“If it’s baroque, fix it.” Or classical / romantic / modern, for that matter. The San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra takes everything Under Deconstruction, turning the old new and the new newer. The fun begins with Philip Freihofner updating Terry Riley’s loop technology in computer-activated ostinati against oboe improvisations, resulting in Spillstream to rival a sonic Lake Oroville outlet. Next Davide Verotta verily dazzles with both Sonata Fantasia piano updates and Incandescent music for five percussionists and strings. Not to be outdone, Michael Cooke deconstructs Beethoven dramatically and unexpectedly in Symphony No. 4, with nods to the Fifth and Eighth of the B-Man. And speaking of such, John Beeman presents another in his series of Ishi evocations, where the clash of cultures rises to new levels of passion and poignancy. Also hoping to get a rise will be Music Director Mark Alburger‘s takes on Broke Dances, breaking towards an apocalyptic musical meltdown re the Book of Revelation. Revolutionary, all!
Program:
Mark Alburger – Broke Dances
Mark Alburger – Book of Revelation
John Beeman – Ishi
Michael Cooke – Symphony No. 4
Philip Freihofner – Spillstream
Davide Verotta – Sonata Fantasia
Davide Verotta – Incandescent
WHO: San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra
WHAT: New Music premieres for orchestra by Bay Area composers
WHERE: St. Teresa Of Avila Catholic Church, 1490 19thStreet, San Francisco
WHEN: 8pm Saturday May, 4th 2019
Cost: $25 General, sliding scale available
Videos featuring musicians playing at this event
Open Ended by Michael Cooke is a very versatile work that is composed live before your eyes and ears. Based on Rova‘s Radar techniques, Open Ended is less of a composition and more of a color or tool palette. It is an ever-growing collection of rules and games for the performers that are triggered by hand signals by the conductor/composer. The conductor/composer then composes the piece live using these hand signals to guide the performers. The ability to compose with what happens in the moment, in real time, is what is required to produce this piece. This similar to the “Soundpainting” language was created by Walter Thompson in Woodstock, New York in 1974. Open Ended has no set instrumentation and can be played by any number of performers. It also has no set length; the piece could last 5 minutes or 24 hours.