Otherworldly Resonances – Cikada & more
Wed, 04 May
|Festsal, Munchmuseet
A concert dedicated to two composers who share a playful and adventurous relationship to music.
Time & Location
04 May 2022, 19:00
Festsal, Munchmuseet, Edvard Munchs Plass 1, 0194 Oslo, Norway
About the Event
Ellen Ugelvik Kristine Tjøgersen (1982–), Piano Piece (23’) Ellen Ugelvik + Sanae Yoshida George Crumb (1929–), Otherworldly Resonances (for Two Amplified Pianos) (19’) Cikada strykekvartett George Crumb (1929–). Black Angels (20’)
In the very first concert in the PÅ! series at MUNCH, you get to experience the contemporary composers Kristine Tjøgersen and Georg Crumb. In collaboration with leading musicians and ensembles, we present music from both renowned and new performers in this concert series, which has been developed in collaboration with Therese Birkeland Ulvo and UR-produksjoner, with support from Norsk Komponistforening and Arts Council Norway.
Recordings from a forest and its inhabitants in Tjodalyng is the inspiration for the sonic material in Piano Piece.
Composer Kristine Tjøgersen attempts to recreate and redevelop sounds of insects, birds, leaves, water, and creaking trees, as well as the presence of humans in the forest. The work explores how we relate to nature, the human need for control, and how we place ourselves at the centre of the world. Tjørgersen has a deep fascination for trees, their underground communication network and secret life. At the same time, we are introduced to the inner workings of the grand piano – a space the listener rarely sees or relates to. Both these areas have many aspects that are yet to be explored.
George Crumb is one of the most performed composers today. He is known as an explorer in music with alternate forms of notation and expanded instrumental and vocal techniques. His work Otherworldly Resonances for two pianos is based on a hypnotic four-tone motif. It was one of Crumb’s first piano pieces after a break of almost 15 years. Black Angels is written for an eclectic string quartet where the instruments are amplified until the volume reaches the pain threshold. The musicians use instruments in untraditional ways, as well as whispering, singing, shouting, and drumming. Crumb was influenced by painful memories from the Vietnam War when he wrote Black Angels, which is subtitled Thirteen Images from the Dark Land.
(Photo: Carmen Castrejon)