An introduction to contemporary music in ordinary language.
An Ox on the Roof 20: The Ox in times of the coronavirus #7.
Today, the twentieth episode of An Ox on the roof of Thea Derks, based on her book Een os op het dak: moderne muziek na 1900 in vogelvlucht.
The coronavirus measures keep getting looser or tighter. At first, concert venues had to close, then they were allowed to have an audience of thirty people, next, with dispensation, 250 people, and subsequently the maximum number of people allowed went back to thirty. Not an easy situation for concert organizers. musicians and music publicists.
Organizers and musicians keep trying to find solutions, especially in online streaming. But some concerts do take place. This is the case for the 10-day festival November Music, which will be from 6 to 15 November in the town of Den Bosch. The final weekend is about the Finnish-French composer Kaija Saariaho, with the world premiere of Reconnaissance (Rusty Mirror Madrigal), which she composed in commission of November Music. Derks spoke with the composer about this piece for her blog Contemporary Classical.
Nearly 20 works of Saariaho will be performed on November Music. Weather and coronavirus permitting, she will even be present in person for a public interview on 13 November. One day later, the New European Ensemble and conductor Christian Karlsen will present a portrait concert, with, among other pieces, Saariaho’s popular violin concerto Graal théâtre, which she composed in 1997. The Norwegian violin player Peter Herrestahl will be the soloist. Today, we hear a version of the concerto for orchestra with the same soloist.
Saariaho is one of the composers who are considered in Een os op het dak: moderne muziek na 1900 in vogelvlucht. The same goes for the Polish-Dutch Hanna Kulenty, whose work has an inescapable power of expression.This month, also from her a new piece will have its premiere for een select audience of thirty people, in Grand Theatre in the city of Groningen: Tap-Blow-Dance4. Derks also had an interview with Kulenty about her work: ‘I collect emotions.’
Today, we hear a recording of Kulenty’s Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra from 2015.
Tip: als u de Os aanschaft via de website boekenbestellen.nl krijgt u per omgaande een exemplaar met persoonlijke opdracht.
1. Kaija Saariaho. Graal théâtre, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra.
Peter Herresthal, violin. Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Clemens Mao-Takacs.
2. Hanna Kulenty [see picture, together with Thea Derks]. Saxophone Concerto No.1.
Alina Mlecko, saxophone. Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michał Dworzyński.
Compilation, montage and hosting: Thea Derks
