Wild Rumpus
Wild Rumpus presents a program of genre-bending works of chamber music expressing a wide variety of reflections on life in the 21st century. Echoes and repetition are two threads weaving themselves throughout this program. Paula Matthusen's The Ontology of an Echo takes field recordings made in abandoned underground tunnels in New York City and orchestrates them for chamber ensemble. We also reprise a work we commissioned in our very first season by Jenny Olivia Johnson, which takes its inspiration from the mythical story of Echo and Narcissus. Johnson responds to the story with music that continually echoes and doubles back on itself, with electronic processing further enhancing the effect. Beat Furrer's Invocation VI makes typically idiosyncratic use of repetition, with brilliantly varied sonic textures looping and varying in unpredictable ways. Jürg Frey represents the Wandelweiser Group of composers from central Europe, still little known in the United States. Frey's music is marked by its extreme stillness and quiet; despite its minimal materials, the music has a stark hypnotic beauty unlike anything else. Rounding out the program are two world premieres by up and coming composers David Biedenbender and Christopher Cresswell, part of Wild Rumpus continuing commissioning project, supporting some of the most exciting young composers on the scene today.
Program:
David Biedenbender: New Work (2015) World Premiere
for soprano, flute, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, cello, double bass, electric guitar, percussion, and piano
Christopher Cresswell: New Work (2015) World Premiere
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, electric guitar, piano, and electronics
Jenny Olivia Johnson: reflect reflect respond respond (2012)
for two sopranos, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, harp, electric guitar, and piano
Commissioned by Wild Rumpus
Paula Matthusen: The Ontology of an Echo (2013)
for clarinet, percussion, piano, electric guitar, cello, double bass, and electronics
Beat Furrer: Invocation VI (2003)
for soprano and bass flute
Jürg Frey: More or Less Normal (2005-07)
for ensemble
Wild Rumpus is a contemporary chamber music ensemble dedicated to performing the music of the present. Founded in San Francisco in 2011 and led by composers Jen Wang and Dan VanHassel and clarinetist Sophie Huet, the ensemble brings together stellar musicians who share a passion for risk-taking, collaboration, and working with living composers. The ensemble has commissioned thirty-seven new works to date, showcasing premieres alongside new music that highlights shared threads of influence and inspiration. With performances praised as a "showcase of virtuosity and imagination" by San Francisco Classical Voice, Wild Rumpus hopes to challenge and delight audiences by revealing beauty in unexpected places and resonances that transcend boundaries of generation, geography, and genre.
8pm to 10pm, 2133 University Ave.