Folk Songs

November 18, 2007 at 3:00 P.M.

The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202

First time in the history of fEARnoMUSIC: a collaboration with Third Angle!

fEARnoMUSIC will be special guests in their first concert of the season: BOWED/UNBOWED: fearless string playing.

This Friday, October 5 at the Old Church 7:30 pm. For more information, see Third Angle's website.

Special guests: Janice Johnson, Molly Barth, Phillip Patti,   and others to be announced.

Mathew Burtner: Mists (1996), for computer noise controller and stone trio.

Harry Somers: Kuyas (1967), for soprano, flute, and percussion.

Reza Vali: Folk Songs Set No. 11b (1995), for string quartet.

John Adams: John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994), for string quartet.

Luciano Berio: Folk Songs (1964), for mezzo-soprano and seven instruments.

Tickets at the door: $15 general admission; $10 Seniors; $5 students.

Metal and Wood meet Earth and Water

March 7, 2008 at 8:00 P.M.

The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202

Pre-concert lecture by guest composer Steve Ricks, 7:00 P.M.

Steven Ricks appearance is supported by MetLife Creative Connections.

Reception to follow.

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Pisces, Leo, Virgo, Libra from Tierkrei (1974-1975) for music boxes.

Mathew Burtner: Fragments from Cold (2006), for cello, snow, and electroacoustics.

John Corigliano: Sonata (1962-1963), for violin and piano.

William Bolcom: Suite (1997), for violin and cello.

Steve Ricks : Anthology (2008), for string quartet, piano, and percussion. World premier.

Tickets at the door: $15 general admission; $10 Seniors; $5 students.

This Concert is supported in part by RACC and WORK FOR ART.

PROGRAM NOTES:

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Pisces, Leo, Virgo, Libra from Tierkrei (1974-1975)

Tierkreis (literally, "animal-circle") is the German word for the zodiac, and this composition consists of twelve melodies, each representing one sign of the zodiac.

Originally written for music boxes as part of Musik im Bauch (Music in the Belly), a children's theater piece for percussion sextet, these melodies (with or without their accompaniments) form an autonomous work which can be played by any suitable instrument, and exist also in versions to be sung. Each melody is centered on a different chromatic pitch, with Leo (Stockhausen's own sign) centered on A, Virgo on A#, Libra on B, Scorpio on C, and so on. Each has its own distinctive tempo, chosen from the "chromatic" tempo scale first described in the composer's famous article, ". . . how time passes . . ." ( Die Reihe 3, 1959, translated by Cornelius Cardew).

A complete performance begins with the melody corresponding to the zodiac sign within which the day of the performance falls, and proceeds through the twelve melodies of the cycle, ending with a return to the starting melody. Each melody is played several times, with variations or improvisations which in some performances have been very extensive. The melodies can also be played individually, or in smaller numbers.

Mathew Burtner: Fragments from Cold (2006)

Like a skier moving across the snow, I imagined the cellist sliding the bow across the surface of the cello. The performer's breath and the sounds of snow reveal contours of two parallel terrains. Fragments from cold: the snow from outside, the breath from within. The tracks of both crossings are left in noise.

- Mathew Burtner

John Corigliano: Sonata (1962-1963)

The Sonata, written during 1962-63, is for the most part a tonal work although it incorporates non-tonal and poly-tonal sections within it as well as other 20th century harmonic, rhythmic and constructional techniques. The listener will recognize the work as a product of an American writer although this is more the result of an American writing music than writing 'American' music -- a second-nature, unconscious action on the composer's part.

Rhythmically, the work is extremely varied. Meters change in almost every measure, and independent rhythmic patterns in each instrument are common. The Violin Sonata was originally entitled Duo , and therefore obviously treats both instruments as co-partners. Virtuosity is of great importance in adding color and energy to the work, which is basically an optimistic statement, but the virtuosity is always motivated by musical means.

To cite an example: the last movement rondo includes in it a virtuosic polyrhythmic and polytonal perpetual motion whose thematic material and accompaniment figures are composed of three distinct elements derived from materials stated in the beginning of the movement. The 16th-note perpetual motion theme is originally a counterpoint to the movement's initial theme. Against this are set two figures -- an augmentation of the movement's primary theme and, in combination with that, a 5/8 rhythmic ostinato utilized originally to accompany a totally different earlier passage. All three elements combine to form a new virtuoso perpetual motion theme which is, of course, subjected to further development and elaboration.

- John Corigliano

William Bolcom: Suite (1997)

The Suite was written for Sergiu Luca, an old friend, whose friend Rolf Dietjens the cellist I didn't know but turned out to be as adventurous. Sergiu told me not to spare the players -- this is a bravura piece for two virtuosi.

The form alludes in a general way to the Baroque dance suite, replacing the old movements with more modern dance impulses, which explains some of the abrupt choices of style (an element found in the old suites as well).

The Suite explores unusual, sometimes even uncompromisingly difficult string techniques. Serge showed me old Ernst tricks on the fiddle (I used one in my 4th violin sonata); the thumb pizzicato was his (Serge's) idea.

The Suite has been performed often by the above players as well as by Andrew Jennings and Norman Fischer, who handle the uncompromisingly difficult passagework with equal panache.

- William Bolcom

Steve Ricks : Anthology (2008)

Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University.

I. No Fear of Music Here

II. Breathing Exercise

III. Sensual, Exotic Siren

IV. All My Ghosts (5, 6, 7 . . .)

V. Gigantic Wave of Bossanova

Anthology reflects my love of rock music and my ongoing attempts to translate the ideas, gestures, sounds, and behaviors of that music into my own musical language. The title implies a collection of songs by different artists, held together by some unifying concept; though at times this unifying element is fairly broad and unspecific, as in the case of collections of music from a particular decade. The present piece reveals (or is the result of) my obsession with four rock bands: Talking Heads, Pixies, Kate Bush, and Radiohead. If you know the music of these artists, you will probably hear some licks you recognize in my piece. You'll also hear a lot of other stuff. I hope I've created something that is original and unique--more than just a cover version of the songs and bands that inspired this piece.

The titles of the various movements are taken from the above-mentioned bands' album and song titles and lyrics, and reveal at least some of the influences that held sway over the respective sections. The movements and sections of movements are at times abrupt and fragmentary. While this is a characteristic that has been creeping into a lot of my recent work, I feel it has a specific reference here to the experience of watching one of those TV adds for the latest rock anthology, the titles of the songs and names of bands scrolling across the screen while we listen to fragments of the pieces in strange and sometimes unexpected succession. I hope by the end of the piece you can connect these pieces, these musical dots, into an image that is interesting, meaningful, and memorable. In the words of Beck, "Please enjoy."

- Steven Ricks

GUEST COMPOSER:

Steven L. Ricks (b. 1969) received his early musical training as a trombonist in Mesa, AZ. He holds degrees in composition from Brigham Young University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Utah. He received a Certificate of Advanced Musical Studies from King's College London in 2000, supported by a Graduate Research Fellowship from the University of Utah. His teachers have included Morris Rosenzweig, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Bill Brooks, and Michael Hicks.

Mr. Ricks' prizes and honors include First Prize in the 1999 SCI/ASCAP Student Composition Competition, and four Barlow Endowment Commissions. He has been a fellow at June in Buffalo and the Composers Conference at Wellesley College, and his works have been performed by many leading contemporary music ensembles and performers including the New York New Music Ensemble, Earplay, the California EAR Unit, the Talujon Percussion Quartet, flutist Rachel Rudich, pianist Ian Pace, and violinist Curtis Macomber. He is currently on the Board of Advisors of the Barlow Endowment, and an Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at BYU where he directs the Electronic Music Studio.

For more information on Steve Ricks visit: http://www.stevericks.com/cv.html.

fEARnoMUSIC on the Road

March 21, 2008 at 7:30 P.M.

BYU Campus Drive
Provo, UT 84602

fEARnoMUSIC will premiere “Anthology,” by BYU faculty composer Steven Ricks, commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at BYU.

Ear Courage

April 20, 2008 at 8:00 P.M.

The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202

Tickets at the door or on line: $15 general admission; $10 Seniors; $5 students.

Preconcert lecture by David Schiff, 7:00 P.M.

Reception to follow.

Special Guests: Jason Hardnik, Molly Barth, and Kevin Schempf

This year Elliott Carter celebrates his 100th birthday! We are lucky to have, right here in Portland, one of Carter's most prominent and successful students, David Schiff. A highly respected and accomplished composer, and a distinguished writer on music and culture, Schiff will give a pre-concert lecture on Carter's music and his own.  

Thomas Osborne: And the waves sing because they are moving (2004), Jason Hardink, piano

Joan Tower: Très Lent (Homage à Messiaen) (1994), Adam Esbensen, cello and Jason Hardink, piano   

Salvatore Sciarrino: Morte Tamburo (1999), Molly Barth, flute

Frederic Rzewski: Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (1980), Jason Hardink, piano

- Intermission -

Michael Johanson: Gravitations (1995/2006), Kevin Schempf, clarinet

Elliott Carter: 90+ (1994), Jason Hardink, piano

David Schiff : "Four Seasonal Interludes" from All About Love (2004), Inés Voglar, violin; Adam Esbensen, cello; Molly Barth, flute; Kevin Schempf, clarinet

Jason Eckardt: A Glimpse Retraced (1999), Inés Voglar, violin; Adam Esbensen, cello; Molly Barth, flute; Kevin Schempf, clarinet; Jason Hardink, piano

Tickets available at the door or online at artixpdx.com. $15 general admission, $10 seniors, $5 students and children under 13.

We accept Visa and Mastercard

PROGRAM NOTES:

Thomas Osborne (b. 1978): And the Waves Sing Because They are Moving (2004), for solo piano

"I wrote this piece for Jason Hardink in 2004. The title comes from two lines by Philip Larkin:

And the waves sing because they are moving,

And the waves sing above a cemetery of waters. "

Many of Osborne's works focus on painting sonic images of the elements, most notably in works such as "And the Waves Sing Because They are Moving,' among others. Other works draw on the music of other (sometimes very, very old) cultures. "The Burning Music," for orchestra, incorporates Persian music, and "Songs of a Thousand Autumns,"   a song cycle for soprano and piano quartet, is based primarily on Gagaku, ancient Japanese court music. Osborne's latest work, "Tumbling from the Ninth Height of Heaven," written for violin and koto, continues in that creative vein.

Osborne is assistant professor of composition at the University of Hawai'i, where he is the director of the University of Hawai'i Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Joan Tower (b. 1938): Très Lent (Hommage à Messiaen) (1994), for cello and piano

Très Lent was written as an homage to Olivier Messiaen, particularly to his Quartet for the End of Time, which had a special influence on my work.

When I was the pianist for the Da Capo Chamber Players, we frequently performed Messiaen's quartet over a seven-year period. During this time, I grew to love the many risks Messiaen took - particularly the use of very slow "time," both in tempo and in the flow of ideas and events. Très Lent is my attempt to make "slow" music work. It is as affectionately dedicated to my long-time friend and colleague, who never stops growing as a musician and cellist, Andre Emelianoff.

- Joan Tower

Elliot Carter, (b. 1908): 90+ (1994), for solo piano

90+ for piano is built around ninety short, accented notes played in a slow regular beat. Against these the context changes character continually. It was composed in March of 1994 to celebrate the ninetieth birthday of my dear and much admired friend, Goffredo Petrassi, Italy's leading composer of his generation. Its first performance was given by Giuseppe Scotese on June 11, 1994, at the Pontino Music Festival dedicated to Petrassi's birthday.

Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947): Morte Tamburo (1999), for solo flute

"My music calls for performers who are out of the ordinary. Not only virtuosi but with the power to transfigure.   In order to rediscover the essence of our daily actions, one needs to cut through to the wonder: the wonder of a utopia which reveals itself."..."We don't want to appear perfect, inhuman: we want the music to speak with the poetic enchantment of Orpheus, moving even the stones. Otherwise, what is music for?"

- Salvatore Sciarrino (translation Jane Fraser)

Rzewski, Frederic (b. April 13, 1938): Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (1979-80)

From bangonacan.org:

In this fourth and final movement of the North American Ballads, Rzewski literally imitates the grinding of the cotton mill machines of South Carolina, building tremendous relentless power. The 'blues' then emerges from within the ambient 'factory' noise.

Michael Johanson (b. 1968): Gravitations (1995/2006), for clarinet solo

Gravitations explores various aspects of musical motion, especially the idea of moving to and away from central focal points. Although the application of this idea as it relates to the element of pitch is perhaps one of the more obvious manifestations of this concept, the general idea of motion between extremities is utilized in other contexts as well.

These additional contexts include register (conjunct motion versus angular, disjunct motion), duration (long, sustained tones versus athletic passages), meter (pulsed versus non-pulsed passages), and character (the music is in turns introspective, serene, strident, and playful).   The dramatic shape of the work is largely determined by the ways in which contrasting elements interact within these various contexts.

- Michael Johanson

For more information of Michael's music visit www.michaeljohanson.com/

David Schiff (b. 1945): "Four Seasonal Interludes" from All About Love (2004)

In 2004 I composed a song cycle called All About Love for mezzo-soprano, tenor and chamber ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano.) The songs set poems and prose passages by women and men from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, and trace a line from youthful ardor to mature acceptance. To make the dramatic shape of the cycle clearer I composed four short instrumental movements just for flute, clarinet, violin and cello. The first movement, "Spring" is a prelude to the whole cycle. The    second, "Summer" is a passionate interlude between the songs about youthful infatuation, and more sophisticated, mature texts. "Fall" marks a turning point in the cycle and serves as an introduction to the only duet in the cycle, "Proust", which is really a miniature opera. "Winter" sets up the final song, a setting of   Elizabeth Bishop's great poem "One Art." After hearing several performances of the complete cycle, including performances using an expanded orchestra for the songs but not the interludes, I decided that the interludes could be played on their own, either separately or as a suite. With a nod to Benjamin Britten I called them Four Seasonal Interludes.

- David Schiff

For more information on David's music visit   http://www.davidschiffmusic.com/

Jason Eckardt (b.1971 ): A Glimpse Retraced (1999), for piano, clarinet, flute, violin and cello

The title of this concerto for piano with four instruments is a metaphor for its formal design: a fleeting observation, made in passing, is retraced and elaborated, then condensed and distilled.

The figurative glimpse is represented by an introductory section of brief ensemble episodes, which together feature all possible combinations of the four instruments -- from solo to quartet -- that accompany the piano solo. After all instrumental combinations are exhausted, more detailed sections follow that are themselves generated from the material of the opening episodes; and, with regard to their instrumental combinations, they appear in the same order. The most extended of these are duets between a single instrument and the piano, which offer the opportunity for a second soloist to emerge and a foil to the piano's relentless activity throughout the rest of the work. The finale, an extended cadenza, is animated by a structural process similar to that heard in the introduction and main body of the piece, but reversed: the piano reiterates a radically imploded version of its former material, concluding with the same music, further compressed and retrograded.

A Glimpse Retraced was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and is dedicated to Marilyn Nonken who gave its first performance in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City on April 12, 1999.

- Jason Eckardt

For more info on Jason's music visit www.ensemble21.com

HEARING THE FUTURE

May 4, 2008, 2:30 pm
Evans Auditorium, Lewis and Clark College

Reception to follow.

Hear the latest works from the startlingly creative minds of the Young Composers Project, the Carters and   Burtners of tomorrow, right here, today!

Tickets at the door: $15 general admission; $10 Seniors; $5 students.

We accept Visa and Mastercard