New Music Marathon 1999 (6th edition)

international preview of current trends in contemporary music
Prague, Archa Theatre, 19 - 21 November 1999


Friday 19.11.1999
19:30
SoNoR Ensemble Baku (Azerbaidjan)
Conductor: Roland Freisitzer (Austria)
Programme: Elmir Mirzoev (1970, Azerbaidjan)
INTRA CANCELLOS (1994)
SYMBOLIC TRIANGULAR SILENCE (1995)
ALSO, SIE SIND GEKOMMEN... (1997)
CANDENTIA (1995)
SHORT EXERCISES FOR BRAIN AND HANDS (1996, premiere)
JUSTACRUM (1998)
REAKSIYA (1998)

21:00
Studio New Music Moscow (Russia)
Conductor: Igor Dronov
Programme: Faradj Karaev (1943, Azerbaidjan)
KLAENGE EINER TRAURIGEN NACHT (1989)
A CRUMB OF MUSIC FOR GEORGE CRUMB (1985)
ALLA "NOSTALGIA" (1989)
POSTLUDIUM II (1991)

Saturday 20.11.1999
10:00 workshops, lectures, video-screenings, meetings with:
Elmir Mirzoev, Faradj Karaev, Sarúnas Nakas, Heiner Goebbels, Miroslav Pudlák, Gavin Bryars

Sunday 21.11.1999

17:00
Gavin Bryars Ensemble (UK)
Conductor: Dave Smith
Program: Gavin Bryars (1943, UK)
AFTER THE REQUIEM (1990)
LES FIANCAILLES (1983)
THE NORTH SHORE (1994)

18:30
Vilnius New Music Ensemble (Lithuania)
Artistic Director: Sarúnas Nakas
Programme: Sarúnas Nakas (1962, Lithuania)
ZIQQURATU II (1998, premiere)

20:00
Ensemble Mondschein, Prague (CZ)
Artistic Director: Kamil Doležal
Programme: Miroslav Pudlák (1961, CZ)
I'M FLYING... (1985)
LAST WORD (1993)
SEXTET (1996)
OM-AGE (1998)
ASTAROT (1999, premiere)

21:30
Agon Orchestra, Prague (CZ)
Conductor: Petr Kofroň
Programme: Heiner Goebbels (1952, Germany)
SAMLER SUITE (1994)
HERAKLES 2 (1991)
LA JALUSIE (1991)

23:00
Gavin Bryars Ensemble (UK)
Programme: Gavin Bryars (1943, UK)
THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC (1969)



We open the sixth annual New Music Marathon with the European premiere of the SoNoR Ensemble from Baku. The ensemble of young musicians from Azerbaidjan will perform their music - a combination of ethnical music with classical instruments. The program has been arranged by their artistic director ELMIR MIROZAEV, one of this generation's up-and-coming Azerbaidjan composers. When one first listens to their music, one can hear exotic sounds, as well as the specific symbiosis of traditional musical ideas from Central Asia, as well as influences of the post-war European avant-garde music.
          On the other hand, another Azerbadjian author FARADJ KARAEV, along with Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, belong among some of the top composers in their country who are now gaining international reputation; their work has been presented by several famous musical ensembles abroad (such as Ensemble Modern, Schoenberg Ensemble, Ensemble Continuum). Oriental heritage together with Moscow's musical life created Karaev's original musical language, which works with the apparently modest, perhaps separated, elements of the minimalist composers. They perhaps create surprisingly complete and expressive musical surfaces.
          Composer and double-bassist GAVIN BRYARS is a world famous performer of the British ambiente. He has collaborated for example with Philip Glass, Tom Waits and Robert Wilson. He comes to Prague with his ensemble after performing at Merce Cunningham's premiere in the Paris Autumn festival. In addition to the repertoire from his last album, he will play the multimedia composition he created entitled THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC. This famous composition, published by Obscure Records (produced by Brian Eno), is already difficult to find. The composition was inspired by the legend that the salon orchestra on board the Titanic played in the under-deck while the ship began its voyage to the depths of the ocean.
          This year, we also continue with the presentation of contemporary Czech music (during previous Marathons, we could hear the music of Kabeláč, Kofroň, Kopelent, Graham, Smolka and Vostřák, the majority of these were premieres). Now, we present the latest contemporary Czech composer, whose music is now successfully merging in the international scene. Since the 1980's, MIROSLAV PUDLÁK has been connected with Prague's Agon Orchestra which he co-founded. In 1995, after his stay abroad, he founded MONDSCHEIN ENSEMBLE with the assistance of clarinetist Kamil Doležal. He characterizes his own music as "diatonic constructions", which are connected to the structure of the composer's processes with the tonalities and references to historical music.
          Lithuanian ŚARÚNAS NAKAS takes the place of radical experiment into context during this year's programme. Surrounded by computers, keyboards, and samplers, he will bring his new project of ZIQQURATU, originally created for the TAGE FÜR NEUE MUSIK ZÜRICH Festival, which as of yet has not been completed. The concerts of the VILNIUS NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE do not have the characteristics of other musical performances, but rather contain some religious rituals that are associated with the ancient roots from before Christianity. After the premiere of Nakas' composition of MERZ-MACHINE during last year's performances of the very successful British sextet PIANO CIRCUS, we have something to look forward to.
          And finally, HEINER GOEBBELS, who is known to alternative rock fans primarily from his involvement with the group, CASSIBER and Chris Cutler. Today he is one of the most expressive personalities of the contemporary world music scene, thanks primarily to his collaboration with the ENSEMBLE MODERN from Frankfurt. In previous years, he has intended to stage musical theatre, "staged concerts", as he calls them himself. Let's also name the project of BLACK AND WHITE, which has already performed fifty subsequent shows in several prestigious international festivals (however, we must be satisfied with just their video on Sunday, November 20). Prague's AGON ORCHESTRA will perform the Czech premiere of their compositions from the first half of the Nineties, connecting the elements of rock, jazz and contemporary classical music.