maria Martin found a previously unnoticed handwritten manuscript by Frank Martin, titled Deuxième Ballade for flute and piano or flute, string orchestra, piano and percussion. This was the composer’s own arrangement of the Ballade for saxophone and string orchestra, piano and percussion, which he had composed for Sigurd Rascher in 1938.
On 12 and 13 May the work will be performed for the very first time in Thailand – by flutist Sebastian Jacot and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (cond. Claude Villaret).
ONE WHO IS STRUGGLING
In defiance of old wisdom – spoken,
Written and seen for myself –
All of which seemed banal to me,
I innocently sought happiness.
When it was denied me,
I strove for ‘painlessness’ through renunciation
Which also failed. (Arnold Schönberg, Die Jakobsleiter)
Tomorrow, on 12 May, Arnold Schönberg’s fragmentary oratorio Die Jakobsleiter will be performed by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (cond. Alexander Liebreich) in Katowice.
“It is beyond all dispute the greatest Hungarian comic opera: sparkling, spirited, stagy.” (György Ligeti on The Magic Cupboard)
Ferenc Farkas’ The Magic Cupboard – "The Arabian Nights meets 20th century Hungarian comic opera in the exotic Orient” –will be performed today and on 11 May by the Hungarian State Opera.
Daniel Barenboim at yesterday’s opening concert of the 38th International Musikfest at the Wiener Konzerthaus – the festival will focus on the oeuvre of Pierre Boulez, in 14 concerts compositions by Boulez will be performed over the next six weeks.
Find out more on the website of the Wiener Konzerthaus.
This work was commissioned in memory of 100 Years of the First World War. A short scene from my opera Die Antilope (2013/2014) is taken as the musical starting point. With new, dynamic ideas, this is then developed exponentially in this three-part orchestral work while continually treading a line between swirling orchestral density and an iridescent delicacy that comes close to that of chamber music. (Johannes Maria Staud)
Johannes Maria Staud’s Moment, Leute, Moment will receive its German première on 7 May at the Staatstheater Darmstadt. Will Humburg conducts the Staatsorchester Darmstadt.
BBC Radio 3 will broadcast David Fennessy’s Panopticon – recorded at The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh – on May 6th on Hear and Now. Earlier this year, the composer received a Scottish Award for New Music for the work.
David Fennessy’s Ne Reminiscaris – ‘part 2’ to Fennessy’s Letter to Michael – will receive its world première tonight at the Chamber Choir Ireland’s Gala Concert of the Cork International Choral Festival.
Paul Hillier conducts the Chamber Choir Ireland at the St Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork.
This Saturday, 29 April, Darragh Morgan will be performing Pierre Boulez’ Anthèmes 2 and Steve Reich’s Violin Phase at the launch concert for his new album “For Violin and Electronics”.
The concert takes place at the Iklectik in London.
The Staatskapelle Dresden has released its 2017/2018 programme: Arvo Pärt will be the new Composer-in-Residence of the Sächsische Staatskapelle. His oeuvre will be featured in several concerts as well as in a special Portrait Concert. 19 works by the Composer-in-Residence will be performed throughout the whole season.
Find out more on the website of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
In 2015 David Fennessy composed Hirta Rounds – a “chamber music for sixteen individual players” – for the Münchener Kammerorchester with the stipulation that it be unconducted.
At the end of April, the Münchener Kammerorchester will be playing the piece in South America: on 24 April at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, on 25 April at the Teatro Solis in Montevideo and on 28 April at the Auditorio Santa Ursula in Lima.
View the full score of Hirta Rounds
Singers who normally do this role have bigger voices than I have. But then I decided that it’s a role that doesn’t match any voice perfectly. Some parts are so low that they should be sung by a bass-baritone, others so high that they should be sung by a tenoral baritone. I thought, if Zurich Opera really wants me then they know my abilities, and they will match their ambitions with them. (Christian Gerhaher on Wozzeck)
This grotesque is more real than reality. (Susanne Kübler, Die Welt, 15.09.2015)
A success that gets under your skin. (blick.ch, 14.09.2015)
Congratulations to the Opernhaus Zürich and the whole team behind their critically acclaimed production of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck for receiving a BBC Music Magazine Award. The production features Christian Gerhaher in the title role.
View an excerpt of the DVD here:
Pierre Boulez dedicated Dérive 2 to his fellow composer Elliott Carter. The composer on Dérive 2: “When I reflected on some of Ligeti’s compositions, I felt the desire to dedicate myself to some almost theoretical research into periodicity in order to systematically examine its overlays, its shifts and its exchange.”
The work will have its Croatian première on 23 April at the Zagreb Youth Theatre. David Fulmer conducts the Ensemble intercontemporain.
Fresh from the printing press: Hans Schneider’s recently published book “musizieraktionen” offers a large and varied collection of techniques for composing and making and communicating music. Among the composers that are featured are UE composers Cornelius Cardew, Morton Feldman, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, György Kurtág, Mathias Spahlinger, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Hans Zender. The book contains numerous techniques for joint experimental music sessions.
Rihm has his own sonic language, his own brilliance in his creativity, but he really does stand with both feet firmly planted in musical tradition. (Anna Prohaska)
Two Swiss premières by Wolfgang Rihm at the Lucerne Easter Festival: Mariss Jansons, sopranos Mojca Erdmann and Anna Prohaska and baritone Hanno Müller-Brachmann present the Swiss première of Wolfgang Rihm’s Requiem-Strophen on 8 April. Also on the programme: Gruss-Moment 2 | in memoriam Pierre Boulez for orchestra.
But it's actually looking forward, it’s for a reason, it’s a positive thing, and I think that this last page is the most stunning page of music you could ever wish to hear. (David James on Passio)
Benedict Collins Rice and The Facade Ensemble will perform Arvo Pärt’s Passio today at St Michael at the North Gate in Oxford. Further performances take place on 6, 7 and 12 April in London, Peterbourough and Ely respectively.