2003-2004 Concert Season

In 2003-2004, after serving three years as Artist-in-Residence, composer Jon Magnussen begins a new four-year term.  He will lead the Institute for Advanced Study's Artist-in-Residence Program in a new direction entitled Recent Pasts 20/21, a series of chamber music concerts and lectures that will explore the wide variety of aesthetic perspectives in western art music of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

SONATAS, INTERLUDES AND (CABARET) SONGS JOAN LA BARBARA, mezzo-soprano MARGARET LENG TAN, piano October 3, 2003 at 8:00 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall Concert Talk: October 3, 2003 at 4:30 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall

"One of the great vocal virtuosas of our time" (San Francisco Examiner), composer/performer/soundartist JOAN LA BARBARA explores the human voice as a multi-faceted instrument, and has premiered landmark compositions written for her by noted American composers.  Recipient of many international awards, La Barbara is Director of the Carnegie Hall Series, "When Morty met John." 

MARGARET LENG TAN, renowned for performances that transcend the piano's conventional boundaries, has been called "the most convincing interpreter of Cage's keyboard music" (The New York Times).  With her individual style integrating sound, choreography and theater, Leng Tan has inspired many composers to create performer-specific works for her including Cage, Tan Dun, and Alvin Lucier.

Program: Featuring John Cage's 1948 masterpiece for solo prepared piano "Sonatas and Interludes" and Christian Wolff's "For Prepared Piano," with selected Cage vocal/piano works including "A Flower," "The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs," "Nowth upon Nacht," "She is Asleep," and "Sonnekus" (with Satie "Cabaret Songs").

RECENT PASTS 20/21 LECTURE CHRISTIAN WOLFF, composer October 4, 2003 at 5:00 p.m. in the West Building Lecture Hall

 "Experiments in Music around 1950 and some consequences and causes (social-political and musical)"

THREE VOICES IN THE BIRCH GARDEN JOAN LA BARBARA, vocalist / composer October 4, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. in The Birch Garden

Program: Featuring Morton Feldman's sensuous "Three Voices" for solo voice and two pre-recorded voices (composed for La Barbara), John Cage's "Music for One," "Solos 9, 52 and 67" from "Song Books," "Experiences, No. 2", "Eight Whiskus" (composed for La Barbara), "One 7," and La Barbara's own "ShamanSong."

AN AMERICAN COLLECTION MUSIC FROM COPLAND HOUSE  Michael Boriskin and Paul Lustig Dunkel, Co-Directors November 19 & 21, 2003 at 8:00 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall November 23, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall Concert Talk: November 19, 2003 at 4:30 p.m.  in Wolfensohn Hall

Music from Copland House is the acclaimed resident ensemble at Aaron Copland's longtime New York home, now restored as a unique creative center for American music. Since its triumphant New York debut as the Opening Night of Merkin Concert Hall's 1999-2000 season, it has emerged as one of the most exhilarating and distinctive ensembles on the American music scene.  Music from Copland House has performed at important American concert venues including Carnegie Hall and the Library of Congress, and its debut recordings are soon to be released on the Arabesque label.

Program: Inspired by Aaron Copland's lifelong advocacy of American composers and their work. Featuring "Petroushskates" by Joan Tower, "Verge" by Sebastian Currier, "Sonata a Quattro" by George Perle, "Two Threnodies" by Aaron Copland, "SchiZm" by Derek Bermel and "Light Refracted" by Jennifer Higdon.

RECENT PASTS 20/21 INTERVIEW GEORGE PERLE, MICHAEL BORISKIN and JON MAGNUSSEN November 21, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the West Building Lecture Hall

"The Right Notes: George Perle speaks with Michael Boriskin and Jon Magnussen"

SPECIAL EVENT: PHOTO ALBUM WITH MUSIC NURIA SCHOENBERG NONO, speaker   STEFAN LITWIN, piano and moderator-pedal-equipped piano February 20, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall

Nuria Schoenberg Nono, daughter of Arnold Schoenberg, joins pianist and composer Stefan Litwin for a conversation about her father and his work.  Emphasizing Schoenberg the person, this unique event portrays his relationships with pupils and family, and the cultural and political situations he experienced are revealed and enhanced by projected images, unpublished anecdotes and original recordings of Schoenberg speaking; piano works by Schoenberg, Berg, Webern and Eisler will be performed by Litwin.

ARNOLD SCHOENBERG: BROADENING THE CIRCLE STEFAN LITWIN, piano and moderator-pedal-equipped piano   February 21, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall February 22, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall Concert Talk: February 22, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. in Wolfensohn Hall

Pianist and composer Stefan Litwin offers a program exploring connections to and from Arnold Schoenberg, the ground-breaking and controversial musical figure.  The program includes J.S. Bach's Fugue in B minor; Schoenberg's Three Piano Pieces, Op.11(performed on the moderator-pedal-equipped piano); Franz Liszt's Nuages Gris; Alban Berg's Sonata, Op. 1; the Wagner/Liszt Isoldes Liebestod; Erich Itor Kahn's Ciaccona dei tempi di guerra; Litwin's Thoreau's Nightmare (U.S. premiere); and the Eduard Steuermann piano arrangement of Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony, Op. 9.

RECENT PASTS 20/21 LECTURE LYDIA GOEHR: "Adorno in Darmstadt" February 20, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. in the West Building Lecture Hall

Theodor Adorno actively participated in the last century's polemical debate on, as he saw it, progression in music (i.e., Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School) versus regression (i.e. Stravinsky).  "Adorno in Darmstadt" focuses on his 1960s criticism of the new avant garde Darmstadt composers -- Stockhausen, Boulez, Cage et al -- and their conception of time. 

WET INK
JON MAGNUSSEN and FRIENDS
April 29, 2004 at 5:30 p.m. in the Institute Dining Hall

Jon Magnussen and friends present excerpts from The Folding Cliffs, an opera-in-development (music by Magnussen and libretto by Gavan Daws.)  Based on Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin's epic poetic narrative, The Folding Cliffs is inspired by the true Kaua'i story of Ko'olau and Pi'ilani, lovers unto death and beyond.