The music of the Canadian composer Claude Vivier (1948-1983) combines diverse influences–from the the cerebral constructions of the European avant-garde to exoticist borrowings from East Asia– into a haunting and inimitable artistic voice. Vivier‘s intense and colorful music mirrors his life as an eccentric and bon vivant who met a tragic death at the age of 34. The Arcana New Music Ensemble will perform a selection of this rarely performed music, ranging from the shatteringly virtuosic piano work Shiraz to the ritualistic intonations of Et je reverrai cette ville étrange (“And I will see this strange city again”), which is based, like much of his music, on the unfolding elaboration of a single melodic line.
PROGRAM
Greeting Music
Prema Kesselman, flute
Evan Ocheret, oboe
Erin Busch, cello
David Hughes, piano
Andy Thierauf, percussion
Hymnen An Die Nacht
Alize Rosznyai, soprano
David Hughes, piano
Shiraz
David Hughes, piano
Pulau Dewata
David Hughes, piano
Andy Thierauf, percussion
Et Je Reverrai Cette Ville Étrange (“EJR”)
Tessa Ellis, trumpet
Veronica Jurkiewicz, viola
Erin Busch, cello
Davi Ciriaco, bass
David Hughes, piano
Andy Thierauf, percussion
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
The Arcana New Music Ensemble is Bowerbird’s resident ensemble for performing interesting, beautiful, and unconventional music in interesting, beautiful, and unconventional spaces. Founded in 2016, the ensemble comprises a flexible roster of more than 30 musicians and performs regularly in Philadelphia. Past concerts have featured the music of Julius Eastman, Galina Ustvolskaya, Morton Feldman, Moondog, among others.