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| John Cage conducting 4'33" |
The first Wien Modern 2018 concert I attended featured Harrison Birtwistle's 'Panic' which conductor Sylvain Cambreling describes as 'at the limit of what can be played'. But there was another piece which I thought was at the limit of something - though I'm not sure what - and that was Malte Giesen's 'Concert for Hyperreal Piano and Orchestra. I think I enjoyed that too. In fact I'd like to hear it again.
For the finale Helmut Lachenmann's humour filled 'Marche fatale' for a large orchestra was a great choice. Six minutes in length it had everyone in the Grosse Saal smiling and we all went home in a wonderful mood.
Two other pieces were performed by the Wiener Symphoniker on the night. Julia Purgina's 'Akatalepsia', composed specially for Wien Modern. The composer graced the stage with her presence to much applause. And the opening number 'Metastaseis' by the Greek composer Iannis Xenakis.
Pia Palme has arrived in the Finnish archipelago and sent us an eerily beautiful evening sky and the sound of the gentle waves breaking on the shore of her chilly island in the Baltic Sea.
A couple of musical things I've pencilled in for future evenings at Wien Modern:
Olga Neuwirth's 'The Outcast' (it's about Hermann Melville and his novel Moby Dick)
Gottfried von Einem's 'The Trial' (it's about the novel of the same name by Franz Kafka)
Mony Dick in music sounds wonderful. Kafka, you may find the needle gets stuck in a groove.
ReplyDeleteNice comment. Thanks. I've read Moby Dick and enjoyed it. I started The Trial but only got so far. Same with The Castle. Anyway, it's s a couple of weeks away so maybe I'll skim the groove if I can find it.
DeleteYes, Moby Dick, not Mony. I didn't enjoy the book, I read it again recently. The Trial, gave up with it and had to chuck The Castle out, couldn't bear having it in the house even.
DeleteI've just started The Odyssey by Homer (translation by E.V. Rieu (revised by D.C.H Rieu). I enjoyed the first chapter once I got into it after about 6 or 7 pages which confused me greatly) ). The chapters are relatively short 12 -15 pp approx. So maybe I'll get through it. We shall see. It's something I've always meant to read if only because so many great operas are set in these times. I'm sure there are other good reasons for reading it too. Could be I'll discover them as I plough on! Lots of good stuff on Pia Palme today. I've put a link to the main website in the side bar.
DeleteParts of the film Moby Dick was filmed in Youghal here in County Cork Gwil. Sounds like a great evening.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that. Thanks, Dave.
DeleteDominic is interested in your 'going modern' Gwil. I shall point him in the direction of this post too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pat. he will find the link in the sidebar. It has a translation button.
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ReplyDelete