New Music Ottawa

Chamberfest: Berg's Lyric Suite and Gellman's Musings.

2009-08-08T14:26:00.001-04:00

Today at noon marked the third to last concert of this year’s Chamberfest, which included not only Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, but a world premiere of Steven Gellman’s Musings, commissioned and performed by none other than this year’s Chamberfest artistic directors, the Gryphon Trio. Hosted by Gary Kulesha, there was chance for the performers and Mr. Gellman to illuminate different aspects of the works presented.

The concert began with Steven Gellman introducting his work, giving the audience a chance to see into the inner workings of the composer. Gellman expounded on his phases as a composer, ranging from the extremely experimental, to his current take on creating works of greater depth and accessibility. While I disagree with the notion that experimental composition lacks depth, I understand his desire to more readily connect with his audience. With that in mind, his work showed a heritage of experimental practice combined with a sensibility of accessibility. Although I wasn’t that ‘into’ the work in it’s entirety, feeling like some things did not really come together, there were many interesting ideas in contrast and texture, and I found that the slow movement, a duet between the violin, stood apart from the rest.

The second piece on the program, Berg’s Lyric Suite, began with St. Lawrence String Quartet’s own Geoff Nuttall detailing not only the inner compositional workings of the piece, but also the ’secret’ programmatic aspect. Basically, nearly fifty years after the work’s inception, a score was discovered amongst Berg’s possessions that contained a detailed programme outlining how the piece relates to his love affair with a woman named Hannah Fuchs-Robettin.

The Lyric Suite being amongst my favourite works, I was excited and pleased to hear the St. Lawrence String Quartet perform. They attacked the music with the sort of intensity required to draw out its passion, moving from idea to idea, contrast to contrast in nearly seamless transition. To add to it, they also played with a sort of dramatic flair that much of the standard string quartet repertoire does not allow for.

Finally, the audience, as was my listening partner, seemed a little shaken by the police sirens and loudly revving motorbike accompinament provided by the street outside. However, it may be seen as testament to St. Lawrence’s engaging performance that the audience truly wanted to stay focused. I also cannot help to add that we do live in a loud modern world, and that post-John-Cagean philosophy tells us to embrace all listening moments, especially when we can’t to anything to change them!

Craig Pedersen
www.craigpedersen.com
www.newmusicottawa.blogspot.com
www.chamberfest.wordpress.com

Creative program at Chamberfest 2009

2009-08-04T00:55:00.001-04:00

I feel like I have been attending more and more concerts and writing less and less. I went to three concerts yesterday, and one today! I am extremely impressed by the level of thoughful programming that has gone into this festival. I hate to pick favourites, so I won't! I will say, however, that every couple of days I find myself telling a friend that they missed something amazing, possibly the "best concert yet". Needless to say, I think it's time to let go of the quantifying and get to some qualifying, in an effort to pinpoint pieces of what it is that I find successful about the concerts I have attended.

I think it is safe to say that the concerts I have enjoyed the most have all taken place at the festival's late night "club" at St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts and Humanities. What is it, though, that makes this space so special?

For starters, the atmosphere is casual. Listeners are afforded the opportunity to have a drink, eat some food and share a conversation between songs without drawing too much attention. Second, the space, albeit crowded and hot, provides a sense of intimacy and connection between audience members and performers. Third, while it may seem safe to say that all the performers at the festival are performing at a high quality, there is something that seems to set some performers apart, that goes hand in hand with having an alternative venue. For me, alternative venues leave room for ALTERNATIVE AND CREATIVE PROGRAMMING that isn't always considered appropriate in the concert hall.

Take for instance the late night concerts which I have attended: Jonathan and Jennifer Swartz's violin/harp duo playing their own arrangements of twentieth-century classics. Fratelli Della Casa using barebones 'lead sheets' to arrange and improvised upon seventeenth-century popular tunes. Fright Night with Poe, in which performers created a theatrical and musical re-telling of Poe's works, including narration, visuals, acting and of course, great music and storytelling. Finally, this evening's concert with the New Berlin Ensemble and their set of music entitled L’accordéoniste in which they performed German, Italian and French cabaret music.

What here, is the common trend which the late night venue aptly supports? Musicians who think outside of the box and are involved in not only performing music, but arranging, writing and perhaps most importantly, interacting with it. To quote Gary Kulesha at last night's "New Music Dialogues": Music is a living art form!

Craig Pedersen
www.craigpedersen.com
www.newmusicottawa.blogspot.com
www.chamberfest.wordpress.com

Mussorgsky and Symond.

2009-07-27T18:47:00.002-04:00

Last night's Fright Night at Saint Brigid's was an experience in storytelling. During first half, as I listened to Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death, a few thoughts came to me. I was reflecting upon the way that great storytelling can be what separates a good singer from a great. Take for instance, Pomakov and the Mussorgsky. Here we have a work that ponders different aspects of death - from that of a child, to a mother, to nature and finally the death of soldiers in war. The objective elements of the music are in place: the notes, rhythms, dynamics, etc., and of course the text or story. The storytelling paradox of the work, however, lies in the fact that the text is in Russian, and that the average western concert-goer will not explicitly understand the meaning of the text. We are left then, with the performer, Pomakov, who, having mastered the objective standards of the song, must then imply the meaning of the text through his control of emotion, nuance, body language, and movement, in an effort draw in the audience, and share with them the content of the repertoire. This is no small feat, and may account for why we can consider Pomakov's performance last night to be not only good, but great.

Unbeknown to me, the second half of the concert would share a different treatment of storytelling, as performers took the stage to present Canadian composer Norm Symonds' setting of Oscar Wylde's The Canterville Ghost. Here, however, the text was explicit and easy to understand, while the accompanying music was more abstract. Instead of the musical expression illuminating the meaning of the text, as in the Mussorgsky, the text in Symonds' work served, in a way, to illustrate the meaning of the sounds which accompanied it.

I found that in many ways, Symonds' musical accompaniment was reminiscent of the music we often find backing a cartoon - extremely programmatic, over the top, often whimsical and at times serious (if not a hair overdramatic). In reflection, I can see how one may used those same descriptors to describe the literary work's of Wilde. It was this way that Symonds was able to marry the text with music. The piece was well executed and extremely entertaining.

This concert was an example of the type of artistic and innovative programming that creates a stimulating musical atmosphere in which our art form can be supported and flourish. Keep it up!

Craig Pedersen
www.craigpedersen.com
www.newmusicottawa.blogspot.com
(cross-posted at www.chamberfest.wordpress.com)

Chamberfest: Opening Night.

2009-07-26T16:02:00.003-04:00

Opening Night.

The James Ehnes/Jon Kimura Parker concert last night was wonderful. I really only have one point to touch upon in this entry. For me, it was a delight to see the interaction and interplay between these two performers. Chamber music is largely dependent upon the abilities of performers to connect to one another’s musical sensibilities and then present a united front whereby they can turn outwards and share the music with their audience. Knowing that the repertoire for last evening’s concert is dependent upon such interplay – whether it was Mozart’s exploration of the interactive potential between the violin and piano or Ravel’s belief that the instruments are “fundamentally incompatible” – I went into the concert with a real sense of what to listen for.

From the outset of the Mozart, it was clear that both Ehnes and Parker are seasoned professionals that share a musical intuition and sense of storytelling. Their abilities to shift gears at the drop of a hat, or to turn their energies on a dime is a treat for concert-goers. From beginning to end, they created their space and shared with the audience their appreciation for this music, even through the less compelling parts of the repertoire.

Craig Pedersen
www.craigpedersen.com
www.newmusicottawa.blogspot.com
(this post has been cross-posted at chamberfest.wordpress.com)

Chamber Music Festival.

2009-07-18T12:38:00.002-04:00

Hey all,

I've updated the calendar to include all things relevant from the upcoming Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.

This year I have been asked to blog all the concerts I go to, so expect to see some posts here in the next couple of weeks. Also check out http://chamberfest.wordpress.com/ to see what other people are saying.

Keep it real,

Craig

Jazz Festival?

2009-06-17T20:49:00.002-04:00

Hey, it's not the sort of thing we usually post on this blog, but (A) there ain't much else goin' on, and (B) these look pretty interesting. The 2008 festival's "Ottawa Composers Collective" concert was certainly something of interest to new music enthusiasts.

This year's festival offers a number of workshops that sound promising. You can find them here.

You may also want to check out Dave Douglas's "Brass Ectasy" on June 25th. Maria Schneider is also an amazing composer and arranger, playing on the 29th.

Hey, Weinzweig!

R.

June!

2009-05-29T10:17:00.002-04:00

Hey music lovers,

Is everyone looking as forward to tonight's Musica Nova concert as I am? Things are starting to happen in the capital city!

Well, they were. April was a pretty good month for new music if you dug deep enough. May wasn't bad. June and July appear to be drier than a witch's... well, you get the idea. What a bummer!

I have added two items to the calendar. The bad news is, they're both for tomorrow, and the worse news is, they're at the exact same time!

One is the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, which will have some Hindemith and Wieniawski. The other show is pianist Dina Namer, playing music of 20th-C. Israeli (is that a redundancy?) composers and Bloch, in honour of the 50th anniversary of his death. I've got a bit of an inside scoop, because Dina lives next door - she sounds amazing!! :)

Here's hoping something comes together for June and July. I'll be out of town during the chamber music festival, but I know there'll be something for us there, so I'll do my best to get events on the calendar.

If things don't pick up, we may have to take matters into our own hands!! Actually, we are! Craig and I, along with flutist/composer Aura Giles, are working on a new music concert series, kicking off in the fall. You can be absolutely sure that we will advertise like crazy on this blog for those shows!!

Enjoy the rain!

-Ryan

May

2009-05-07T13:36:00.002-04:00

It's a busy time of year!! I will continue to update this blog, but for the moment, I'll focus on getting events onto the calendar. Check out all the events for May, and let us know if we're missing anything.

Don't miss the Celebration of Canadian Music on the 29th!

More About April

2009-04-03T15:51:00.003-04:00

April 4 (yes, tomorrow!): Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji will be playing Schubert, Beethoven, Bloch, and a piece she commissioned from Avner Dorman. Since winning First Prize at the 1999 Paganini Competition - the first Japanese and youngest artist to do so - Shoji is regularly invited to perform on some the world's most prestigious stages. Recent highlights include performances at the Salzburg Easter Festival with the Berlin Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons, the London Symphony Orchestra's 100th Anniversary Asia tour with Sir Colin Davis, highly successful tours of Europe and South America with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Bychkov, and of Japan with the New York Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel. Her accompanist is French pianist Julien Quentin, and they'll be playing at St. John's Church (Elgin & Somerset). Tickets, at $40 general, $30 for seniors, $20 for students and $60 for reserved seats near the stage, are available online at arsnova.ca and will be sold at the door. Information: 819-682-2693.

April 5: Concerts-in-the-Glebe, Glebe-St. James United Church (Lyon St. and First Ave.), 4 p.m. Joan Harrison, cello, and Elaine Keillor, piano present "Musical Links between France and Canada", works by Farrenc, Coulthard, and Guerrero. $7-15 or pay what you can.

April 16: Together with Swedish musicians Roland Pöntinen (piano) and Svante Henrysson (cello), Martin Fröst presents his "Beyond All Clarinet History Project" (B.A.C.H.). Martin Fröst performs regularly in leading concert halls and with major orchestras worldwide. Fröst is a charismatic and multitalented soloist and his ambition to explore new aspects of musical creativity is also a great inspiration to many composers. In 2008 he was nominated for a Swedish Grammy and for the prestigious Swedish Export Prize. The concert is at St. Matthew's Church at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: www.arsnova.ca Reserved: $60.00 General: $40.00
Seniors: $30.00 (65 & over) Students: $20.00

April 24: As part of the BC Scene goings-on, the Borealis String Quartet has programmed some music by one of my favorite Canadian composers, Imant Raminsh. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.

April 27: Also part of the BC Scene - Francois Houle! Don't miss this one. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.

May 1: BC Scene presents the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with some music by BC composer Jeffrey Ryan. 8pm at the NAC. click here for details.

Late March & April Lineup

2009-03-18T21:02:00.003-04:00

March 20: workshop of Dean Burry's opera-in-progress, "The Bremen Town Musicians". 12pm at the NAC Fourth Stage. It's a family (read: child-friendly) opera, so it may not be too envelope-pushing, but it's a great opportunity to see the process of art.

March 22: An evening of vocal music featuring Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, Debussy's Ariettes oubliées, an aria from Mozart's opera Mitridate, re di Ponto, and songs by Ives and Britten. Susan Lines (soprano), Carole Portelance (mezzo), Teresa van den Boogaard (piano), and Marlene Basarab (piano). St. Luke's Anglican Church, 760 Somerset West.

March 29: Anne-Julie Caron, marimba. Works by Piazzolla and Abe. Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, 120 Rue Principale, Gatineau.

April 3: Thirteen Strings and Anne-Julie Caron (again!!), marimba. Music of Raats, Sejourne, Vasks, and others. 8pm at St. Andrew's Church (Kent at Wellington).

April 18 & 19: Cantata Singers of Ottawa present music by Willan, Dallapicolla, Lauridsen, Whitacre, Sjolund, and Henderson. Apr. 18: Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Ave., 8pm Apr. 19: Orleans United Church, 1111 Orleans blvd., 3pm.

April 30: Alain Trudel conducts the NACO in a concert of music by British Columbian composers. Features Sharman, Morlock, and others. National Arts Centre, 8pm.

March Already?

2009-03-01T20:02:00.003-05:00

Yes. It's March. And this blog has been silent for a while. Sorry about that.

There are a few exciting events coming up, and they've been added to the calendar.

March 6th at 3:30pm, A lecture recital with composer Aris Carastathis. Carleton University, Loeb A900. Carleton Music's Contemporary Music Ensemble, aided by some special guests, will perform his works.

On March 8th, at 7:30pm, Trillium will perform the music of Piazzolla, Martinu, and two Ottawa composers: Glen Morley and Margrit Cattell. We really shouldn't miss this one! It's at St. Luke's (760 Somerset West). Trillium is Cathy Baerg (flute), Steven Smith (cello), and Joan Milliken (piano).

On March 15th, at the Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, salle La Basoche (120 rue Principale, Gatineau (Aylmer sector)), there's a concert accordion recital by Pierre-Paul Provencher featuring works by Kusyakov and Abbott. Here's the kicker: it's at 11am! Hope to see you there.

On March 18th, at 12:15pm, there's a saxophone and piano recital at First Baptist Church Ottawa (Laurier at Elgin). No word on the repertoire, but the odds are good that it'll be modern. Billy Boulet, sax, and Tony Dunn, piano.

March 21st brings us the music of Ottawa composer Jan Jarvlepp. At 8pm, l'Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau will play his Double Concerto for Flute and English Horn, at the Salle Odyssée de la Maison de la culture de Gatineau. The program is otherwise all-Ravel!

That should keep us all satisfied for the next few weeks!

Two documents

2009-03-01T18:29:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone.

Calendar update coming soon.

In the mean time, here are 2 articles which I have written. I hope you will enjoy!
The first is a review of Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery
http://www.craigpedersen.com/pdfs/review-effortlessmastery.pdf

and the second is a paper on improvisation and semiotics
http://www.craigpedersen.com/pdfs/improvisation.pdf

Enjoy!

Craig

Answers to "Some Questions"

2009-01-15T15:40:00.002-05:00

For my Business of Music course at the University of Ottawa, we were asked to read this article by Greg Sandow, and provide a synopsis and reflection. I've chosen to post my response here. Enjoy. ---Craig.

In his reflection, “Some Questions”, Sandow presents a series of inquiries to help explain why the classical music industry is shrinking, and potentially failing. Seeing as his reflections and questions are based mainly on his own experiences, I would like to reflect upon his questions through my own perspective.

1.) Sandow asks “Why isn’t the audience more active in the classical music world”, and more pertinently, “why don’t they get more involved with the music itself?” When I consider my personal experience of studying music, having done so enthusiastically for almost 10 years before understanding that listening to music is a dialogue, and before discovering the literature the communities that understood that music works beyond sound and relationships, that it is an organism that lives as long as we live, and that we must care for it, communicate to it, tend to it, and make the effort to understand it, and then still have questions of what it is and how it works and why it matters obscured I wonder the following: If after ten years of searching and caring, I finally barely understand this, can we blame the average listener, who started in the same place and had the same formative education as me, for be not being active and involved?

2.) Next, Sandow asks why people inside classical music institutions don’t talk about music more? He wonders why there are not more musician-conductor-staff-board-audience dialogues? I don’t really have an answer to this, but to me, a lack of communication indicates a serious problem. There is something in the ‘hierarchy’ of the classical music industry that promotes this attitude. In amateur music circles, musicians are passionate about music, playing with fervor, and care. Yet, for many in the average professional music world, however, the spark seems gone. However, it seems to me that an antiquated view professionalism is employed daily in the music world. To clarify, professionalism often means “show up on time, keep your mouth shut and play it right, the first time.” It’s the latter two points that interest me the most. What is to become of an art form when there is no room for or the dialogue. Part of passion is the drive to push oneself to the limits, exploring and trying new artistic ideas. I’m certain that art is not about doing it right.

3.) Why do we advertise classical music so badly? Sandow seems to conclude that most press releases and program notes are ego based, talking about the apparent greatness of the performer, composer, work, or all three. It is arguable that many of my colleagues were educated in institutions that valued ‘fact’ and ‘reason’ over emotional content. We were taught to develop rational skills, and to view the world – including the arts – through this lens. Music is wonderful because it allows us to explore other, experiential, human aspects of our life. There are things in the world that exists as a combination of mind and heart. But we’re never ever told this. This is the big secret. And so, what do we have but ‘facts’ and ‘history’ in our advertising.

4.) What do we ourselves get from all these concerts? I would like to argue that many performers, don’t get much out of the experience. For many, it’s a job. A job they love, but ultimately, a job. For me, it’s always been about learning the skills, playing it right and then maybe, just maybe having time to add your personal interpretation, and connect to the experience. Far too often I feel like we are craftsmen, or even technicians? Why do so many talented musicians leave the field? Is it because it’s not rewarding enough? And I’m not talking financially. The good players always have a gig. But it’s not rewarding to be a technician of music. It’s not what we signed up for, but it’s what the industry Sandow speaks of can resign us to.

5.) Why doesn’t classical music get closer to pop? There is a divide between “high” and “low” art. As Sandow pointed out, some pop is truly cheap and commercial, while some is not. To refute all popular music on the basis of the cheap and commercial is to refute all classical music because of Andre Rieu. Consider that serious pop music accepts and promotes dialogue between performer and the listener. Furthermore, I’ve never known my friends in popular music to be afraid of expression or doing making their music ‘wrong.’ Most of my colleagues who write and perform popular music use it as a medium to express something personal the them.

6.) Why don’t we play more new music? We do. It’s just a little bit more ‘underground’. Furthermore, maybe the industry has alienated people. Maybe it has been too intellectual, or too uncompromising. Maybe the balance is off. Maybe people do try to care, but when there’s nothing there but a brick wall that says ‘you don’t know shit, so don’t even bother, man”.

7.) Why aren’t we part of contemporary life? I don’t know. I feel like I can understand, but that in order to express it I would need to be in a dialogue with everyone who is reading this.

Sandow raises one final question: Why are we in crisis? Why haven’t we attracted a new audience? For the answer to these questions and more, see #1 through 7 above.

Hatzis's Constantinople Canceled!

2009-01-05T14:57:00.004-05:00

Yeah. What a bummer. No word on why it was canceled. I had put it on the calendar, but I hadn't posted about it yet. Click here to read about Constantinople.

I'm going to be out of the country then anyhow... so I guess now I don't have to be sad about missing it. Still, it's too bad.

The Gryphon Trio, who were going to be producing and performing the multimedia work, will instead be performing an all-Beethoven fundraiser for the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. The members of the Gryphon Trio are the artistic directors for the Chamber Festival, which just lost a lot of government funding. My guess is, they think they can sell more tickets to a concert of non-challenging "old chestnuts" (relatively speaking). They might be right. Maybe they'll take this fundraiser money and use it to mount Constantinople during the festival itself, perhaps to a larger audience. That's my baseless hope, anyway.

I'll drop them a line and see what I can find out.

-Ryan

ps- don't get me wrong; I love Beethoven. If I was going to be around to see the Gryphons and Nesrallah, I'd go. Being a knee-jerk supporter of creative concert music in Ottawa doesn't preclude the enjoyment of music by more established composers!

Some January events - UPDATED

2009-01-03T17:20:00.004-05:00

Howdy, new music enthusiasts!

Well, the back half of December was unsettlingly traditional (attention fellow composers: we need to write some avant-garde xmas music!), but January has a few instances of new sounds for you.

Mike Essoudry kicks things off on the 10th with his jazz octet at the NAC's Fourth Stage. Yeah, it's not the sort of thing we usually plug on here, but with the amazing Petr Cancura on saxophone, we can be assured of things going in very exciting new directions. Also, the trumpet player is an old friend of mine, so, you know. It's $21 ($15 for students) and starts at 7pm.

Pianists Catherine Donkin & Amelie Langlois are putting on a recital of piano duets as part of the recital series at St. Luke's church. In addition to works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, they'll be performing the music of Derek Healy, who was, for a brief period during the 1970s, a Canadian composer. January 11th, St. Luke's Anglican Chuch (760 Somerset West), 7:30pm, admission by donation.

On January 16th, Ottawa's Thirteen Strings bring cellist Amanda Forsyth on board to play music by Joly Braga Santos and Dvarionas, among other Spanish composers. Tickets are $35 ($30 seniors, $10 students); the show starts at 8pm, at St. Andrew's Church (82 Kent st.).

Whose Solo is it Anyway? I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this show... but that fact alone convinced me to include it here. "Audience-directed musical improvisation... free jazz meets chamber music meets improv theatre". It could be a lot of fun. Nine musicians from the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra will be performing. 8pm on January 17th at the NAC Fourth Stage, $20.

Also on the 17th, Gatineau's Ensemble Prisme will put on a show called "Les Grands Quintettes", featuring quintet music by Hindemith, Hetu, Nielsen, and Beethoven (now that's the kind of balance I like to see). It's at 8pm, Salle Jean-Desprez (25 rue Laurier, Gatineau), and tickets are $22, $20 (seniors), and $10 (students). I'm really looking forward to this one - not only is there lots of music that's less than 100 years old, but I like the idea of a whole concert devoted to the genre of quintets. The Hindemith and Hetu are standard woodwind quintets, but the others are less usual combinations of instruments.

The Ottawa Chamber Music Society presents the Borodin Quartet, who'll be playing Beethoven, Borodin, and Shebalin on January 18th. It's at 3pm at Dominion-Chalmers United Church (355 Cooper St.). See the OCMS website for ticket info.

Capital Brassworks will be celebrating their tenth anniversary with a concert conducted by Alain Cazes. No official word on the repertoire, but between you and me, they'll be premiering something of mine; it definitely qualifies as 'new music' when the ink isn't quite dry! January 30th, 7:30pm, Centretown United Church (507 Bank street).

That's all for now - I'll do some more hunting and see what I can come up with. Aura Giles, if you're reading this, when does your concert series start?

-Ryan

Don't Panic!

2009-01-03T16:59:00.002-05:00

No, this blog is not dead. There weren't many New Music events happening, and I guess I got fully into vacation mode.

There are some cool things coming up. I'm working on the calendar and a new post right now.

-Ryan

Kulesha Premiere

2008-11-25T23:24:00.003-05:00

WOW, there's a lot of cool stuff happening this week! Check out the calendar!!

-RP

November 28: Thomas Annand, 8pm, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica

Ottawa organist Thomas Annand will present a recital marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Olivier Messiaen.

Presented as part of the Pro Organo series, Annand's recital will include Messiaen's Messe de la Pentecôte and pieces connected to Messiaen or to the church where he performed in Paris.

Other composers will include Alexandre Guilmant, Marcel Dupré and Naji Hakim. The recital will also include the premiere of Canadian composer Gary Kulesha's Sonatine. Kulesha studied the organ and has said that his style has been influenced by Messiaen's language and techniques.

Tickets: $20 general, $15 seniors, $10 students. Information: 613-728-8041.

Link to Naji Hakim website.

Link to Gary Kulesha website.

Link to Thomas Annand bio.

I agree

2008-11-22T00:48:00.002-05:00

You know Ryan, I agree with you. There is something too exclusive about the term CREATIVE concert music. We discussed on the phone a few weeks back that a depth of engagement seems to be important to us. This concept of not merely repeating, but engaging material from many aspects, and connecting with it as a means to create something relevant. As I reflect, I have found a few interesting points. It seems that we really are supporting more than one thing, and that giving a single name might not work. Even though 'new' and 'contemporary' have become dated terms, they are still referring to something which we are supporting - a movement of composers to expand the possibilities of music beyond the pre-20C models. Furthermore, there is a spectrum of how far composers push. Some revolutionize, others continue the evolution of the tradition, while others arguably do both. There is also this aspect of supporting music that is on the cutting edge of the present - recently finished, in progress, improvised, or not even thought of yet.

I have no ambition to present or support a unified new music aesthetic. You are onto something with this idea of 'music of the last 100 years'. One could say that we are supporting music from the 20C to the present, and leave it to our discretion after that. I feel that if we start getting too specific, we'll not only alienate others, but probably alienate ourselves. I would much rather be a little too inclusive than exclusive.

C.

Creative Concert Music

2008-11-21T13:17:00.002-05:00

I like the term. My only qualm is with the "creative" modifier. It's a little exclusionary.

It's one thing to attach labels like "romantic" and say that "Mozart was not a Romantic composer". Even though one might be able to find elements of romanticism, it's not the defining characteristic of his work. But I think it's potentially dangerous to call current-era music "creative", because it suggests "Mozart was not a Creative composer," with which many, myself included, would take issue.

The problem with labeling current-era music is that composers are no longer trying to write according to a particular style. It's a complete free-for-all. The more accurate terms "new" and "modern" were applied so long ago that they aren't literal anymore, and we've had to invent oxymoronic terms like "postmodern".

I don't have a solution to offer. I think I'm going to start referring to "concert music of the past 100 years", but I need a nickname for it. The problem with that term is that it shifts - it won't mean the same thing tomorrow as it did today. But it ought to do until I think of something better.

I very much like the addition of the word "concert" to our term. I hope we don't run into problems with it as some of our contemporaries attempt to erase borders between concert and pop by performing in pubs and bars...

Imperfection

2008-11-18T13:03:00.001-05:00

"The German chemist Ernst Fischer mused that "as machines become more and more efficient and perfect, so it will become clear that imperfection is the greatness of man." A creature designed by an engineer might never know love, never enjoy art, never see the point of poetry. From the perspective of brute rationality, time spent making and appreciating art is time that could be "better" spent gathering nuts for winter. From my perspective, the arts are part of the joy of human existence. By all means, let us make poetry out of ambiguity, song and literature out of emotion and irrationality."

-Gary Marcus, "Kluge"

Link to klugethebook.com

More mandate ideas.

2008-11-17T22:31:00.003-05:00

This is an edited version of my statement. I wanted to change something. I am taking a cue from the Canadian New Music Network FORUM 2009 in Montreal, to change my CREATIVE ARTS statement to CREATIVE CONCERT MUSIC.

Ryan,

I think that you are right about the question of semantics. There are just so many dimensions to classification. For instance, we have a broad definition of classical music which encompasses a long lineage that has evolved from a specific tradition. It often includes pre-classical and modern pursuits. Notwithstanding its vagueness, the terms serves a purpose (if not as a means for many to elevate it, and categorize it as more artful, or better, etc...). However, we also have the term classical, which refers to a certain period, and to those savvy to the genre, invokes a certain expectation.

To clarify/make ambiguous, we can draw reference to dance movements. Within dance, we have contemporary and modern movements, neither of which are currently contemporary or modern. To confuse things even more, in philosophic terms, we have Modern, which isn't always now, and Post-modern, which comes ambiguously after Modern, but might not be now either.

And so, we run into the same problems in music. We have new music, which isn't new, and contemporary music, which isn't contemporary. From this I have drawn a few conclusions that may be useful. Genres date themselves when they refer to a subjective point of time, ie: contemporary, modern and new. However, a movement that refers to somethings specific, whether a temporal period, or a style, seem to be more lasting. Jazz may be a good place to look for non-temporal genres (although, it also has "modern" jazz). Ragtime, swing, bebop (and all the other bops), free, fusion, all seem to evoke something specific. And so, as I reflect, I feel that we need something non-temporal, that reflects a grounding in an idea, or philosophy that we adhere to. As such, I would like to propose something along the lines of the CREATIVE CREATIVE CONCERT MUSIC.

I believe that it's broad enough to encompass many things, including media arts like the Electric Fields festival, but specific enough to weed out Strauss. In also invokes a philosophy of timelessness - always on the edge, pushing and creating new ideas, ways of thinking. Moving us beyond our comfort zone while drawing on a sense tradition (even in rejection of it, as nothing is without context).

I think these ideas will help us to chose and clarify our mandate.

Mandate Questions

2008-11-15T13:37:00.002-05:00

Craig,
Okay, let's kick off this discussion. Here's the email I sent you the other day:

Something I've been meaning to ask you regarding the blog... what's our cutoff point for what constitutes "new music"? It doesn't have to be absolutely rigid, but we should probably at least discuss it a bit.
My suggestion is: music written by a composer who wrote most of their music after 1900. If anyone falls on the cusp, we use our judgement. So technically Richard Strauss and Bartok fall under this definition, but no - they're pretty mainstream (not that there's anything wrong with that). I wasn't sure about including Webern, like I think I mentioned, but it's still challenging enough to the modern ear that I wanted to go for it, even though he was only 10 years younger than Strauss.
Do you have any thoughts on this? I just added a concert that's gonna have some Healy Willan on it. Willan's solidly in the 20th-century (in time if not in style), plus he's Canadian (which has nothing to do with the blog per se, but I have a soft spot for local boys). His music is pretty neo-rom though. I'm on the fence about it.
R.

Here's your reply:

Well, I think that we have to decide if we're supporting 20C+ music, 'new' music or contemporary music, which, are kind of all different things. 20C+ music is easy: written in 20thC and later. New music is tough, but it generally gives the aesthetic of post-tonal to me. Yet, that isn't rigid. Verklarte Nacht is still pretty romantic. For me, contemporary music deals with the present. Things that are going on now. But, I think that post 1900 is a good start, with the cusp being judgement. Webern was not a bad decision. It's tough. --->in many cases 'new' music is something that challenges the mainstream model of what music is accepted to me <--- Plus, this is Ottawa! Right now there is still only a small amount going on, that I feel it better to include a broad range, rather than try to pigeon hole to one single aesthetic. I also know that the electronic field festival is pushing it. It deals largely with Djs. but it also deals with experimental electronics.

And here's my reply to your reply:
Right. We're not exactly awash in contemporary, paradigm-challenging sounds here, although compiling events on the calendar has really opened my eyes to how much there is going on; I doubt I'd have even found out about half this stuff otherwise. But I digress. With the relative scarcity of modern music being performed in the Ottawa area, we would do well to be inclusive rather than exclusive at this point in time. If we find, later, that our target is too large and we're listing all sorts of events that have no connection to, as you say, "things that are going on now", we can adjust our sights accordingly.
I'd never thought of "new music" as being post-tonal, but maybe you're right. The problem is in the semantics - something can only be "new" for a while, and it's a completely relative and subjective term. I mean, hell, 'new music' ought perhaps to include Coca-cola jingles and sitcom theme songs as well, but we have to draw the line somewhere.
So clearly, 'new music' doesn't refer to any music that is newly-composed. Maybe it should be defined as music composed recently that deals with modern ideas. But then, we don't always know the works in question, or even some of the composers, so we're assuming based on dates of composition that the music fits our parameters.
Will a time come when Webern is no longer challenging to most listener's ears? And if so, do we then shift him out of our invented categories of 'new' or 'modern' music? I think we're just going to have to define our parameters as we go along. We seem to agree on a starting point, though, so that's good.
R.

This Just In!!

2008-11-14T08:56:00.003-05:00

Hi,
The following events have just been added to the calendar. The first involves the premiere of a new work by an Ottawa composer, be sure not to miss it!

November 15: "Tonecluster Unplugged". 8pm, Church of the Ascension, 253 Echo Drive. Jane Perry conducts Tonecluster, Ottawa's gay and lesbian choir, in the opening concert of its 15th season with music for unaccompanied choir, including pieces ranging from the 17th century to Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy. The choir's guest, Ottawa cellist and composer Kirk Starkey, presents the first performance of Hidden, for cello and sampler. Advance tickets are $15 at outlets that include After Stonewall, mother tongue books, Wilde's, The Leading Note, Collected Works. Tickets at the door are $20. Free admission for children under 12, accompanied by an adult.

Link to Tonecluster's website.

Link to Kirk Starkey's biography.

November 17: Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. 8pm, Southam Hall, National Arts Centre. In the 100-piece Ottawa Symphony Orchestra's second concert of the season, David Currie conducts the Ottawa Symphony in Healey Willan's Overture to an Unwritten Comedy; Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes; and Vaughan Williams' Job, a Masque for Dancing, an orchestral showpiece inspired by William Blake illustrations. Tickets, starting at $22 general, $20 for seniors and $11 for students, are at the NAC box office and through TicketMaster outlets (613-755-1111).

Link to OSO website.

Electric Fields Festival

2008-11-08T10:23:00.006-05:00

Electric Fields
Electronic music and media arts festival
November 13th to the 23rd, 2008

Complete Festival Schedule >>

Hey Ottawa! This is coming up. I think that it is going to be pretty awesome. Some interesting performances and lectures on experimental electronic music and media, along with some DJs and a few parties. I've posted their festival on our calendar.

Electric Fields is a biennial festival dedicated to the presentation of new and significant performance and installation works created at the crossroads of art, science and technology.

Started in 2003 as a collaboration between Galerie SAW Gallery and SAW Video, Electric Fields is now in it's third edition. The festival strives to bring a snapshot of the most innovative Canadian and international electronic art, from music performance to installation, to the nation's capital, and this year we hope to raise the bar for not only the festival but for the city itself.

This year also marks a significant rebirth of Electric Fields. With the general direction of the festival now within Artengine, we strove to foster a network of organizations enabling us to bring Ottawa-Gatineau a unique experience on the scale that these artists deserve.

This collaboration of art institutions, media art production centers, film presenters and promoter/DJs, as well as other festivals, demonstrates the importance of the intersection of art and technology. Each of them have already expanded beyond the traditional definitions of the discipline at the heart of their organizations, presenting visual art that is no longer just visual, music that is not really music, club nights that are not just a party or video and film that has little to do with tape, glass tubes or celluloid. This messy spill-over between disciplines is almost always a given when artists creatively engage with technology, and what Electric Fields does is highlight and coordinate the spill-over to create an audience experience that is at once fragmented and seamless.

We are delighted at the collaborations that enabled this festival to grow to the size it should be, and want to thank everyone who helped make this happen. We hope that the experience for you, the audience, is as fun and rich as it has been for us here at Artengine.

Electric Fields is presented by Artengine and SAW Video

Including co-presentation with The Ottawa Art Gallery, Carleton University Art Gallery, The Canadian Film Institute and Daimon

Free Guitar Concert

2008-11-05T20:51:00.009-05:00

November 8:

FREE CONCERT!

6:30pm at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel (150 Albert st.).

Canadian Guitar Quartet: Philip Candelaria, Denis Donegani, Patrick Roux and Louis Trepanier

Works by Beethoven, Rossini, Hans Brüderl, and Patrick Roux.

The series of concerts to which this belongs, put on by the Austrian Embassy, has been very popular. Doors open at 5pm and seats may be reserved by calling 613-789-1444, ext. 235.

link to Hans Brüderl's website (in German).

Improvised Music and Dance.

2008-11-03T11:20:00.004-05:00

Friday, November 8th at 9pm:
A short set of Improvised Music and Dance

Apartment 1A (at the very back of the house) 232 Lisgar St.
(613) 447-4871 for more information.

Featuring:

Catalina Insignares, dance
Craig Pedersen, trumpet.

New music for cello and electronics

Jaqueline Fay, cello

Following the concert there will be a birthday celebration.
Bring yourself and a bottle of your favourite fancy and we'll make a night of it!

More New Music coming up quickly

2008-10-31T23:31:00.003-04:00

stolen from Steve Mazey's Classical Ottawa:

NOVEMBER 2: The Gatineau series, which includes a light breakfast before the performance, presents Toronto's Duo Variante Sunday in the salle Jean-Despréz at Gatineau's Maison du Citoyen, 25 rue Laurier.

Harpist Nathalie Younglai and flutist Catherine Richardson will perform music by Handel, Debussy and Tomasi. It starts with breakfast at 10 a.m., followed by an hour-long concert at 11 a.m.
Tickets are $22 general, $20 for students and seniors and $49 for families, will be at the door or can be reserved at 819-771-6454.

link to Duo Variante website.

NOVEMBER 2: In the afternoon at intimate St. Giles Church, Ottawa harpist Caroline Léonardelli and Toronto flutist Leslie Newman join forces for music by Saint-Saëns, Shankar, Piazzolla and Borne.

A native of France, Léonardelli studied there and at McGill University. Her teachers included the renowned French harpist Lily Laskine. She is harpist with the Ottawa Symphony and has performed with other ensembles that include the Montreal Symphony. She is also a busy chamber musician.
Newman has performed as soloist with orchestras throughout Canada, the U.S. and Britain and has been guest principal flute with the Hallé Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Leonardelli and Newman formed the duo earlier this year. Sunday's concert will include Saint-Saëns' Fantaisie, Ravi Shankar's L'aube Enchantee Sur Le Raga "Todi", Astor Piazzolla's Histoire du Tango suite, and the Carmen Fantasie by Francois Borne.
It starts at 4 p.m. at the church, 174 First Ave. at Bank Street. Tickets, at $20 general, $15 for seniors and students, will be at the door.

link to Caroline Leonardelli's website.

link to Leslie Newman's website.

NOVEMBER 2: Matthew Larkin will conduct the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys in Duruflé's Requiem Sunday. It starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Cathedral, Sparks Street near Bronson Avenue. Gary Dahl and Marya Woyiwada are the soloists. Admission is by freewill offering. Because it's a liturgical performance, organizers say incense will be used. Information: 613-236-9149.

link to Matthew Larkin's website.
link to Christ Church Cathedral Choirs website.

NOVEMBER 5: Violinist Ralitsa Tcholakova and pianist Elaine Keillor, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, present a fundraising concert.
Tcholakova and Keillor will perform music by Rebecca Clark, John Williams, Mary Gardiner, Bulgarian compsoer Pantcho Vladigerov and others.
The concert is a fundraiser for the SOS children's village in Dren, Bulgaria. Tcholakova taught music to children there for two weeks in 2006. Concert proceeds will go to music education projects for the children.
The concert starts at 8 p.m. at the University of Ottawa's Tabaret Hall, 550 Cumberland St. Tickets, at $25 general, $15 for students and seniors, will be at the door. Information: 613-228-1333.

link to Ralitsa Tcholakova's website.

link to Elaine Keillor's page on Carleton University's website.

link to Rebecca Clarke Society website.

link to John Williams' website.

link to Mary Gardiner's page on the CMC's website.

Some worthwhile websites!

2008-10-31T12:42:00.006-04:00

Here are two websites I didn't know about until recently that I think are very useful and important.

One: The Canadian New Music Network - http://www.newmusicnetwork.ca/

Two: NetNewMusic - http://netnewmusic.ning.com/

Well, it seems to internet has done it again!

Thanks internet (read: participants, hard working artists, people who do the grunt work etc...)

Coming soon! (like, tonight)

2008-10-29T22:52:00.018-04:00

October 30: Ottawa Chamber Music Society presents the Hugo Wolf Quartett. They'll be playing some Webern (as well as Haydn and Schumann) @ 7:30 p.m., St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church - 82 Kent Street.
SEBASTIAN GÜRTLER, violin
RÉGIS BRINGOLF, violin
GERTRUD WEINMEISTER, viola
FLORIAN BERNER, cello

                                       Franz
Joseph Haydn                 String Quartet No. 32 in C major, Op. 33/3, H. 3/39, "Bird"                 
                 Anton WebernMovements (5) for string quartet, Op. 5                 
                 Robert Schumann String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 41/3

The Hugo Wolf Quartett was founded at the Vienna Conservatory and has developed      into one of the most sought-after string quartets in the world. These four young musicians won the Fifth International String Quartet Competition in Cremona, the 45th International G. B. Viotti Chamber Music Competition, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Special Prize and the European Cultural Award for Chamber Music.
Their performances are described as bold and gripping, meaningful, inspired, spirited and graceful with a mastery beyond their years and projecting the music’s greatness with scrupulous attention to detail.

link to Ottawa Chamber Music Society website.
link to Hugo Wolf Quartett website.

November 7:

Matt Haimovitz @ Black Sheep Inn, 420 Riverside Drive, Wakefield QC (see website for directions). 8:30pm, $15. Through his visionary approach – championing new music and initiating groundbreaking collaborations within and beyond the classical domain – Matt Haimovitz is redefining what it means to be an artist for the 21st century. Haimovitz is expanding the concerto experience and repertoire with a series of innovative new commissions and recordings. He has recorded as an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophon for ten years, and on Oxingale Records since 2000, the label he co-founded with composer Luna Pearl Woolf.

link to Black Sheep Inn website.
link to Matt Haimovitz's MySpace page.

November 10:
The National Arts Centre and the Ottawa Chamber Music Society present Generations 2008, a performance by Montréal’s stellar Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, celebrating some of Canada’s most talented and exciting young composers. Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street. 7:30 p.m., pay-what-you-can.

This biennial ECM project will showcase new works by Michael Berger (Alberta), Scott Good (Ontario), Brian Harman (Ontario) and Fuhong Shi (Ontario). It will also feature soloists Tim Brady (electric guitar) and Scott Good (trombone).
link to Ottawa Chamber Music Society website.
link to Ensemble contemporain de Montréal website.

November 13:
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Peter Oundjian, will be performing a new violin concerto by Mark-Anthony Turnage, with violinist Christian Tetzlaff. Also on the program are Britten's Four Sea Interludes and Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 5. 8pm at the National Arts Centre.

A composer of truly international stature, Mark-Anthony Turnage is among the most relevant communicators and creators of today. His orchestral and operatic music is often forthright and confrontational, unafraid to mirror the realities of modern life, yet its energy is exhilarating. With his flair for vivid titles, and his complete absorption of jazz elements into a contemporary classical style, Turnage produces work with a strong appeal to an enquiring, often young audience. At the same time his music is capable of expressing deep tenderness, especially emotions associated with loss.

link to Mark-Anthony Turnage's website.
link to Toronto Symphony Orchestra website (does not contain information about this event).
link to National Arts Centre website (venue).

Franz Joseph Haydn	String Quartet No. 32 in C major, Op. 33/3, H. 3/39, "Bird"
Anton Webern	Movements (5) for string quartet, Op. 5
Robert Schumann	String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 41/3