European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

A Wealth of Schott/EAM Composers at the NY Phil Biennial

May. 06, 2014

A Wealth of Schott/EAM Composers at the NY Phil Biennial

From May 28 through June 7, the New York Philharmonic presents the highly anticipated inaugural season of its Biennial Festival. Highlighting many of New York’s most visionary ensembles and musicians, the Biennial offers a fascinating vision of contemporary musical activity from around the world. 

Opening the Biennial is the US premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s The Raven, produced by Gotham Chamber Opera. The production, conducted by Neal Goren and featuring mezzo-soprano Fredrika Brillembourg, takes place at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater on May 28, 30 and 31.

On May 29 and 30, the Philharmonic’s CONTACT! series merges with the Biennial in a presentation of works inspired by sculptures created for Salzburg’s outdoor public spaces. The performance, which includes the US premieres of Johannes Maria Staud’s Caldera (on Anthony Cragg’s Caldera) and Jay Schwartz’s M (on Markus Lüpertz’s Mozart – Eine Hommage), takes place at the Museum of Modern Art. Matthias Pintscher conducts, with performances by soprano Jennifer Zetlan, bass-baritone Evan Hughes, and musicians from the New York Philharmonic.

On May 31 and June 1, Pablo Heras-Casado leads the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in a two-part mini-series, “Circles of Influence”, that explores the music of two contemporary masters and their colleagues. The first, dedicated to Pierre Boulez, features a performance of his Mémoriale (…explosante-fixe… Originel), for flute and eight instruments, and une page d’éphéméride, for solo piano, as well as the US premiere of Heinz Holliger’s Ostinato funèbre. George Benjamin is the subject of the following program, with the first New York performances of his Octet and Upon Silence. Premieres from Benjamin’s compatriots include the US premieres of Ryan Wigglesworth’s A First Book of Inventions and Colin Matthews’s Night Rides, as well as a performance of Matthews’s Suns Dance. Both performances take place at the Rose Theater.

Pianist Marino Formenti presents a solo recital at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse on June 4, titled “Liszt Inspections”, exploring Franz Liszt’s influence on contemporary composers. The program features an extraordinary selection of compositions from the last century, including works by Friedrich Cerha, György Ligeti, Wolfgang Rihm, and Luciano Berio.

Closing out the Festival are two programs featuring prominent string soloists in the first New York performances of recently premiered works. On June 5, Alan Gilbert leads violinist Midori in Peter Eötvös’s DoReMi, which premiered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2013. On June 6, cellist Alisa Weilerstein joins the orchestra for a performance of Matthias Pintscher’s Reflections on Narcissus, conducted by the composer. Both performances take place at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

For more information on the NY Phil Biennial, please visit nyphil.org.

Composer Profiles:
George Benjamin  |  Luciano Berio  |  Pierre Boulez  |  Friedrich Cerha  |  Peter Eötvös
Heinz Holliger  |  Toshio Hosokawa  |  György Ligeti  |  Colin Matthews  |  Matthias Pintscher
Wolfgang Rihm  |  Jay Schwartz  |  Johannes Maria Staud  |  Ryan Wigglesworth 


Toshio Hosokawa
The Raven (2011-2012)
monodrama for mezzo-soprano and 12 players
text (Eng) based on “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe
afl(pic, fl, bfl).bcl(cl).tsax(asax)-tpt.tbn-perc-pno-str(1.1.1.1.1)
45’

Johannes Maria Staud
Caldera (für Tony Cragg) (2013)
for soprano, clarinet and piano (with active page-turner)
7’

Jay Schwartz
M (2013)
for baritone and ensemble
1.1.1.1-1.1.1.0-perc-pno-str
12’

Pierre Boulez
Mémoriale ( … explosante-fixe … Originel) (1985/1993)
for flute and eight instruments
2hn-3vn.2va.vc
7’

une page d’éphéméride (2005)
for solo piano

Heinz Holliger
Ostinato funèbre (1991)
for small orchestra
(from the Scardanelli cycle)
2.2.2.cbcl.2-2.2.1.1.0-timp.3perc-str(1.1.2.2.1)
8’

George Benjamin
Octet (1978)
for chamber ensemble
fl(pic).cl-perc-cel-vn.va.vc.db
10’

Upon Silence (1990)
text (Eng) by William Butler Yeats
for mezzo-soprano and string ensemble
2va.3vc.2db
10’

Ryan Wigglesworth
A First Book of Inventions (2010)
for orchestra
pic(fl).1.2.2.1.cbsn-2.2.0.0-str
9’

Colin Matthews
Night Rides (2011)
for chamber orchestra
2afl.ob.ssax.bcl.bsn-flghn-perc-hp.kybd-str
14’

Suns Dance (1985)
for chamber ensemble
pic.ob.bcl.cbsn-hn-2vn.va.vc.db
17’

Peter Eötvös
DoReMi (2011/2012)
Violin Concerto No. 2
for violin and orchestra
3(2.pic., 3.afl).2(2.ca).3(2.Eb cl., 3.bcl.).2(2.cbsn)-2.2.1.0-3perc-hp.cel-str
21’

Matthias Pintscher
Reflections on Narcissus (2004/2005)
for cello and orchestra
3(2, 3. pic).2(2. ca).2(2.Ebcl).bcl.2.cbsn-4.3.3.1-4Schlg-hp.pno.cel-str
40’

Friedrich Cerha
Knabenschwermut (1956/1989)
from Slowakische Erinnerungen aus der Kindheit
for solo piano

György Ligeti
Étude No. 3 “Touches bloquées”
for solo piano
2’

Wolfgang Rihm
Klavierstück No. 6 “Bagatellen”
15’

Klavierstück No. 7
9’

Luciano Berio
Wasserklavier from “6 Encores” (1965)
for solo piano
2’

News