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Valgeir Sigurðsson at LA Phil "Reykjavík Festival"; New Orchestral Album "Dissonance"

Mar. 30, 2017

Valgeir Sigurðsson at LA Phil "Reykjavík Festival"; New Orchestral Album "Dissonance"

“One of the most open-eared talents in that no man’s land between experimental and potentially market-gratifying music.” –Touching Extremes

Icelandic producer and composer Valgeir Sigurðsson joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic as part of its Reykjavík Festival (April 1-June 4), with performances of the composer’s works alongside music by his compatriots and Bedroom Community record label colleagues Jóhann Jóhannsson, Sam Amidon, and Daníel Bjarnason, among others. Curated by Bjarnason and Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Reykjavik Festival brings interdisciplinary creativity from Iceland’s capital in the form of music, visual and installation art, lectures and film.

On April 17, the festival presents three recent works by Sigurðsson specially arranged for the occasion: selections from Dreamland (2011), based on a politically-charged 17th-century text by Stefán Ólafsson í Vallarnesi; For Love of Her (do but kill me) (2015), for voice, chamber ensemble and electronics, incorporating a text by Carlo Gesualdo; as well as two movements from his ballet Architecture of Loss (2012). Listen to an excerpt of Sigurðsson's Dreamland, composed to accompany Andri Snær Magnason's documentary:

On April 21, Bedroom Community releases a new album, Dissonance, featuring three of Sigurðsson's recent large-scale works: No Nights Dark Enough (2014) for chamber orchestra and electronics, Eighteen Hundred and Seventy-Five (2013) for orchestra and electronics, commemorating the 125th anniversary of Icelandic settlers in Manitoba, and Dissonance (2014), a 23-minute “explosion” of a single moment from Mozart's 'Dissonance' Quartet, K.465, written for viola da gamba and electronics. The album features performances by the Reykjavík Sinfonia and gambist Liam Byrne.    

For more information on Valgeir Sigurðsson, visit fabermusic.com.

Valgeir Sigurðsson
Dreamland (2011)
for large orchestra and electronics (with optional film)
3(3.pic, afl).2.ca.3(3.bcl).3(3.cbsn)-4.3.3.1-4perc-hp.pno(cel)-str
32’

version for chamber orchestra:
1(pic, afl).1(ca).1(bcl).1(cbsn)-1.1.2.0-perc-hp.pno(cel)-tape-str

For Love of Her (do but kill me) (2015)
for voice, chamber ensemble and electronics
text (En) by Carlo Gesualdo
cl-perc-pno.org-bass viol-2vn.va.vc.db
6’

Architecture of Loss (2012)
ballet for chamber ensemble and electronics
pno-va.elec bass
30’

No Nights Dark Enough (2014)
for chamber orchestra and electronics
1(pic).1(ca).1(bcl).1-1.1.1.1-pno.hp-str
30’

Eighteen Hundred and Seventy-Five (2013)
for orchestra and electronics
2.2.2.2-4.3.2.btbn.1-timp.2perc-hp.pno-str
13’

Dissonance (2014)
after W.A. Mozart
for viola da gamba and electronics
23’

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