| Metropolis 2008 | Melbourne Symphony Orchestra |
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Experience the sounds we make today in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s contemporary music series, Metropolis in the intimate surrounds of the CUB Malthouse for four concerts in 2008.
One of the world’s greatest advocates for contemporary music opens the 2008 Metropolis series. Dutch composer, conductor and pianist Reinbert de Leeuw conducts two concert programs this year. Reinbert de Leeuw has been conductor and music director of Holland’s Schoenberg Ensemble since 1974. He has also been the Artistic Director of the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music and has authored a book on Charles Ives. He is now involved in the organisation of the series ‘Contemporaries’ at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
De Leeuw opens the Metropolis series (DESCENT AND ASCENSION, 30 April) performing three iconic orchestral works by acclaimed composers of the 20th century – Ligeti, Messiaen and Turnage. Making its Australian debut in this performance, Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Drowned Out takes as a starting point William Golding’s novel Pincher Martin, which portrays the nightmare visions of a man who may be shipwrecked on a remote island, and his descent into a personal hell.
The second concert (CORRESPONDANCES, 5 May), features works by French composers of three generations – Dalbavie, Dutilleux and Boulez. The centrepiece in this all-French program is a new work by veteran composer Henri Dutilleux, now 92. Since its premiere in 2003, Correspondances has premiered in 11 countries. This performance marks its Australian debut performed by the MSO featuring one of Australia’s leading singers of contemporary music, Merlyn Quaife.
Now in its fifth year, the MSO’s Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers Program proudly supported by the Cybec Foundation, provides the opportunity for young composers to write a work for the Orchestra, mentored by some of Australia’s most recognised composers. Melbourne-based Robert Dahm (mentored by Chris Dench) and Sydney’s Paul Castles (mentored by Nigel Butterley) were selected by a panel earlier this year to have their compositions performed by the Orchestra in this year’s Metropolis series.
The MSO’s Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers Program aims to discover and nurture the most original and innovative young compositional voices in Australia. It is an annual program of continued development for young composers, designed to encourage works that challenge the norm, that push boundaries and offer new directions for orchestral and mixed ensemble composition. The program is an integral part of the MSO’s young artist development initiative and since its inception, 14 composers have taken part such as Anthony Pateras and Julian Langdon.
A graduate of the University of Melbourne, Robert Dahm is also an experienced musicologist and music editor for the AMEB. His music has been performed on four continents and as a conductor he has premiered, workshopped and recorded his own music. As Dahm states, Noumen “follows the gradual breakdown of the irrational into something rational” in an attempt to find a point of intersection between mortality and the divine.
Paul Castles is currently completing his Masters of Music at the University of Sydney. In addition he teaches and is a freelance writer for Arts Hub Australia. His new work Aurelian Unturning refers to a rather archaic word for a studier of butterflies. As a metaphor it served as “a persuasive guide in my approach to the act of composition”.
From Turkish composer Sidika Özdil’s Dances for String Quartet to Ligeti’s landmark work, Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano, MSO musicians explore modern ensemble music from around the globe in the third Metropolis concert (MUSIC OF AMBER, 7 May). This concert also features the world premiere of Italian composer Marcello Panni’s specially commissioned work SHORT – music for an imaginary short film in five sections.
Conductor, instrumentalist and one of Australia’s leading composers, Brett Dean directs major recent works by Australian and international composers in the fourth and final concert (GLITTERING WALKWAYS, 10 May) for 2008. Inspired by what he called “those glittering, jumbled, exciting walkways which are so much a way of life in Melbourne,” Keith Humble’s Arcade V for large orchestra was premiered in 1969 and originally dedicated to the MSO.
The title of British composer, Thomas Ades’ Tevot has multiple meanings: it is Hebrew for “ark” and “vessel”. After the first performance, given by the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle in early 2007, The Guardian newspaper stated: ‘Of any new piece I’ve heard at its premiere, this is one of the most immediately, richly powerful.’
So engage your ears in the sounds of today with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Metropolis series.
METROPOLIS CONCERT DETAILS
DESCENT AND ASCENSION (Metropolis Series 1)
Wednesday 30 April at 8pm
CUB Malthouse
Reinbert de Leeuw conductor
Ligeti Lontano
Turnage Drowned out Australian premiere
Dahm Noumen World premiere
Messiaen L’Ascension
CORRESPONDANCES (Metropolis 2)
Saturday 3 May at 8pm
CUB Malthouse
Reinbert de Leeuw conductor
Merlyn Quaife soprano
Dalbavie Color Australian Premiere
Dutilleux Correspondances for soprano and orchestraAustralian Premiere
Boulez Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna
MUSIC OF AMBER (Metropolis 3)
Wednesday 7 May at 8pm
CUB Malthouse
Takemitsu Towards the Sea III
Ligeti Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano
Schwantner Music of Amber
Panni SHORT - music for an imaginary short film in five sections
World Premiere
Özdil Dances for String Quartet
Artists to include
Paul Fitzsimon conductor
Isin Cakmakçioglu, Monica Curro, Wilma Smith, Roger Young violin
Isabel Morse viola Sarah Morse cello Andrew Macleod flute
Geoff Lierse horn Alannah Guthrie-Jones harp
GLITTERING WALKWAYS (Metropolis 4)
Saturday 10 May at 8pm
CUB Malthouse
Brett Dean conductor
Marcus Bordignon treble
Castles Aurelian unturning World premiere
Lentz “Caeli enarrant”…III
Finsterer Ruisselant
Humble Arcade V
Adès Tevot Australian premiere
METROPOLIS 2008
FOUR CONCERTS AT THE CUB MALTHOUSE
3 World premieres
4 Australian premieres
Tickets: Adult $48, Pensioner $36, Student $32
Bookings: www.mso.com.au or Ticketmaster on 1300 136 166
Visit: www.mso.com.au
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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