photo by Chippy (Heung-Heung Chin)
Led by Stephen Drury of the NEC faculty, the Callithumpian Consort is a loose aggregation of NEC students, alumni, and new music enthusiasts that performs locally, on the East Coast, and in Europe. Throughout the year, the group visits NEC with performances of contemporary avant-garde music.
As part of a residency at NEC, Ikue Mori brings a new work from her Kibyoshi project, combining animation and live music, and also performs with the ensemble in John Zorn's Orphée. Mori first came to the attention of American audiences as drummer for the legendary No Wave band DNA; for many years now she has blazed a trail as a laptop-based artist.
Debussy Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
Mori Confucius Becomes Popular
Murail Lachrymae
Vines The Economy of Wax
Zorn Orphée
Lachrymae by Tristan Murail continues the Consort's engagement with last year's Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP) composer-in-residence. This work for flute and string quartet was premiered at SICPP 2011 back in June; for those who were at the beach then, here's a repeat performance.
Nicholas Vines is another SICPP featured composer. Economy of Wax, for soprano, flute/piccolo, viola, and harp, will appear on an upcoming Callithumpian Consort recording of Vines's music.
John Zorn's Orphée is paired with the work that inspired it, Claude Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. Depicting the legend of Orpheus's trip to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice, Zorn mirrors Debussy's lush romanticism and instrumentation, adding percussion, keyboards, and electronics by Ikue Mori, who joins tonight's performance. It's an enchanting and unconventional way to kick off the Debussy anniversary year!
More about this concert at the Callithumpian Consort blog.
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THELONIOUS MONK