Elliott Carter, 1908-2012

[Joe Barron]

Is hard-copy today's issue, Joe? 

I don't know. The link is here.

[Joe Barron]

Those of you who can't attend the concert can stream the broadcast:

James Levine, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and pianist Daniel Barenboim will premiere Elliott Carter's "Interventions" on Dec. 5 in an afternoon (1-4 p.m.) program at Symphony Hall. And, wonder of wonders, WGBH will broadcast the concert live on 89.7 FM and online at wgbh.org/classical/. The announcement:

On Friday, December 5, WGBH Radio presents the world premiere--and only broadcast--of renowned composer Elliott Carter's Interventions, live from Symphony Hall in Boston. Carter, considered one of the world's greatest living composers, has extraordinarily composed Interventions in celebration of his own 100th birthday on December 11, 2008. The broadcast can be heard from 1-4pm live in New England on WGBH 89.7 and worldwide on All-Classical WGBH, online at wgbh.org/classical.

More details here.

[springrite]

Nice to see the Carter thread going 40 pages long!

So, what are people doing on Carter's 100th birthday? December 11th, if I remembered correctly. I am having a listening party at home, with a few invited friends. I will be working on the program this weekend. I will bake a cake as well. For the week I will listen to all the Carter recordings I have. I have to look and dig out a few that are in some collections so I don't miss any.

[bhodges]

Nice to see the Carter thread going 40 pages long!

So, what are people doing on Carter's 100th birthday? December 11th, if I remembered correctly. I am having a listening party at home, with a few invited friends. I will be working on the program this weekend. I will bake a cake as well. For the week I will listen to all the Carter recordings I have. I have to look and dig out a few that are in some collections so I don't miss any.

What fun!  I think inviting friends to listen at home is a fine idea (frankly, any time), and this is a momentous occasion.  Post your playlist when you decide what to listen to!

I will be at Carnegie Hall, where James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra are playing Carter's new piece, Interventions, for piano and orchestra, with Daniel Barenboim as soloist.  (It premieres in Boston this weekend, I believe.)  Carter will most surely be there, and...they better have a nice cake for the guy!

PS, complete program is here.

--Bruce

[springrite]

What fun!  I think inviting friends to listen at home is a fine idea (frankly, any time), and this is a momentous occasion.  Post your playlist when you decide what to listen to!

I will be at Carnegie Hall, where James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra are playing Carter's new piece, Interventions, for piano and orchestra, with Daniel Barenboim as soloist.  (It premieres in Boston this weekend, I believe.)  Carter will most surely be there, and...they better have a nice cake for the guy!

PS, complete program is here.

--Bruce

A Carter new piece AND Le Sacre on the same program? Now, that's one program I would not miss if I were anywhere near the US!

I will post our program next week!

[bhodges]

I will post our program next week!

And of course, some of us would be interested in the accompanying cake, as well. 

--Bruce

[Joe Barron]

A Carter new piece AND Le Sacre on the same program? Now, that's one program I would not miss if I were anywhere near the US!
I will post our program next week!

I'm not missing it, either. I'll be attending the Carnegie Hall concert with Bruce. It would appear that my hometown, Phialdelphia, is the only major U.S. city that is ignoring the occasion.

Paul, your idea of a listening party sounds like fun. I'd be there if I were anywhere near China.  I don't think I'll have time to listen to all my Carter CDs, but I think I might go back this weekend and build myself a little concert program of favorites, especially the older music, like the Cello Sonata, which I haven't heard much in a while. 

I've been in touch with Bruce about this privately, but now I'll go pubic with it: Anybody who doesn't already have one should get "Elliott Carter: A Centennial Portrait in Letter and Documents" by Anne Shreffler and Felix Meyer. Very beautiful, large-format book with lots of pictures, manuscript facsimiles (Carter's handwriting is as clear as type) and new information. Available at Amazon.

[karlhenning]

I'm not missing it, either. I'll be attending the Carnegie Hall concert with Bruce. It would appear that my hometown, Phialdelphia, is the only major U.S. city that is ignoring the occasion.

Still overwhelmed with preparations for the 35th anniversary of the release of Rocky, no doubt 

[karlhenning]

I've been in touch with Bruce about this privately, but now I'll go pubic with it: Anybody who doesn't already have one should get "Elliott Carter: A Centennial Portrait in Letter and Documents" by Anne Shreffler and Felix Meyer. Very beautiful, large-format book with lots of pictures, manuscript facsimiles (Carter's handwriting is as clear as type) and new information. Available at Amazon.

No, it isn't 

[Mark G. Simon]

Obviously a best-seller.

[Joe Barron]

Obviously a best-seller.

Apparently. Even the Amazon Marketplace copies (those from other sellers) are gone.

[Wendell_E]

Nonesuch will be releasing a four-disc Carter retrospective (recordings made between 1968 and 1985) in February:

http://nonesuch.com/albums/elliot-carter-a-nonesuch-retrospective

[springrite]

"To celebrate Elliott Carter's 100th birthday, Nonesuch will release Elliott Carter: A Nonesuch Retrospective, a four-disc set, in February 2009. The discs include most of the recordings Nonesuch made of Carter's music between 1968 and 1985, with performances by such acclaimed musicians as Paul Jacobs, Gilbert Kalish, the Composers Quartet, Jan DeGaetani, Fred Sherry, Arthur Weisberg, the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine; plus a 58-page booklet with photos, score examples, texts, an essay by Paul Griffiths, and tributes by musicians and composers."

Now, that booklet with photos make this even better! I do have most of the works on this, except the double concerto. But this compilation would make a pretty (slightly long) good program!

[springrite]

http://www.carter100.com/

Home of the celebration.

[Joe Barron]

Now, that booklet with photos make this even better! I do have most of the works on this, except the double concerto. But this compilation would make a pretty (slightly long) good program!

I have all the Nonesuch recordings. It doesn't make sense for me to buy a four-CD set just for the booklet.

[Joe Barron]

this is new. just found it one the Boosey Web site:

Poems of Louis Zukofsky (2008)
for clarinet and mezzo-soprano

World Premiere
12/13/2008
Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY
Lucy Shelton, soprano/Stanley Drucker, clarinet

No other info, such as length. Didn't know anything was scheduled for Dec. 13, either. Maybe another trip to NYC is in order.

[Joe Barron]

More info. The Boosey site seems to have it wrong. It's not at Avery Fisher Hall. It's at the Lincoln Center/Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, which sounds a lot sexier than it probably is. Here is the complete program:

Elliott Carter, composer, speaker; NY Phil Musicians

2.00pm, Saturday 13 December 2008

Film: An interview with Elliott Carter hosted by Steven Stucky
Elliott Carter: Clarinet Quintet
Elliott Carter: Figment III, for solo double bass
Elliott Carter: Poems of Louis Zukofsky for soprano and clarinet (world premiere)

If anyone in or near NY  hasn't heard the Clarinet Quintet yet, I warmly recommend it.

[springrite]

I have all the Nonesuch recordings. It doesn't make sense for me to buy a four-CD set just for the booklet.

Certainly not. I meant what a bonus.

[Mark G. Simon]

Elliott Carter: Poems of Louis Zukofsky for soprano and clarinet (world premiere)[/i]

Cool beans. I've had soprano friends with whom I'd want to perform and it's either Schubert or Spohr, or the RVW Three Vocalises. I performed the latter with a soprano who would have been fully capable of singing Carter.

This program is tempting. I may have to come up for it. Plus it's one last chance to hear the great Stanley Drucker.

[Joe Barron]

Nice article anout Mr. Carter here with a link to a Q&A with the composer. He says he's finished the Pound settings. So the question, as always, is, What next?

Mark, let me know if you decide to come up to hear Drucker's performance. Maybe we could meet.