Timo Andres' "Early to Rise" and Home Stretch

by Ted Gordon on Aug. 28, 2013, 2:52 p.m.

Earlier in the summer, Timo Andres-- composer-pianist, graphic design enthusiast, and excellent home cook-- wrote a new string quartet, commissioned by the Library of Congress' Dina Koston and Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music, which premeired in May and is now available through PSNY. The quartet, entitled Early to Rise, combines a work ethic, economy of means, and compactness of action that somehow reminds us of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Shaker furniture, and New American Color photography, all at once. (No wonder that Andres chose a William Eggleston photo for the cover of his new album- but we're getting ahead of ourselves!). Taking a five-note ostinato from Schumann's Gesänge der Frühe, Andres crafts a four-movement string quartet that lasts all of ten minutes, crafting a tidy, expressive, and intricate work that takes Schumann's sentiments and explodes them. A hot gem of a piece-- check it out! 

And of course, we don't need to remind you to check out Timo's recent album on Nonesuch, Home Stretch, but we will. This album contains a recording of its titular work, Home Stretch, composed as a companion piece to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12, as well as Andres' re-invention of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26, and Andres' Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno, all performed by the Metropolis Ensemble. It's gotten some fantastic reviews. So as the summer reaches its own home strech, and the temperature grows colder, and you start to crave some music for piano and chamber ensemble... well, you know what to do. 

New Works from Pierre Jalbert, Bruce MacCombie, and Kamran Ince

by Ted Gordon on Aug. 14, 2013, 9:56 a.m.

For some composers, summer is a time to relax in preparation for the oncoming concert season--but for our PSNY composers and staff, the summer season has been extremely busy! We're pleased to announce that Pierre Jalbert'sSonata for Marimba, commissioned in 2001 by percussionist Makoto Nakura, is now available through PSNY. Jalbert's writing for marimba can also be heard in his Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra. NewMusicBox did an interview with Jalbert on his expansive writing style for different instruments, viewable here: 

We're also happy to announce the availablity of two works for guitar by Bruce MacCombie: Lyric Variations and Tango Ambrosium. Both works pay homage to Latin American composers, particularly Astor Piazzola. We're happy to add more works for guitar to our repertoire, and we hope you add these works to yours!

Since its premiere in 2010, Kamran Ince's Far Variations has been performed across the country-- and, newly available on PSNY, we hope to see it performed around the world! This Piano Quartet was written with trans-national longing in mind: the state of being far from home. Ince's signature melding of Western and Turkish traditions shines in this piece. And for violinists and pianists interested in Ince's work, be sure to check out Ince's newly-published Koçekçe, for violin and piano, now available through Hal Leonard. 

Paul's Case by Gregory Spears Now Available From PSNY!

by Ted Gordon on July 8, 2013, 11:33 a.m.

Paul's Case, a 1905 short story by Willa Cather, examines the life of an unsatisfied Pittsburgh dandy who longs for a life of the theater, music, and luxury-- a longing which will eventually destroy him. Cather's story, a rumination on desire, love, and self-expression, has been adapted to the world of Opera-- the very world which Paul loved so dearly. Composer Gregory Spears and co-librettist Kathryn Walat have created this new work, developed by American Opera Projects, which recently had its World Premiere at UrbanArias. It is scored for 7 singers, 2 clarinets, harp, piano, and string quartet. Scenes from that production can be seen below:

We are delighted to announce that Paul's Case is now available from PSNY, both as a vocal score for purchase and for full performance licensing. In addition to the full score, several arias from the opera are available as individual titles: "The English Teacher's Aria," "The Gauntlet's Been Thrown," and "The Red Carnation."

Paul's Case will see two new productions in the 2013-2014 season in New York and in Pittsburgh, the two locations in which the opera takes place. In January 2014, Prototype, a new festival for contemporary opera in New York, will produce Paul's Case, conducted by Robert Wood and directed by Kevin Newbury. For more information on this production, visit Prototype's website. And in February-March 2014, Pittsburgh Opera will also produce Paul's Case, to be directed by Paul Cederquist, their Resident Artist Stage Director. This production is part of Pittsburgh Opera's Second Stage Project, which features performances by their resident artists. With three new productions within the space of a year, Paul's Case is quickly becoming a celebrated work in the world of new opera-- and now, everyone has access to both the score and several of its key arias. Keep an eye out for this work in the future!