“What constitutes musical truth? Is there really such a thing as musical authenticity (by which I don't mean using period instruments, or playing without vibrato) in the sense of giving voice to an absolute sincerity of emotional or expressive utterance? […] The huge output of Russian composer Alfred Schnittke raises these sorts of questions – and some even more profound ones about musical meaning and historical signification.”

Tom Service writes about the music of Alfred Schnittke.

Read the full article.

We just sent out our radio newsletter 05/2013, featuring a broadcast of Ligeti’s Apparitions from 26 April, a special on Luciano Berio, the world première of Georg Friedich Haas’ Introduktion und Transsonation and a composer portrait of Georg Friedrich Haas.

Find more radio broadcasts.

The world première of Saxordionphonics for saxophone, accordion and chamber orchestra takes place today in Witten.

Vykintas Baltakas on this work:

Saxordionphonics is founded on two structural principles. The first is a strictly rhythmical construct of two to three permuting notes which paces through the entire piece, forming a structural basis, with temporal distensions and condensations, dynamic and colorific variations. The other is a freer level which reacts musically to the first. It is especially scored for solo instruments; it is here where the musical development takes place, the relationship between the levels playing a dramaturgical part. They influence each other, the stronger one transforming the weaker one, when they are not actually rivalling.

For me, it was as if I were observing a shadow-play in space; depending on the time of day, the direction and strength of the light, perception of the space changes, as if the walls and the strict architectonic structure were mobile.

Vykintas Baltakas: Saxordionphonics (2013)
for saxophon, accordion and chamber orchestra | 15’
2 2 3 2 – 2 1 1 0 – perc, str
world prem. 28/4/2013, Witten; Marcus Weiss, sax; Teodoro Anzellotti, acc
WDR SO Köln, cond. Emilio Pomàrico

Today, the Spanish première of Cristóbal Halffter’s In tempore belli, Schachnovelle's interlude, takes place at the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Here is an interview with Cristóbal Halffter on his upcoming opera Schachnovelle:

In tempore belli (2012)
for orchestra
Spanish première, 26/4/2013, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, cond. Georg Fritzsch

Happy Birthday Luke Bedford!

Some visual impressions from the very successful “Tonsättarweekend” at the Konserthuset in Stockholm, where Victoria Borisova-Ollas was honoured with a composer portrait from 18 – 21 April.

We just caught sight of this poster in Stockholm. The first day of the Tonsättarweekend with Victoria Borisova-Ollas at the Konserthuset went well, tomorrow the composer portrait continues with performances of Angelus, Open Ground and Wunderbare Leiden. 

View the full programme of the portrait.

Today the Swiss première of Morton Feldman’s only opera (or anti-opera) Neither takes place at the Stadttheater Bern. Stefan Schreiber conducts the Berner Symphony Orchestra with soprano Hélène Fauchère.

You can listen to an audio excerpt of the piece or read a work introduction by former interpreter Emilio Pomárico on our dedicated page. There’s also a fascinating article regarding the ‘co-elaboration’ between Feldman and Beckett available at The Modern Word which you shouldn’t miss out on.

Neither
Opera in 1 act | 55’
3 3 3 4 - 3 3 3 1 - perc(4), hp(2), pno, str
Swiss première, 19/4/2013, Stadttheater Bern; Hélène Fauchère, s; Berner SO, cond. Stefan Schreiber

Georg Friedrich Haas, Vykintas Baltakas, Mauricio Sotelo and Luke Bedford after the amazing performance of in vain under Sir Simon Rattle.

Nicholas Collon with Gertraud and Friedrich Cerha after the performance of Like a Tragicomedy at the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid on 7 April. As you can see, they were very happy with the performance.

You can read about – and listen to an excerpt of – Like a Tragicomedy on our homepage.

Greetings from the Frankfurt Music Fair. Come and see us in hall 3.1 C42.

Some impressions from the opening of the Wolfgang-Rihm-Forum at the University of Music in Karlsruhe on 5 April 2013. Cristine Ehman’s bust of Wolfgang Rihm, which is welded to the wall, features notes from the composer’s Opera Dionysos.

Today the RBB Kulturradio broadcasts a recording of Vykintas Baltakas’ Cantio from the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin on 17 January 2013.

The stream starts at 21:04 (CET) and is available on the RBB Kulturradio homepage:

David Sawer at the world première of Flesh and Blood at the Barbican.

View the full vocal score

“Flesh and Blood was a great success, a 23-minute “dramatic scene” by David Sawer on the subject of love and war, a soldier departing from his mother. If Howard Barker’s text is sometimes impenetrable, Sawer’s music reveals all, vivid and explicit enough to set an opera before us, with even these singers’ respective ages being reasonably close to realistic”

Excerpt from Colin Andersons review

Don’t miss out on today's live transmission of the scandal concert at the Musikverein.

The concert starts at 19:30 (CET), the live stream is available at Radio Ö1.