“With her expressive and methaphysical attitude, Victoria Borisova-Ollas is absolutely unique in Sweden. In her Symphony No. 1, there is the same nervous touch, the same high tension and hot-temperedness, the same passion for an almost erotic game, with colliding harmonies and extended climaxes, as in Skriabin`s Le divine poème. The excitement lasts through the whole piece. Borisova-Ollas is able to create a charged atmosphere and she knows perfectly well how to use her weapons.” (Thomas Anderberg, Dagens Nyheter)
Tonight pianists Ludmila Berlinskaya and Nikolai Mazhara, conductor Nikolai Alexeev and the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia present the Russian premières of Victoria Borisova-Ollas’ Symphony No. 1 and her fantasia on the themes by Robert and Clara Schumann titled Wunderbare Leiden at the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia.
When Boulez turned 90 on March 26, he did so as perhaps the world’s most complete musician, and without doubt one of its very greatest conductors. The old stereotype has been almost perfectly inverted: Boulez is now lionized not only for his mastery of modern and contemporary works, but for the ability to elicit fresh sonic and structural details in works stretching back to the 19th century.
David Weininger on the Deutsche Grammophon’s 44-CD set “Pierre Boulez – 20th Century”. Find the full review on The Boston Globe.
Georg Friedrich Haas’ “Ich suchte, aber ich fand ihn nicht.” for ensemble will have its UK première this Saturday at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Thierry Fischer conducts the London Sinfonietta.
A pre-concert talk by professor Jonathan Cross explores the use of texture, timbre, microtones and overtones as compositional techniques in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The London Sinfonietta has published a trailer for this second part of a two part series:
View the full score of “Ich suchte, aber ich fand ihn nicht.”
The relationship between Pierre Boulez and Universal Edition, which has been publishing his music since 1953, can only be described as serendipitous. Boulez has endowed the UE catalogue with many of his masterpieces and conquered new terrain with his use of electronics. Boulez is a pioneer whose roots are firmly embedded in tradition, including the one which UE publishes.
As a conductor, his unflagging commitment to the Vienna School has affirmed its place in the repertoire.
His esteemed and exemplary performances of music by Mahler, Bartók, Janáček, Szymanowski, Berio and many other UE composers crowns the good fortune of our collaboration.
Universal Edition congratulates Pierre Boulez on his 90th birthday.
Jonathan from UE has made a Flipboard magazine for Pierre Boulez at 90 – you can flip through it here:
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Listening Lab has won the Best Print Award at the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence held on the 12th March in London. The Listening Lab series provides music educators with practical and inspiring approaches for children, young people and adults to connect with contemporary music allowing for a deeper understanding of the work. The series so far (by Constanze Wimmer / Helmut Schmidinger and Veronika Großberger / Johannes Voit) has also received recommendations from the Association of German School Musicians. |
For more information and sample pages go to:
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Happy 85th birthday Cristóbal Halffter!
Find an interview with the composer in our digital magazine MusikSalon.
Steve Reich’s intricate ‘phase’ technique is encapsulated in Clapping Music as one performer repeats the same line while the other moves out of synch and back again.
Sinfini Music has recently published a video series in which Steve and Colin demonstrate how Reich’s techniques work.
The UK première of Arvo Pärt’s cantata Our Garden for children’s choir and orchestra takes place on 25 March at the St John’s Smith Square in London and will be sung by Forest School’s Boys’ and Girls’ Senior Chapel Choirs, accompanied by the School’s Chamber Orchestra.
Find out more on the websites of St John’s Smith Square and Forest School.
“Ultimately I think Boulez is a great optimist, despite the shadows that coloured his early years. In the end what he believes is simple: today’s music has to be different from the music of the past.
That’s a natural thing. Western music continues to evolve and transform and change. And those that don’t agree, well … they’re wrong!” (George Benjamin, The Guardian, 20.03.2015)
In his article “In praise of Pierre Boulez at 90” composer George Benjamin salutes Pierre Boulez. Find the full article on The Guardian.
Other recent articles that you might like:
Musicians discuss the influence of Pierre Boulez
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Johannes Maria Staud’s Donum will be premièred by cellist Marc Coppey on 22 March at the Amphithéâtre Paris. Altogether, Coppey will play 10 commissions by the Philharmonie de Paris, and, together with 6 cellists, he will also perform Boulez’ Messagesquisse. The full programme is available on the website of the Philharmonie de Paris. |
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“Horizons” summarizes the most interesting events held by the Lithuanian Ensemble Network between 2009 and 2014 and documents its best recordings, including Lied and O, King by Luciano Berio, Nichtstück and Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Vykintas Baltakas and Am Horizont by Wolfgang Rihm.
Find out more on the website of the Lithuanian Ensemble Network.
La Monnaie | De Munt is offering a free stream of Wolfgang Rihm’s Jakob Lenz in Andrea Breth’s production with Wolfgang Nigl as the protagonist of the same name.
Pierre Boulez celebrates his 90th birthday on 26 March. As a composer and conductor he is already an historic figure, not just for Universal Edition. His work has changed the world of music. This first edition of the MusikSalon, in which Boulez’ contemporaries and colleagues give us their thoughts, is dedicated to him.
Fiona Maddocks of The Guardian has reviewed the Tallis Scholars’ “Arvo Pärt: Tintinnabuli”-CD, which was released earlier this month.
Liner notes and excerpts of the album’s 23 tracks are available on the official release page on Gimell.
Find out more on our #ArvoPart80 blog: