Are You Brave Too ? Festival 4.30.2000  Brave New Works					McIntosh Theatre School of Music Earl V. Moore Building
WElcome WHo NExt PAst LInks STuff 4.30.2000 Back to Are You Brave Too ? Festival		April 30, 2000 Celloholics Josquin Le deploration sur la mort de Johannes Ockeghem Anrea Yun Erika Pierson Josh Kowalsky Eileen Marie Brownell Vivian Sunnarvik Thomas Gregory Music for four cellos Thomas Gregory Katri Ervamaa Vivian Sunnarvik Christine Chu Luciano Berio, "Les Mots sont alles" Leo Eguchi, cello Kaija Saariaho Petals for solo cello and optional electronics (1988) Katri Ervamaa, cello Heitor Villa Lobos click on picture for more info about Villa Lobos at http://www.rdpl.red-deer.ab.ca/villa Bachianas Brasilianas No. 5 Emily Benner, soprano Cello Ensemble Josh Kowalsky Andrea Yun Eileen Marie Brownell Erika Pierson Christine Chu Barney Culver Leo Eguchi Laura Bartow Chris Younghoon Kim, conductor     Program Notes Kaija Saariaho (1952) is one of the most celebrated Finnish composers of her generation. While studying in the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, she was a member of the "Korvat Auki" (Ears Open) group of young composers. Other members of the group include such composers as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jouni Kaipainen and Magnus Lindberg, as well as the cellist Anssi Karttunen. The strong influence they have had on each other is evident in the numerous collaborations and continuing relationships. In 1982, Saariaho took courses in computer music at IRCAM, Paris. Since then, the computer has been a key element in her compositional technique. She analyzes the sounds on the computer and breaks them apart, thus manipulating traditional sounds into new ones. She is also known for electro-acoustic compositions, where the acoustic instruments are amplified and manipulated by the electronics in real time. Juhani Nuorvala describes Saariaho's music as "purist modernist." He says a "fragile, brilliant play of colour, a sensuality, a dreamlike misterioso atmosphere, visual and poetic associations" are the defining characters in her music. Saariaho has developed a completely new sound of string instruments. Her sound is largely influenced by the added element of constant vertical movement of the bow. It includes using over or under pressure of the bow: the former creates a scraping sound, the latter a whistling airy sound. Petals can be played either acoustically, or with the electronics. The electronic effects used in the piece are de-tuning and reverberation. The score indicates the percentage and the length of the use of the electronics. "Petals (1988) for solo cello was written abruptly in a few day, but evidently after a long unconscious preparation. The material stems directly from Nymphea for string quartet and electronics. The name of the piece is derived from this relationship. The opposite elements here are fragile, coloristic passages which give birth to more energetic events with clear rhythmic and melodic character. These more sharply focused figures pass through different transformations, and finally merge back to less dynamic but not less intensive filigration. In bringing together these very opposite modes of expression I aimed to force the interpreter to stretch his sensibility. Petals was inspired by the playing of Anssi Karttunen and is dedicated to him." ----Kaija Saariaho The collaboration between Anssi Karttunen and Kaija Saariaho is a famous one; Saariaho herself writes that when she composes for certain instruments, she always associates the sounds of them with the people she composes for. She does not compose for a cello or a violin, she composes for Anssi's cello or Gidon Kremer's violin.         Are You Brave Too ? Festival is looking for sponsors. Contact Brave.New.Works@umich.edu or call 800-896-7340 to become a sponsor