Volume 5 Issue 2 - October 1999

Autumn is almost upon us, and
the 1999-2000 Toronto new music
season is rapidly coming to the
boil. Several concerts in October
into the "not to be missed"
category.
SABAT AND CLARKE
The violin/piano duo of Marc
Sabat and Stephen Clarke
continues their fascinating series
of recitals at the Ettore Mazzoleni
Concert Hall on October 8.
These two have become
recognized for their committed
interpretations of contemporary
music, as well as for explorations
of lesser known and challenging
works. This concert features
Matteo Fargion's "Janet Topp"
(revised version, 1998);
Christopher Butterfield's "Four
Short Pieces for Violin and
Piano" (1999); Christian Wolff's
"Pebbles" (1999); and Galina
Ustvolskaya's "Duet" for violin
and piano (1964).
The first three pieces on the
programme are world premieres,
and the Butterfield and Wolff
were commissioned by the Sabat/
Clarke Duo. Ustvolskaya's
highly personal voice is gaining
in international popularity, and
the 25-minute duet will be an
intense, exciting conclusion.
ERGO •••
On October 15, the ERGO
Ensemble - in association with
the A.DEvantgarde: Projekte
Neur Musik and The Music
Gallery - presents "Stock
Exchanges: Munich/Toronto".
This concert follows the
successful presentation of
Canadian and German new works
in Germany in June, and permits
Toronto audiences to experience
the fruits of this exchange.
Six composers altogether - 3
Canadian and 3 German - will
receive North American premieres
of their works. Participating
Canadians are: Barbara Croall
("Noodin" for two flutes), Marc
Sabat ("Backyard Summer Patio"
for bass clarinet, piano and
percussion), and Allison Cameron
("Quartet" for flute, clarinet,
piano and percussion).
Their German counterparts
are all part of the A.DEvantgarde
association: Moritz Eggert
("Tableau" for clarinet and piano)
is also a free-lance pianist,
Fredrik Schwenk ("Trio" for
flute, piano and percussion)
teaches at the Hochschule in
Augsburg, and Carl Christian
Bettendorf ("Journey" for bass
clarinet, piano and percussion) is
studying composition. with
Wolfgang Rihm in Karlsruse.
Performers for this unique
event include Stephen Clarke,
piano; Peter Stoll, clarinet;
Richard Moore, percussion; plus
two European guest artists who
participated in the parallel
concert in Munich - Philipp
Jundt (Swiz.), flute and Dorothee
Binding (Ger.), flute.
As an added bonus, a
composers round-table discussion
with the Canadian and internaby
David G.H.Parsons
tional guests will be held on
October 16 (following day) at
4:00 PM at the-6oethe·Institut;
The topic: exchanges between
countries (culturaVmusical); their
importance in general, and this
recent exchange in particular.
Barbara Croall (currently an
Affilate Composer with the ISO)
will moderate. "I've always
believed that discussions about
art in general should ~ke place
outside our everyday frame of
reference," remarks Croall.
EsPRIT'S PLEASURES
The Esprit Orchestra presents
"Diverse Pleasures" October 19,
the first event of its 1999/2000
season, featuring several works
from their recent European tour.
"In Amsterdam we did 4 separate
concerts in 3 days," music
director Alex Pauk states, "each
with completely different
repertoire, and everyone was
amazed that this was feasible.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was
the size and warmth of the Paris
audience. It can be very hard to
· break into the scene in that City,
and we were truly gratified by
the positive feedback."
Following Denis Gougeon's
striking concert opener - the
effervescent and lively "Primus
Tempus" (1993)- the audience
will be treated to Chris Paul
Harman's "Procession burlesque"
(1998) and Alexina
Louie's Shattered Night,
Shivering Stars (1997). The
latter work is featured on a
recent CBC Records release of
the same name, entirely devoted
to Louie's orchestral music
[SMCD 5190].
The international content is
Tiziano Manca's "Ondine"
(1998), which will receive its
Canadian premiere. "We
performed the selected works in
the young composers category at
Gaudeamus," says Pauk, " and
this one was especially successful.
It is imaginative and
charming, sensuous yet intellectual,
and achieves a new sonic
identity."
Esprit returns to this country .
for Denys Bouliane's "Du fouet
et du plaisir", a striking piece
' given by Soundstreams last
season, and which gets a
welcome re-hearing as part of
Esprit's long-standing goal to
establish a true Canadian
repertoire. Listeners who wish to
explore Bouliane's world in
advance should check out his two
CDs - "La' Musique du Realisme
Magique, vol. I and II [SNE 543
I 567].
DEGENERATE MUSIC?
New Music Concerts exposes an
intriguing piece of musical
history with its first concert this
season on October 31 at Premiere
Dance Theatre.
The composers and works
featured were all suppressed by
the German National Socialist
Party in the 1930s, and the music
comprises some important 20thcentury
classics as well as lesser
known repertoire: Karl Amadeus
Hartmann (1905-1963), Ernest
Krenek (1900-1991), Hanns
Eisler (1898-1962). Kurt Weill.
Only $5.00
per concert
1 0 months of events
Over 100 eligible
concerts last season
Earn •earmiles"
toward free tickets
Great savings on CDs
Passes available at the
Canadian Music Centre (416) 961-6601 and the Music Gallery (416) 204-1 080