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Aspen Music Festival features works by Pierre Jalbert, Matthias Pintscher, Luke Bedford, Rufus Wainwright, Luciano Berio and Arvo Pärt

Jul. 08, 2014

Aspen Music Festival features works by Pierre Jalbert, Matthias Pintscher, Luke Bedford, Rufus Wainwright, Luciano Berio and Arvo Pärt

The Aspen Music Festival, which annually brings invigorating performances and programming to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, is again in full swing for its 65th anniversary season, with an impressive lineup of performances featuring works by Pierre Jalbert, Matthias Pintscher, Luke Bedford, Rufus Wainwright, Luciano Berio, Arvo Pärt and more. This season’s programming follows the theme of “The New Romantics,” which acknowledges the return to Romanticism of many contemporary composers and views a large spectrum of compositions, new and beloved, through the lens of Romanticism.

On June 28, the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, under the direction of Sydney Hodkinson, gave the US premiere of Luke Bedford’s Wonderful No-Headed Nightingale. Scored for an ensemble of ten players, the work takes its title from a 19th-century poster advertising Millie and Christine McCoy, a pair of singing conjoined-twins. On July 14, the Festival’s chamber music series features a performance of Pierre Jalbert’s violin and piano duo, Wild Ambrosia. Though in one continuous movement, the shape of the piece reflects the dichotomy of its title: “ambrosia”, coming from the ancient Greek term for the food and drink of the Gods, refers to the lyrical aspects of the piece, with “wild” moments reflected in more virtuosic passages.

Beloved American soprano Deborah Voigt visits the Festival on July 30 with a recital featuring scenes from Rufus Wainwright’s recent opera, Prima Donna. On the following evening, pianist Andreas Haefliger performs selections from Luciano Berio’s Six Encores for solo piano: Wasserklavier, Erdenklavier, Feuerklavier and Luftklavier.

On August 7, pianist Inon Barnatan delivers the US premiere of Matthias Pintscher’s whirling tissue of light. Jointly commissioned by the Wigmore Hall, The Royal Concertgebouw and Aspen Music Festival, whirling tissue of light was premiered in London by Barnatan in September 2013.

Closing out the Festival is a performance of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres for string orchestra and percussion by the Aspen Festival Orchestra. The performance, which takes place on August 17, is conducted by Robert Spano.

Additional performances of works from the Schott|EAM catalogue include Thomas Adès’s Dances from Powder Her Face on July 8, Paul Hindemith’s Konzertmusik for piano, brass and two harps on July 12, Frank Martin’s Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke with mezzo-soprano Monica Groop on July 22, George Gershwin’s Catfish Row on July 25, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Robert Spano leading the Aspen Festival Orchestra and soprano Sasha Cooke on July 27, György Ligeti’s Concert Românesc led by Hugh Wolff on August 1, and Anton Webern’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10 and Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op. 24 on August 5 and 8.

For complete festival details, please visit www.aspenmusicfestival.com.

Click below for more information on the composers:
Thomas Adès | Luke Bedford | Luciano Berio | George Gershwin
Paul Hindemith | Pierre Jalbert | György Ligeti | Gustav Mahler | Frank Martin
Arvo Pärt | Matthias Pintscher | Rufus Wainwright | Anton Webern

Luke Bedford
Wonderful No-Headed Nightingale (2012)
for chamber ensemble
flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trombone, two violins, viola, violoncello, double bass
8’ 

Pierre Jalbert
Wild Ambrosia (2010)
for violin and piano
11’ 

Rufus Wainwright
Prima Donna (2009)
opera in two acts
libretto (Fr) by Rufus Wainwright and Bernadette Colomine
3(3.pic).2(2.ca).3(2.Ebcl, 3.bcl).2.cbsn-4.3(1, 2, 3.ptp).2.btbn.0-timp.2perc-hp.org.pno.cel-str
130’ 

Luciano Berio
Erdenklavier (1969)
for solo piano
2’

Wasserklavier (1965)
for solo piano
2’

Luftklavier (1985)
for solo piano
2’

Feuerklavier (1989)
for solo piano
2’

Matthias Pintscher
whirling tissue of light (2013)
for solo piano

Arvo Pärt
Fratres (1977/1991)
for string orchestra and percussion
10’

Thomas Adès
Dances from Powder Her Face (2007)
for orchestra
3.3.3.2.cbsn-4.3.3.1-timp.3perc-hp.pno-str
11’

Paul Hindemith
Konzertmusik, Op. 49 (1930)
for piano, brass and two harps
21’

Frank Martin
Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke (1942/1943)
text (Ger) by Rainer Maria Rilke
for alto and small orchestra
2.1.1.asax.1-2.1.1.0-timp.2perc-hp.cel.pno-str
60’

George Gershwin
Catfish Row Suite (1935)
for orchestra (arr. Steven D. Bowen)
2(2.pic).2(2.ca).4(4.bcl).1-3.3.2.1-timp.2perc-banjo.pno-str
28’

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 3 (1895-1896)
for alto, boys choir, female choir and orchestra
4.4.5.4-8.4.4.1-2timp.8perc-2hp.str
90’ 

György Ligeti
Concerto Românesc (1951)
for orchestra
2(2.pic.).2 (2.ca).2.2-3.2.0.0-2perc-str
12’ 

Anton Webern
Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10 (1911-1913)
1.1.2.0-1.1.1.0-4perc-hp.cel.harm.mand.gtr-str
6’

Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op. 24 (1934)
1.1.1.0-1.1.1.0-pno-vn.va
8’

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