Elliott Carter, 1908-2012

[karlhenning]

Oh, I see. You can't make it during Holy Week. I forgot about the church gig.

Yes, and since the choir are singing the premiere of a Passion setting of mine on Good Friday, well, let us say simply I am grateful that there is no scheduing conflict here 

[Mark G. Simon]

Charles Neidich is phenomenal. Fastest fingers in the west. He can easily take what ever Carter can dish out.

Carter has already written a clarinet duet for him and his wife (Hiyoku), which I intend to play some day when I can find a willing and able clarinetist to play it with.

Hey Karl!---

[karlhenning]

Let's have a look . . . .

[Joe Barron]

Mark G. Simon and Karl Henning perform the music of Elliott Carter —

I have got to be there for that.

[bhodges]

Mark G. Simon and Karl Henning perform the music of Elliott Carter —

I have got to be there for that.

I'll sign on, too.   

--Bruce

[Mark G. Simon]

You can download my performance of Esprit rude/Esprit doux here:

http://snipurl.com/1ezrg

Download the file "Carter Esprit Rude (mp3)"

The flutist's name is Laura Campbell.

[Joe Barron]

Mark, it's great! Beautifully phrased, and every bit as engaging any of the commercial recordings I have. You and Laura play it like you mean it.

A lissome and beguiling performance, as someone I know would say. 

[not edward]

Very nice performance of one of my favourite Carter miniatures, Mark: thanks for letting us hear it.

[Joe Barron]

Tanglewood Announces Weeklong Carter festival

Tanglewood's Festival of Contemporary Music (FCM), directed by Levine, will honor future centenarian Elliott Carter (he turns 100 December 8, 2008) over five days starting July 20. The composer himself is expected to attend the festival, which has three orchestral programs, including the BSO's first-ever complete FCM performance.

Tanglewood Music Center (TMC) kicks off the celebrations with Carter's Call for two trumpets and horn; Oliver Knussen, leads the TMC Fellows in Carter's ensemble pieces Asko Concerto, Luimeni and Refléxions, and conducts Charles Rosen, Ursula Oppens, and the Fellows in the Double Concerto for piano, harpsichord, and chamber orchestra.

Other highlights of the celebration include the world premieres of Carter's Sound Fields for string orchestra and Mad-Regalesi for solo voices, both TMC commissions. Receiving its American premiere is Mosaic with BSO principal harpist Ann Hobson Pilot and the Fellows; the work is a co-commission of the BSO and the Nash Ensemble of London.

Also programmed are Carter's Variations for Orchestra, Dialogues for piano and orchestra with soloist, Clarinet Concerto, Matribute, Piano Sonata, Night Fantasies, Cello Concerto and three evenings of chamber music. These concerts will feature, among others, Oppens, Rosen, conductor Stefan Asbury, the New Fromm Players, pianist Nicholas Hodges, BSO associate principal clarinetist Thomas Martin and cellist Fred Sherry.

Carter himself will participate in a panel discussion with Levine and moderated by TMC director Ellen Highstein. He'll appear again on FCM's final day in a July 24 interview with reitred Boston Globe music critic Richard Dyer. Both events will take place in Ozawa Hall.

FCM will end with Levine leading the BSO in Carter's Boston Concerto, Three Illusions for Orchestra, the Horn Concerto (with Sommerville) and Symphonia: Sux fluxae pretium spei.


I might go if I have the cash. It's a wonderful excuse to spend a week in the Berkshires. Tickets go on sale Feb. 16.

[bhodges]

Wow, Joe, thanks for this info.  I haven't been to Tanglewood in awhile, but may have to make plans this time!  Sounds totally fantastic. 

--Bruce

[The new erato]

And the first volume by Naxos of the quartets are released !

[Guido]

And the first volume by Naxos of the quartets are released !

On my next order!

That Carter festival looks fantastic - lots of his greatest pieces from recent years. I wish I could be there!

Joe very kindly sent me the world premiere performance of the Carter cello concerto which I have now listened to a few times. It is a thrilling reading, and just phenominally accurate considering the extreme difficulty of the solo part, and its easy to see why he got a standing ovation for the piece. Some of the tone colours he produces in the slower sections are quite wonderful. I have to say that I really prefer Fred Sherry's account, though Ma's is also very fine. Sherry seems to present a more cohesive convincing reading of the piece so that it all seems to make a lot more sense. In this kind of music the artist often cannot inject much of their ow personality into the work because the writing is so fragmentary, but Fred Sherry I think has the slight edge in bringing it all together (plus his pizzicato is phenominally impressive!). The orchestra also seem to act more as one which makes the architecture of the piece much clearer. I know Sherry's is a studio recording so that is an advantage of course.

Just thought I'd share these thoughts. Of course both versions are very fine and are enjoyable for different reasons.

[karlhenning]

Just thought I'd share these thoughts. Of course both versions are very fine and are enjoyable for different reasons.

Well, and nothing wrong with that!   

[Mark G. Simon]

Fred Sherry I think has the slight edge in bringing it all together (plus his pizzicato is phenominally impressive!). The orchestra also seem to act more as one which makes the architecture of the piece much clearer. I know Sherry's is a studio recording so that is an advantage of course.

Sherry has been playing Carter's music for rather a long time. His Nonesuch recording of the Sonata for Flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord goes back to 1971 or earlier.

[Joe Barron]

Guido, thanks for your thoughts. I guess I should go back and listen to both versions again, back to back. It wouldn't be a chore, since I love the piece.

Erato, I haven't seen the Naxos disk yet. Where has it been released?

The Tanglewood festival does sound good, but there are a few big orchestral pieces I'd like to hear, viz., the Piano Concerto, the Concerto for Orchestra, and A  Symphony of Three Orchestras. I really want to hear them! And I'm starting to wonder whether anyone is planning on playing them. They are, I think, the core of Mr. Carter's orchestral work, but it seems they're being passed over, perhaps because they're considered too tough.

It would be fun to see Rosen and Oppens play the Double Concerto, though.

[The new erato]

Erato, I haven't seen the Naxos disk yet. Where has it been released?

On the January prerelease list at mdt.co.uk. uess it will be available in most markets by January.

Lots of interesting releases, a Fasch Passion among other things....

[not edward]

On the January prerelease list at mdt.co.uk. uess it will be available in most markets by January.

Lots of interesting releases, a Fasch Passion among other things....

Naxos has it up in its December releases. If the releases hit the shops at the usual time of the month here, it'll be available just before Christmas.

[Joe Barron]

A bit more info. Looks as though they are doing the Concerto for Orchestra! And check out the July 24 program. Talk about a bellyful!

Festival of Contemporary Music: July 20-24
Elliott Carter Centenary
Sunday, July 20, 10 a.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

OLIVER KNUSSEN, conductor
CHARLES ROSEN, piano
URSULA OPPENS, harpsichord

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Call, for two trumpets and horn
Asko Concerto, for ensemble
Luimen, for ensemble
Refléxions, for ensemble
Double Concerto for piano, harpsichord,
and large ensemble

Sunday, July 20, 8 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA

JAMES LEVINE, conductor
NICHOLAS HODGES, piano
THOMAS MARTIN, clarinet

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Dialogues, for piano and orchestra
Clarinet Concerto
Sound Fields, for string orchestra (world premiere; commissioned by the Tanglewood Music Center)
Variations for Orchestra

Monday, July 21, 4 p.m., Ozawa Hall
ELLIOTT CARTER
JAMES LEVINE
FRED SHERRY
ELLEN HIGHSTEIN, moderator

Panel discussion (FCM)

Monday, July 21, 5 p.m., Ozawa Hall
JAMES LEVINE, CHARLES ROSEN,
and URSULA OPPENS, piano

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Matribute
Piano Sonata
Night Fantasies, for piano

Monday, July 21, 8 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

STEFAN ASBURY, conductor
LUCY SHELTON, soprano

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Tempo e Tempi, for soprano and ensemble
Syringa, for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and ensemble
Penthode, for ensemble
Triple Duo, for ensemble

Tuesday, July 22, 5 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Enchanted Preludes, for flute and cello
Figment I, for solo cello
Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux, for flute and clarinet
Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II, for flute, clarinet,
and marimba
Au Quai, for viola and bassoon
Figment II, for solo cello
Trilogy, for oboe and harp
Two Thoughts about the Piano: Caténaires
and Intermittances, for solo piano

Tuesday, July 22, 8 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

JAMES LEVINE and JOHN OLIVER, conductors
JO ELLEN MILLER, soprano
ANN HOBSON PILOT, harp
FRED SHERRY, cello

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello, and Harpsichord
In the Distances of Sleep, for mezzo-soprano
and ensemble
Mosaic, for harp and ensemble (American premiere;
co-commissioned by the BSO
and Nash Ensemble)
Mad-Regales, for solo voices (world premiere; commissioned by
the Tanglewood Music Center)
A Mirror on Which to Dwell, for soprano and ensemble

Wednesday, July 23, 4 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

JAMES LEVINE, conductor
DOUGLAS FITCH, director and set designer

Film screening of Carter's What Next?,
from the American stage premiere filmed
in performace at Tanglewood in 2006 (FCM)

Wednesday, July 23, 5 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Quintet for Piano and Winds
String Quartet No. 2

Wednesday, July 23, 8 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA

OLIVER KNUSSEN, conductor
FRED SHERRY, cello

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Holiday Overture
Cello Concerto
Three Occasions for Orchestra
Concerto for Orchestra [Yowza!  ]

Thursday, July 24, 4 p.m., Ozawa Hall
Former Boston Globe Music Critic Richard Dyer interviews Elliott Carter. (FCM)

Thursday, July 24, 5 p.m., Ozawa Hall
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER FELLOWS

CHARLES ROSEN, piano
FRED SHERRY, cello

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Selected Pieces for Timpani
4 Lauds, for violin
Figment IV, for viola
Figment III, for double-bass
Steep Steps, for bass clarinet
Selected Pieces for Timpani
Elegy, for cello and piano

Thursday, July 24, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JAMES LEVINE, conductor
JAMES SOMMERVILLE, horn

ALL-CARTER PROGRAM (FCM)

Boston Concerto, for orchestra
Three Illusions for Orchestra
Horn Concerto
Symphonia: Sum fluxae pretium spei
[Yowza!  No. 2]

[not edward]

OK, this I have to go to.....

Time to plan a summer trip to the Berkshires.

[bhodges]

I don't normally post links here to my writing elsewhere (that's what my blog is for!) but I'm really, really pleased with this piece for Juilliard on Elliott Carter recordings, just posted on Friday. 

Plus, I got some invaluable advice from our in-house Carter expert Joe Barron, and want to publicly thank him again for his help. 

--Bruce