Volume 8 Issue 7 - April 2003

TORONTOHEARANDNOW
(NEW MUSIC)
by Paul Steenhuisen
Having just returned from the very crimes de I 'amour (theatre musisuccessful
Montreal Nouvelles cale pour un film de Michel Fano),
Musiques, the countdown is on for Requiem furtif, Les Secrets Eleanother
interesting festival of new mentaires, and 2 works for solo
art music, this one Kitchener's percussion: Graffitis and Corps ii
Open Ears (www.openears.ca, corps. Also included are selec­
May 7-11 ). While the Montreal tions from Cinq Couplets, Tourbilfestival
concentrated primarily on lions, Monomanies, Conversations,
a balance of international and Ca- which were composed for his own
nadian notated r~pertoire, with ex- group, ATEM.
cellent performances from all of Aperghis ha~ said that Requiem
the ensembles involved, Open Ears furtif (1998) (violin, claves/hyoshialso
involves soine improvisation, gi) gives substance to one of his prelive
electronics, and the influence viously forgotten dreams, about
of dj culture.
Prior to this, however, numer-
walking in a graveyard, haunted by
the sound of the barren branches
Joseph Petric
Ben Heaslip, Sonet o Tatrach by
Lidia Zielinska, Orbiting Garden
by Christos Hatzis, and a new work
by Michael Hynes.
ous significant performances will of the trees knocking together. The The night before (April 25), Es"
take place, including the premiere violin plays primarily ephemeral prit Orchestra presents Touch, a
of composer Linda C. Smith arid sounds, using harmonics;pizzica- multi-media, multi-disciplinary
libretHst Don Hannah's new opera to, rapid light bowstrokes and sul concert. The world premiere of
Facing South. The composer ponticello, in counterpoint with the Alex Pauk's [ouch Piece is prewrites
that "The score is built sound of the claves..
sented with an integrated multiaround
an orchestra of 20 musi-
screen video composition created
cians and four solo singers. I think Touch is difficult.
with collaborator Colm Caffrey.
of the orchestral score as creating Touch is the revolution
The work also includes a digita
kind ofabstract or essentialland- (Anne Sexton, Letters to Dr. Y ...) al soundtrack incorporating enviscape
- both the Polar landscape as On April 26, the "earshot" collec- ronmental sounds created by a
well as a more interior terrain." tive of Canadian composers pro- team of film soundtrack designers,
Tapestry New Opera Works . ducing concerts of new Canadian David McCallum, and David Rose,
presents the preview on April 2 at music presents earshot #8, enti- as well as a digital, electroacoustic
Cherry Beach Sound, The Facto- tied Accord ,- new music for ac- layer, created by composer Darry.
See listings for complete run. cordion (More information at ren Copeland. The digital soundwww
.earshotconcerts.ca.) track and electroacoustic playback
Acclaimed accordionist Joseph for Touch Piece will be presented
Petric is joined on stage by a group in 12-channel sound surround, and
of chamber musicians to perform the Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Law­
Whotheh.:.
is Georges Aperghis?
Of course I know - but based on
the small number of performances
of his work in this area, most listeners
won't be particularly familiar
with this Greek/French composer.
Unfortunate, considering his
substantial ouevre. Not coinciden7
tally, "Who the h ... is Georges
Aperghis" also happens to have
been the title of the 1996 .Banff festival
that spawned thi.s event by the
same group of collaborators, now
called the "Aperghis Project".
Born in 1945, Aperghis is an autodidact,
an outsider on the Paris
scene. In 1970, he began to develop
his own form of music drama,
exploring musical gesture, repetition,
sequential variation, the relation
between physical and musical
gesture, and social ritual.
The repertoire to be performed
on April 10 includes selections
from Aperghis' classic vocal work
Recitations (check out the,! recently
re-released recording featuring
Martine Viard, not to mention the
cleverly notated score), Les Sept
20
Sticherarion by Larry Lake, Chou- rence Centre, will be transformed
ette by Keith Denning, God's 'tree into a giant multi-screen theatre.
by Nick Akers, Divertimento by _ Touch Piece aims at capturing
both the spiritual and earthly
nature of mankind in a 'work
that connects nature, music,
and a variety of cultural references.
In many parts orchestral
music blends with an attempt
to produce an imagined
music of the spheres in a kind
of "universe symphony." The
concert also includes a new
choreography set to the music
of Colin McPhee's Nocturne
created and danced by Peter
Chin. Esprit's concertmaster
Fujiko Imajishi is featured in
the Violin Concerto by Gyorgy
Ligeti, and Jose Evangelista 's
0 Java, for which Chris Clifford
is also creating a video interpretation.
Opening the programme
is a screening of Larry
Weinstein's film Inspired by
McPhee shot in Bali and using as
its soundtrack Esprit's recording of
McPhee's Nocturne.
On the tree, Future, we build our
nest; and in our solitude eagles
shall bring us nourishment in their
beaks! (Friedrich Nietzsche)
QUICK PICKS
April 01 8:00: Music Toronto.
Louise Bessette, piano. Scelsi:
Four Poems; Messiaen: La fauvette
desjardins; Ives: Second Piano
Sonata. Jane Mallett Theatre.
April 02 7:00: Art Gallery of York
University. John Gzowski in Concert.
New microtonal compositions.
·
April 06 2:30: University of Toronto
Faculty of Music. Electroa-