This year Russian-German-Jewish composer Alfred Schnittke would have turned 80. To celebrate his birthday, Julliard’s 30th annual mid-winter festival FOCUS! 2014 presents six concerts of works by Schnittke and his circle of composers, Sofia Gubaidulina, Giya Kancheli,Arvo Pärt, and Valentin Silvestrov.
Alfred Schnittke’s World begins today and will continue until January 31. Extended techniques will give a glimpse at his world and how it is related to his compositional techniques.
In his essay About Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1977), Schnittke disclosed the major goal of his creative path: “the aim of my life is to overcome the gap between “E” and “U” (Ernst – serious music and Unterhaltung – entertainment music), even if I have to break my neck. Schnittke wanted to find a “unified style where the fragments of “E” and “U” represent elements of diverse music space, instead of being merely facetious supplements.
The goal in itself was not unique, since many other composers in the 20th century combined several styles in their works; it was, however, less common to state the goal so explicitly. One of the reasons why Schnittke wanted to bridge the gap between serious and entertaining music, was his obligation (over the 20 years of his career) to compose what he called “applied music” and “pure music” simultaneously, since, living in the Soviet Union, he had to “divide his time between writing utilitarian film scores for livelihood and unperformable masterworks “for the drawer” (Richard Taruskin, Defining Russia Musically). In fact, the grounds for creation of a unified style go beyond the composer’s lifestyle, and it is worth looking at the origin of the means (his style and devices) and their pertinence for reaching the goal.
Timelessness (Polystilistics – all times at once)
One of the most enigmatic and intriguing views which Schnittke shared with the world, was his perception of time. He sensed that all the time periods may coexist simultaneously at any point of time, and that it was natural to travel between times:
… there is no absolute point in time. Any point in time is merely a logical abstraction. In fact, it is, roughly speaking, a chord of points (moments) that embodies hours and days rather than a second… The way to capture this at once exists beyond the physical world. One can imagine a second that embraces everything – past and future. The whole world rolls up into one point. And then these countless times and places depart, diverge, and unroll. (Aleskandr Ivashkin, Conversations withAlfred Schnittke)
At first this idea may seem somewhat arcane; however, Schnittke found the way to simultaneously embrace many time periods beyond the physical world – in music, which for him was a “one-time chord.” Schnittke describes his vision of the universe beyond the “real (physical) world” in the following way: in the “real world” time is a line consisting of points, i.e. it is only one-dimensional; in the “true world” time is a multi-dimensional space (of spanning lines); while in the “real world” only selected points from this space that form a line exist.
… I sense the existence of infinite forest of times, where every timeline is unique and each tree grows in its own way. Everything that emerged in the past, emerged on different trees, but was (and is) related to the trees that grow at present. Today, in reality, we forgot about them. … but they continue to live, these trees. This is why I don’t treat (things from the) past as museum exhibits. I sense that I go back to this ideal forest… and deem it possible to go back to anything from the past. (Ivashkin, Conversations withAlfred Schnittke)
It may take several readings of this passage to imagine this forest, and one can only hope that the vision reflects the image that Schnittke had in mind. It may, however, take just one listening to Concerto Grosso No. 2 (or Symphony No. 3) to discern the concept. In order to create the feeling of “all times at once” Schnittke used polysitlistics – a combination of several contrasting stylistic features in one composition, that involves musical borrowing (often from the past) of different degrees. Although Schnittke was definitely not the first to use the polystilistic method in his composition, his name is the most closely associated with the use of the term since he was one of the first to define it as such.
Polystilystic approach is also employed in Schnittke’s Symphony No 4 (1983) that will be performed tonight.
The Fourth Symphony also represents Schnittke’s lifelong search for a spiritual belief and his attitude towards political system. The work draws musically on three main strands of Christianity – Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant, while underneath there is a three-note semitone interval motif symbolizing synagogue chant. In the Symphony tenor and countertenor soloists are employed at three key structural moments and a choral setting of the Ave Maria towards the end synthesizes all previous motives in a single diatonic mode. The text of the Ave Maria originally had to be suppressed because its religious nature would have disallowed its performance in the Soviet Union. The composer believed that in order to preserve authenticity an artist should not react against the system, but rather act as though the system does not exist.
More about Schnittke’s colleagues during the upcoming week.
8:00 PM Anthony Coleman Trio
Anthony Coleman-piano, Michael Attias-saxophones, Mike Pride-drums
9:30 PM Andrea Parkins/Brian Chase Duo:
Andrea Parkins (electronic accordion, objects, electronics) and Brian Chase (drums, electronics).
VENUE: Douglass Street Music Collective
DETAILS: http://295douglass.org/?id=406
ADMISSION: $10 for each set
SUNDAY, January 5
3 PM Helena Basilova, piano
VENUE: Spectrum
DETAILS: Gubaidulina Chaconne, Prokofiev Sonata #7, Ustvolskaya Sonata #4, A. Basilov “Variations”
ADMISSION: $10-15
MONDAY, January 6
7:30 PM – Michael Wimberly & Charles Gayle Duo
VENUE: Evolving Music
DETAILS:
Michael Wimberly – drums
Charles Gayle – tenor saxophone
ADMISSION: TBD
FRIDAY, January 10
11:15 PM Peter Brötzmann w/ Hamid Drake and Jason Adasiewicz
SATURDAY, January 11
12:15 AM Erik Friedlander’s Bonebridge
1:30 AM ABRAXAS – John Zorn’s Book of Angels by Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
VENUE: Subculture
DETAILS: http://winterjazzfest.com/2014/marathon-schedule/
ADMISSION: $35
WEDNESDAY, January 22
8:00 PM Ingrid Laubrock’s latest compositions
VENUE: Barbes
DETAILS: Ingrid Laubrock’s latest compositions, written for saxophones/brass + drums.
W/Ingrid Laubrock, Tim Berne, Ben Gerstein, Dan Peck and Tom Rainey.
ADMISSION: $10
WEDNESDAY, January 22
10 PM Ofakim (a tribute to Luciano Berio)
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Ralph Alessi (trumpet) Jim Black (drums) Uri Caine
ADMISSION: $15
THURSDAY, January 23
8 PM Uri Caine and John Zorn Duo
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Uri Caine (piano) John Zorn (sax)
ADMISSION: $20
THURSDAY, January 23
10 PM Duo with Tim Berne
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Uri Caine (piano) Tim Berne (sax)
ADMISSION: $15
MONDAY-THURSDAY January 27-30
8:00 PM FOCUS! 2014 Chamber Concerts commemorating 80th anniversary of Alfred Schnittke
THURSDAY, December 5
8:00PM Darmstadt’s 9th annual performance: Terry Riley’s “In C”
VENUE: ISSUE Project Room
DETAILS:
Hailed more than once by the New York Times as the best interpretation of Terry Riley’s 1964 masterwork in recent memory, Darmstadt’s annual birthday concert has become a time-honored tradition on the Fall cultural calendar. Now in its ninth year, Darmstadt offers a different reading than in the past. A dream ensemble of new music legends, including vocalist Joan La Barbara, saxophonist Matana Roberts, guitarist Elliott Sharp, clarinetist Joshua Rubin, and string virtuosi Conrad Harris and Pauline Kim Harris perform alongside key members of So Percussion and Iktus Percussion on a battery of pitched percussion instruments. http://issueprojectroom.org/drupal/event/darmstadts-9th-annual-performance-terry-rileys-c
ADMISSION: $15 -$20
THURSDAY, December 5
8:00 PM Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Composer Portrait
VENUE: Miller Theatre
DETAILS: Anna Thorvaldsdottir (b. 1977), composer, Richard Carrick, conductor, Zeena Parkins, harp, David Shively, percussion Program:
into – second self (2013) U.S. premiere
Ró/Serenity (2013) U.S. premiere
[one] (2008) U.S. premiere
Tactility (2012) New York premiere
Hrím (2009/2010)
Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir has burst onto the scene in recent years. Her “shimmering, harmonically ambiguous” music is oft described in cinematic terms, evoking an expansive, wintry landscape with “the impression of a distant, howling wind” (The New York Times). http://www.millertheatre.com/Events/EventDetails.aspx?nid=1597
ADMISSION: $20-$30
WEDNESDAY, December 11 – SATURDAY, December 14
7:30 PM Sisters Mine and Celia
VENUE: Jack
DETAILS: Target Margin Theater culminates their journey into the exploration of Yiddish theater with a season of extraordinary literature from the West’s great unknown culture. The themed two-year series, Beyond the Pale, includes staged productions, one-time events, concerts, installations, panel discussions, and a reading series of new translations.. http://www.jackny.org/target-margin-lab.html
ADMISSION: from $12
SATURDAY, December 14
7:30 PM Ensemble ACJW
VENUE: Carnegie Hall
DETAILS:
Ensemble ACJW: David Robertson, Conductor, Dawn Upshaw, Soprano
Program: Berio, Folk Songs, Steve Reich, City Life, Bartok, Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2013/12/14/0730/PM/Ensemble-ACJW/
ADMISSION: $43 – $50
SATURDAY, December 14
8:00 PM and 9:30 PM Lytle/Didkovsky/Drury/Parkins/Swell/Walter
VENUE: The Firehouse Space
DETAILS: Michael Lytle (Bass Clarinet), Nick Didkovsky (Guitar), Andrew Drury (Drums and Percussion), Andrea Parkins (Objects & Electronics), Steve Swell (Trombone) and Weasel Walter (Drums and Bass). http://thefirehousespace.org/event/mike-lytle/#more-1652
ADMISSION: $10
TUESDAY, December 17
10 PM Phantom Orchard Quintet
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Ikue Mori (electronics) Koichi Makigami (vocal) Zeena Parkins (harp) Cyro Baptista (percussion) Erik Friedlander (cello)
ADMISSION: $15
TUESDAY, December 17
7:30 PM Disastro Totale
VENUE: Barbes
DETAILS: Matt Darriau (reeds), Yuri Lemeshev (accordion). The classic downtown duo of doom is back, but feeling a little more Brooklyn. These two polyglots are reuniting and will be premiering some new arrangements by the great Russian composer Alfred Schnittke – mostly from his dynamic film music. Come check the Disastro after a multi year sabbatical, while Yuri was traveling the planet with Gogol Bordello and Matt busy with the Klezmatics and Paradox Trio.
ADMUSSION: $10
TUESDAY, December 17
9 PM Darius Jones Quartet
VENUE: Korzo
DETAILS: Darius Jones, saxophone + compositions; Matt Mitchell, piano; Trevor Dunn, bass; Ches Smith, drums http://konceptionsmusicseries.wordpress.com/2013-schedule/
ADMISSION: TBA
Wednesday, December 18 – Saturday, December 21
7:30 PM DAY?NIght?fuck… and Outside/In
VENUE: Jack
DETAILS: Target Margin Theater culminates their journey into the exploration of Yiddish theater with a season of extraordinary literature from the West’s great unknown culture. The themed two-year series, Beyond the Pale, includes staged productions, one-time events, concerts, installations, panel discussions, and a reading series of new translations. http://www.jackny.org/target-margin-lab.html
ADMISSION: from $12
THURSDAY, December 19
10 PM Mephista with Lotte Anker
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Ikue Mori (electronics) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Susie Ibarra (drums) Lotte Anker (sax)
ADMISSION: $15
THURSDAY, December 19
8:30 PM Lossing/Berne Duo
VENUE: Ibeam Brooklyn
DETAILS: Russ Lossing, piano, compositions, Tim Berne, alto saxophone
An evening of duo explorations and improvisations by two of New York’s most imaginative and explosive improvisers. Expect the unexpected when Lossing goes head to head with Berne in this rare performance where there is no place to hide.
ADMISSION: $10 suggested
FRIDAY, December 20
10 PM Kim Gordon, Bill Nace, Okkyung Lee, Tim Barns, Ikue Mori
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Kim Gordon, Bill Nace (guitars) Okkyung Lee (cello) Tim Barns (drums) Ikue Mori (electronics)
ADMISSION: $20
SATURDAY, December 21
8 PM Ikue Mori, Fred Frith, Lotte Anker
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Ikue Mori (electronics) Fred Frith (guitar) Lotte Anker (sax)
ADMISSION: $15
10 PM Ikue Mori, Fred Frith, Lotte Anker, JIm Black
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Ikue Mori (electronics) Fred Frith (guitar) Lotte Anker (sax) Jim Black (drums)
ADMISSION: $15
SUNDAY, December 22
8 PM Ikue Mori and John Zorn Duo
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20
10 PM Ikue Mori and Fred Frith Duo
DETAILS: Ikue Mori (electronics) Fred Frith (guitar)
ADMISSION: $20
Only selected performances are listed in our calendar.
WEDNESDAY, October 2
08:30 PM Jacque Demierre with guests
VENUE: Seeds
DETAILS: Jacque Demierre – Piano, Andrea Parkins – Accordion, electronics
ADMISSION: $10
WEDNESDAY, October 2
8 PM Jenny Lin plays E# piano works
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Jenny Lin (piano) plays E# piano works including Oligosono, Suberrebus, and the world premiere of IX—for Iannis Xenakis
ADMISSION: $20
October 3 – 19
8 PM THEATER|Hoi Polloi: Beckett Solos
VENUE: JACK
DETAILS: OBIE-winning resident theater company Hoi Polloi collaborates with venerable actress Lelia Goldoni, a pairing that began after Goldoni saw Hoi Polloi’s stage adaptation of John Cassavetes’ Shadows, the 1959 film that made her a fundamental figure in the birth of American independent cinema.
The production includes Footfalls, Rockaby and the radio play Cascando, with scenic design by OBIE-winner Mimi Lien, costume design by Oana Botez, lighting design by Yi Zhao and music by Steven Leffue.
DETAILS: Irish singer Susan McKeown and Klezmatics vocalist Lorin Sklamberg, who won Grammys for their work on The Klezmatics’ Wonder Wheel draw from a common repertoire of Yiddish and Irish songs, accompanied by Erik Della Penna.
ADMISSION: $10
SATURDAY, October 5
7:00 PM, 9:30 PM Sun Ra Turns 100: Sun Ra Arkestra with Marshall Allen
VENUE: Lincoln Center, The Allen Room
DETAILS: On the centenary of Sun Ra’s birth (1914-1993), we warmly welcome The Arkestra to The Allen Room for the first time. Sun Ra organized The Arkestra sixty years ago as a platform to render a vision that simultaneously drew on the ancient and the modern, incorporating elements of black vaudeville, modern dance, Egyptian cosmology, Eastern philosophy, numerology, surrealism, kitsch, and the Bible.
DETAILS: Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Ikue Mori (electronics) Erik Friedlander (cello)
This new work is written in memory of Erik’s late wife. He, along with his daughter, were left to ponder how to make sense of the loss, and how to move on. The music strongly resonates with Erik’s mind-set at the time: meditating on a life lost, regaining his balance, and then moving forward with optimism.
ADMISSION: $15
WEDNESDAY, October 16
10 PM Mass Cello
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Erik Friedlander (cello) Jeffrey Ziegler (cello) Greg Heffernen (cello) and many special guests
New and old works for multiple celli—this will be a fun night! Guests include Jeffrey Ziegler, Christopher Hoffman, Greg Heffernen, and others! Works by Julius Hemphill, Imogen Heap, Friedlander and Verdi.
ADMISSION: $15
THURSDAY, October 17
8:00 PM Cage100 Party Pieces
VENUE: Miller Theatre
DETAILS: This new, evening-length work brings together 125 short compositions by 125 different composers, written according to a compositional model created by Cage in 1945.
DETAILS: Erik Friedlander (cello) Chris Speed (clarinet) Andrew D’Angelo (bass clarinet) and a special guest bass player Friedlander’s first working band.
This amazing acoustic improvising quartet will reunite to perform for the first time since the late ’90s, performing works from Chimera (Avant) and The Watchman (Tzadik)…a mesmerizing tour through the dark corridors of modern jazz.
DETAILS: Pianist Denman Maroney, bassist James Ilgenfritz, saxophonist Angelika Niescier, and percussionist Andrew Drury make up this unorthodox quartet that blends complex time fields with unusual textures and melodies. All four members contribute compositions, balanced with extended improvisations that might at any moment turn from melodious to ethereal.
DETAILS: Steven Bernstein & Frank London (trumpets, flugelhorn, alto horn) Jamie Saft (keyboards) Kenny Wollesen (drums, vibes, percussion)
ADMISSION: $15
MONDAY, October 28
7:30 PM Up-close, White Light Festival
VENUE: Manhattan Center, Grand Ballroom (Lincoln Center)
DETAILS: Kaori Yamagami, cello, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Musicians from the International Contemporary Ensemble: David Bowlin, violin, Michael Nicolas, cello, Jacob Greenberg, piano
Only selected performances are listed in our calendar.
David Krakauer talks about his recent work and his residency at the Stone (an excerpt from WKCR’s Transfigured Night program)
………………………………………………………………
SUNDAY, September 1
8 and 10 PM Fred Frith, Annie Lewandowski and Theresa Wong
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Fred Frith (electric guitar, voice) Annie Lewandowski (piano) Theresa Wong (cello, voice)
ADMISSION: $15
MONDAY, September 2
8 PM JOHN ZORN 60th BIRTHDAY IMPROV NIGHT—A STONE BENEFIT
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: John Zorn (sax) Ikue Mori (electronics) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Cyro Baptista (percussion) Nava Dunkelman (percussion) Jeanie-Aprille Tang (electronics) Uri Gurvich (sax) Erik Friedlander (cello) Fred Sherry (cello) Chuck Bettis (electronics) and many special guests
ADMISSION: $25
TUESDAY, September 3
8 PM: Charlemagne Palestine / Joe McPhee / Steve Dalachinsky
VENUE: Issue Project Room
DETAILS: A composer-performer originally trained to be a cantor, Charlemagne Palestine is best known for his intensely performed piano works, in which he uses emblematic objects including teddy bears and scarves, as what he terms “symbols of identification”. Palestine gives his first-ever performance in his hometown of Brooklyn on solo piano, joined by composer and improvisor Joe McPhee– a watershed player of the creative jazz scene– and the poet Steve Dalachinsky, who has long occupied a unique role in the jazz firmament. http://issueprojectroom.org/drupal/event/charlemagne-palestine-joe-mcphee-steve-dalachinsky
ADMISSION: $25 / $18
SATURDAY, September 7 and SUNDAY, September 8
10 PM and 8 PM Jones Jones
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Vladimir Tarasov (percussion) Mark Dresser (bass) Larry Ochs (saxes)
Ochs and Tarasov met and recorded together when Rova first toured the former USSR in 1983. He was already a legend in the USSR as one of the players in the original Ganelin Trio, as important a band there for “avant-garde” listeners in the ’60s and ’70s as the Art Ensemble of Chicago was here. Dresser met him not long after that, and they performed together intermittently in ensuing years. This trio first performed in the Bay Area in 2008, with tours to Europe in 2009 and 2010. First East Coast performances.
ADMISSION: $15
TUESDAY, September 10
8.30 PM Sylvie Courvoisier Trio with Kenny Wollessen and Drew Gress
VENUE: SPECTRUM
DETAILS: Sylvie Courvoisier, piano; Kenny Wollessen, drums; Drew Gress, bass
ADMISSION: $10-15
THURSDAY, September 12
8:00 PM Marc Ribot / Matana Roberts / Cian Nugent
VENUE: ISSUE Project Room
DETAILS: Ten Years Alive on the Infinite Plain continues this evening featuring the acclaimed guitarist Marc Ribot. Ribot has been called “a master of introverted ironies” by The Village Voice. Over three decades and 19 solo albums, his music has explored diverse genres including Haitian classical music, free jazz, American roots music, and composition for symphony orchestra. He returns for an evening featuring the dynamic saxophonist, composer and improviser Matana Roberts, and the Irish guitarist Cian Nugent, whose striking instrumental folk draws on acoustic Americana traditions.http://issueprojectroom.org/drupal/event/marc-ribot-matana-roberts-cian-nugent
ADMISSION: $12-15
THURSDAY, September 12
7:30 PM Dan Tepfer, piano: “Goldberg Variations / Variations”
VENUE: LPR
DETAILS:The New York City-based Tepfer, born in 1982 in Paris to American parents, has performed with some of the leading lights in jazz, including extensively with veteran saxophone luminary Lee Konitz. His 2011 Sunnyside/Naïve album Goldberg Variations / Variations saw the prize-winning pianist performing J.S. Bach’s masterpiece as well as improvising upon it to “build a bridge across centuries and genres” (Wall Street Journal) in “an impressive feat that keeps coming back to a hearty and abiding respect” (New York Times). http://www.lepoissonrouge.com/lpr_events/dan-tepfer-piano-goldberg-variations-variations-september-12th-2013
ADMISSION: $15-20
SATURDAY, September 14
8:00 PM Pauline Oliveros: “Primordial Lift” / Olivia Block
VENUE: ISSUE Project Room
DETAILS: Pauline Oliveros, composer, performer, author and philosopher, has left a profound imprint American music through her decades of work with improvisation, electronic music, teaching, myth, ritual and meditation. Primordial Lift (1998) is a surreal work for large ensemble centered around a low frequency oscillator, mirroring the resonant frequency of the earth. Chicago-based composer Olivia Block presents the World Premiere of Dissolution (2013), a solo performance crossing field recordings, recorded dialogues, and live processing in a meditation on mistranslation, interference, and disruption.
SUNDAY, September 15
8PM Magda Mayas & Anthea Caddy
VENUE: Roulette
DETAILS: Pianist Magda Mayas and cellist Anthea Caddy, both currently based in Berlin, Germany, showcase their respective recent works. In exploring the textural, percussive, and abstract/ambient possibilities of the acoustic piano – solo and prepared – as well as in other keyboard instruments, Magda Mayas is a leading innovator, marking her astonishing virtuoso technique in the realm of sound collages and visceral noise experiments. With her unique quadraphonic setup and often performing in near-pitch darkness, Anthea Caddy’s performances immerses the audience within the sonic intricacies of the cello, meshing the individual sounds into a larger multidimensional spatial environment. http://roulette.org/events/magda-mayas-anthea-caddy
ADMISSION: $10-15
SUNDAY, September 15 and TUESDAY, September 17
8PM and 10 PM Rocket Science
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Evan Parker (saxes) Peter Evans (trumpets) Sam Pluta (live electronics) Craig Taborn (piano)
ADMISSION: $20
THURSDAY, September 19
8 PM Bleeding Edge Trio
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Peter Evans (trumpet) Okkyung Lee (cello) Evan Parker (saxes)
ADMISSION: $25
FRIDAY, September 20
10 PM Evan Parker and Sylvie Courvoisier
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: Evan Parker (saxes) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)
ADMISSION: $20
SATURDAY September 21
8:00 PM Quartet Collective
VENUE: Littlefield
DETAILS: A part of MOVING SOUNDS FESTIVAL
Quartet Collective brings together four artists in the shared endeavor of experimenting through movement and sound in performance. The search for transdisciplinary understanding of spontaneous action, relationship, and intention takes this group to music venues, galleries and onto dance stages alike. http://www.acfny.org/event/quartet-collective/
ADMISSION: TBA
SUNDAY, September 22
10 pm Rothenberg/Parker – Solos and Duos
VENUE: The Stone
DETAIL: Ned Rothenberg (reeds, shakuhachi) Evan Parker (saxes)
ADMISSION: $20
SUNDAY, September 22
7:00PM LORIN SKLAMBERG AND DAVID ASHKENAZY.
VENUE: Barbes
DETAILS: Singer/instrumentalist Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics teams up with eclectic NYC drum stylist David Ashkenazy for a debut vocal-percussion celebration of choice ethnic songs and dances.
ADMISSION: $10
MONDAY, September 23
7:00 PM The Hermetic Organ
VENUE: St. Paul’s Chapel, 2960 Broadway
DETAILS: Presented by Miller Theatre at Columbia University
John Zorn himself performs on the Columbia University chapel’s incredible Aeolian-Skinner organ.
ADMISSION: free and no tickets are required. Guaranteed seating is available for Miller Theatre “Zorn at 60” All-Access Pass holders only.
WEDNESDAY, September 25
8:00 pm All-Star Orchestra Concert
VENUE: Miller Theatre at Columbia University
DETAILS: John Zorn’s dream team orchestra — 80 players, at last count — performs some of the composer’s great symphonic works, including his masterpiece violin concerto. Featuring violin soloist Christopher Otto and conductor David Fulmer heading up an entire orchestra of soloists.
Suppôts et Supplications (2012) U.S. Premiere
Contes de Fées (1999)
Orchestra Variations (1996)
Kol Nidre (1996)
ADMISSION: from $25
THURSDAY, September 26
8 and 10 PM Krakauer’s Acoustic Klezmer Quartet
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: David Krakauer (clarinets) Will Holshouser (accordion) Jerome Harris (bass) Michael Sarin (percussion) Unplugged versions of Krakauer’s klezmer repertoire ranging from his own quirky originals to traditional tunes.
ADMISSION: $15
FRIDAY, September 27
8:00 PM Zorn’s Game Pieces
VENUE: Miller Theatre at Columbia University
DETAILS: Without dictating any of the notes to be played, these pieces use visual cues and graphic scores to structure the interactions of improvisers, resulting in remarkable (and one-of-a-kind) performances. This program brings together works rarely heard in a single evening and features many of Zorn’s longtime collaborators: Cyro Baptista, John Medeski, Uri Caine, Erik Friedlander, George Lewis, Marc Ribot, and many, many others.
Featuring: Bezique (1989); Cobra (1984); Rugby (1983); Book of Heads (1978); Fencing (1978); Xu Feng (1977-89); Lacrosse (1976)
ADMISSION: from $25
SATURDAY, September 28
10:00 AM–7:00 PM John Zorn—A Museum-Wide Celebration
VENUE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
DETAILS: For an entire day, the Museum’s galleries pulsate with John Zorn’s restless and kinetic sounds, as musicians perform in twelve different galleries during an unprecedented event that marks the creative genius’s 60th birthday. Some of the works presented on this day are Met Museum commissions; others are existing pieces, specifically selected for their organic and sonic relevance to particular gallery spaces.
ADMISSION: Free with Museum admission
SATURDAY, September 28
8 and 10 pm DUO AND TRIO IMPROVISATIONS
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: David Krakauer (clarinets) Jeff Zeigler (cello) Helga Davis (soprano) Todd Reynolds (violin, electronics)
Krakauer is joined by former Kronos cellist Jeff Zeigler, new music soprano extraordinaire Helga Davis and violinist/electronics wizard Todd Reynolds for an evening of new composition and improvisation. ADMISSION: $25
SUNDAY, September 29
8 and 10 PM Krakauer with Strings
VENUE: The Stone
DETAILS: David Krakauer (clarinet, bass clarinet) Cornelius Dufallo, Abigale Reisman (violins) Margaret Dyer (viola) Jeff Zeigler (cello)
Krakauer has assembled an all star string quartet to play Osvaldo Golijov’s monumental “Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind” (performed in both sets) plus arrangements and improvisations.
ADMISSION: $25
MONDAY, September 30
8:00 PM Wet Ink Ensemble & Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Septet
VENUE: Roulette
DETAILS:
Set 1: Wet Ink Ensemble
Composition 227 by Anthony Branxton
Verkündigung by Peter Ablinger
Set 2: Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Septet
Evan Parker, saxophones
George Lewis, trombone and electronics
Ikue Mori, electronics
Ned Rothenberger, clarinets
Peter Evans, trumpet
Okkung Lee, cello
Sam Pluta, electronics http://roulette.org/events/wet-ink-ensemble-evan-parker-electro-acoustic-septet/
ADMISSION: $15-20
