SYDNEY SPRING FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSIC

1 - 29 SEPTEM BE R 1995 Permanent Art istic Director:

Roger Woodward AC

EUGENE GOOSSE SHALL, ABC

U JIMO CENTRE

SYD EY TOWN HALL

T E GUNNERY 43 -51 COWPER

WHARF ROAD,

WOOLLOOMOOLOO

All Concerts are recorded and broadcast by

ABC Classic FM

SYDNEY SPRING ENSEMBLE

SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER

ElIgene Goossens Hall , ABC Ultimo Centre

THE SYDNEY SPRING ENSEMBLE

cOlldllctors Simon Romanos Steven Hillinger

gllest soloist Roger Woodward (piano)

preparation Oaryl Pratt

Sydney Spring Ensemble

flllte Sam Hennessy

clarinets Douglas Clarke David Bull

bass clarinet John Tschanter

alto saxophones David Gwilliam Loretta Palmeiro Claire Sheppard

horns Adrian Hallam Christopher Hunt

trumpets Helen Blunt Mark Edwards Benita Murchie Corrado Palleschi Adam Tomkins

trombones Damien Buttler (a nd bass trombone) Clare Littleton Adam Mason

plnno Tonya Lemoh Lisa Mathieson (and salllpling keyboard)

perCllsslO1I Jeremy Bamett Claire Edwardes

violins Rachel Easton Lisa Nihill Naomi Radom Veronique Serret Nick Wales

viola James Eccles

cello Daniel Morris

dOllble bases David Phillips Maureen Wallace (and electric bass) Mark Harris

This Concert will be broadcast by ABC Classic FM Monday, 25 September, 1995 at 8:00pm

Monday, 16 October, 1995 at 8:00pm

8:00PM

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IANNIS XEN AKIS Conductor: Piano:

Simon Romanos. Roger Woodward.

Eonta

Trumpets: Adam Tomkins, Benita Murchie. Trombones : Damien Buttler, Clare Littleton, Adam Mason.

DAMIEN RICKETSON Alto Saxophone : Loretta Palmeiro. Trumpets : Helen Blunt, Mark Edwards,

Adam Tomkins

MA TTHEW SHLOMOWITZ Conductor: Steven Hillinger

Blech

Piano Concerto

Piano: Tonya Lemoh (and large ensemble)

INTERVAL

MA TTHEW SHLOMOWITZ String Quartet Violins: Viola: Cello:

Naomi Radom, Lisa Nihill James Eccles Daniel Morris

DAMIEN RICKETSON Lamina for Trumpet

and Large Ensemble

Conductor : Trumpet:

Steven HiHinger Corrado Palleschi

WP - World Premiere

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(1963/64)

(1995) WP

(1994/95) WP

(1994)

(1994/95) WP

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11

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IANNIS XENAKIS (b. 1922)

Eonta (1963-64)

"In reference to his rapport with the Parmenides text( The wny of Truth and The Wny of Seel1ling) at this period (1964), he chose the title Eontn, 'beings', which he inscribed on the score in the beautifuJ classical Cypriot script. If in his theoretical studies he was looking ahead to new formal questions and a complete change of technique, Eontn was a work of consoUdation, drawing together the several strands of early sixties: the stochastic selection of pitches by computer as in the SI series, and the logical operation of classes in symboUc music (Hennn), but with an ease which made the new work seem plastic, effortless and graceful as it rested on his earlier struggles, where the contest to shape the matter of sound by theoretical ideas had been more evident. Then too he had begun this work as a result of vivid concrete images which he entered in his notebook after spending an afternoon boating in Ianglewood. It is worth quoting in full for Xenakis gives an lmusually detailed account of his work in words rather than the sketches he normally prefers" .

Reflection in wnter. Wnter is the pinna. The Brass concentrnted with little intemnllllovel11ents, slow nnd fnst (n lteratioll of tilllbre) and chords. Find little varinbles like a type-phrases of Mozart which would perlllitthe idea of evollltion. Each player in tum as soloist as ill n gallle. Thell estnblish if possible nn intermediary gallle in the ma/lI1er of suites. Altemnte delicnte nnd brutal suites as ill Mozart, Beethoven. The piano is the centre, the others ill cirClllllference, they approach to resonate the piallo. wrge chords in the piano alternating with the brass which nppronch while playing and flavour the dinloglle. Like distant 1II0untains which one ignores evell thollgh they are gigalltic, all olle's allentioll captured by close hills. Theme which will be developed later. Regular rhythm, brutal, accelerating alld slowing dowll ...

"The opening piano solo recalls the fluency of Henlln ; ... wide jumps across the whole range of the piano register intensify the compulsive rushing quality conveyed by a fast tempo ... with the entry of the brass Xenakis introduces a new theme, an idea which would later galvanise his architectural talent in a new context. In addition to extending the range and timbre of instruments with new articulations he now designed their particular arrangement and movement in the space. The piano is immobile but the brass players are given choreographic notes in their parts": 'swing the bell from side to side in an obtuse angle on long crescendi; point the bells to the ground and raise them slowly during four bars in slow crescendo on single pitches; walk to the piano and play into the strings waiting in silence for the resonance to emerge; play short bursts of staccato while walking; play while pointing the bells to the ceiling.' "With the possibility of shifting sounds from one loudspeaker to another in electro-acoustic music, composers had become more aware of reshaping the auditory space by moving and directing sound, but no one had conceived of mobilising Uve instruments as an intrinsic part of a work and certainly the air columns emitted by large brass instruments were perfect for directing effectively.

"Eonta was to be performed at the Dormaine Musical, conducted by Boulez in December 1964. Despite his celebrated abilities and dedication to performing ne\-v music, BOlllez was dismayed by the score; his determination to go ahead with the premiere prompted him to make a suggestion which is as ingenious as it is unparalleled in the history of music:

'I hnve received the score nnd pnrts of EOllta, but I feel I III list tell YOIl fra nkly thnt the problelll is not where you see it in the willingness of the IIlll sicinns nnd the nllll1ber of rehenrsnls . There nre physicnllilllits to the cnpncity of lips, nnd the score ns it is conceived - I nssure YOIl thnt I looked nt it very cnreflllly this time - is nbsolutely IInplnynb/e correctly if one does 110t relny the illstrlllllelltnlists. Blit to give you n cOlllpnrison, I think thnt one cOllld plny your score like n relny-mce, thnt is to sny YOIl cnn do peljorlllnnces by relny which YOIl could not do with n single runner nlone ... (especinlly) when YOIl altemnte entire pnges of held notes in high registers with en tire pnges of solo, which jeopnrdise nil seCllrity for the elllbouchure.'

"Xenakis took a sporting chance on the Olympic system; indeed with BOlllez conducting ten brass players instead of fi ve at the premiere of Eontn, its musical qualitites shone through for it obtained the reviewer's accolade with the headline, 'Mess inen et Xennkis a l'honneur'''. From "Xennkis" copyright 1986 Nouritza Matossian

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DAMIEN RICKETSON (b. 1973)

Blech (1995) World Premiere

B/eeh was largely composed as a culmination of two previous compositions: Phox for alto saxophone and tape and Lueid Ebb for brass quartet, both written in the second half of last year. In these two pieces I had developed a strong affinity for the trumpet and alto saxophone. I was intrigued by their similarities of range and to some extent timbre and was interested in pitting one against the other. B/eeh was written in close collaboration with the soloist Loretta Palmeiro with almost two months of rehearsals being spent on the desired saxophone techniques before a note was written. The piece was written mid year with assistance from Bozidar Kos, and Michael Smetanin, dedicated to Loretta .

MATTHEW SHLOMOWITZ (b.1975)

Piano Concerto (1994-5) In h~'o movements World Premiere

Damien Ricketson

When I began this work, I grappled with what approach I would take to the concerto form. I began simply pitting the soloist against a unified mass. As I progressed in the writing process, each instrument of the ensemble began seeking an independence. The unity of the mass was placed under interrogation. Eventually, each instrument, the trumpet, for instance, attempts to relate to its fellow brass and other instruments, whilst retaining its own identity and without sabotaging some semblance of a co-operative ensemble.

Initially I perceived that the work would be a single movement. But during the writing, I found that the piece was ' top heavy' in terms of density and information. The original structure was accordingly altered: there are now two movements, the second longer than the first to redress the balance. This work was written for Tonya Lemoh and the Spring Ensemble under the tutelage of Bozidar Kos.

Matthew Shlomowitz

MA TTHEW SHLOMOWITZ (b.1975)

String Quartet (1994) The way in which I wrote the String Quartet differs to the Concerto. In the Concerto I dealt with structural and material matters together. The in1petus for writing was not defined before I began the work, but during it. With the String Quartet I had a clear conception, so as I wrote I sought to realise rather then to define. This conception was one where different materials could be presented in contrast, and then subsequently lose their identity to one another. So at the pre-composition level I organised in schematic terms, the details of drama, time, balance and distribution of material. The main influences I had during this work were Rihm, Xenakis and principally my teacher at the time Michael Smetanin. This is the second performance of this work; as it was premiered by the same quartet at Makama 4 in October of last year. Matthew Shlomowitz

DAMIEN RICKETSON (b. 1973)

Lamina for Trumpet and large ensemble (1994-95) World Premiere

The initial inspiration for Lillllil/a came from the later music of Luigi Nono, however as the piece progressed works such as Andriessen's De Staat proved to be of more impact. Nono's influence can still be seen in the breaking up of the ensemble into five spacially separated groups, the purpose being to create a movement of sound. This is particularly clear in the first section which is built on the backdrop of a light drone on the note '0', passed spacially around the ensemble. Though it is in one continuous movement, Lalllina can be broken into three distinct sections. The first two are slow, the first being almost aperiodic, while the second is characterised by a slow dirge-like pulse. The final section is fast, with a perpetual rhythmic momentum leading to the ultimate climax of the work. The draft of this work was composed at the end of last year under the tuition of Richard Toop, and was subsequently re-worked and completed this year under the direction of Bozidar Kos. Special thanks must also go to Corrado Palleschi for his valued input and enthusiastic dedication to the performance.

Oamien Ricketson

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Steven Hillinger Steven Hillinger (born in 1970) has completed his Bachelor of Music and Graduate Diploma of Music majoring in French Hom. He is currently studying for his Masters degree in conducting with Henryk Pisarek and has conducted various ensembles including the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Sydney Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra . After conducting the Poulenc Organ Concerto for th e 'Young Performers Competition' he conducted the sa me work with the Ku-ring-ga i Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1993 and 1994 Steven was winner of the Alien Bellhouse memorial conducting scholarship.

The Sydney Spring Ensemble

Simon Romanos Simon Romanos is a regular guest with symphony orchestras around Europe, including the Stuttgart State Opera and English Na tional Ballet and of the former Yugoslav ia prior to the hostilities there. He is recognised in Austria and Germany as a Lieder accompanist. Rom anos studied with Myer Fredman and John Hopkins, who opened the doors for his study in Vienna wi th Cerha, in London with Boulez and Col in Davis, and most importan tl y with Peter ES tvss in Hungary. His mentor since 1981 has been Sir Cha rl es Mackerras and thi s appearance at the Sixth Sydney Sprillg marks the return of Simon Romanos to this country as a guest after h-velve years in Europe. He is currently preparing the fi ve Beethoven Piano Concertos with Roger Woodward for perfomance at the 1996 Ohrid Summer Festival.

This is the premier performance of the Syd ney Spring Ensemble. Established by Damien Ricketson and Matthew Shlomowitz, the Ensemble consists of ta lented young musicians with all interes t and en thusiasm for the performance of contemporary music. Currently, the group consists of thirty two performers wi th the fl ex ibility to play both chamber and large ensemble music.

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Damien Ricketson Damien Ricketson (born in 1973) is currently in hjs fourth and final year of a Bachelor of Music degree majoring in Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Damien has had pieces performed by The Song Company, Sydney Youth Orchestra 's 'String Group' and many fellow students. Recently he was awarded 2MB5-FM's Young Composer of the year (1994) for the piece Lucid Ebb, to be performed by the Sydney Brass Ensemble . He has studied with composers such as Bozidar Kos, Richard Toop, Martin Wesley-Smith, Michael Smetarun, Greg White, Trevor Pearce, Elena Kats-Chernin, Greg Schiemer, and Richard VelJa. As well as concert music Damien has also written music for student films and is very interested in areas where music is used in relation to other art forms, for example music for theatre, dance, film, computer

multimedia, etc. Outside of composition, Damien plays violin in an ethnic folk ensemble 'The Sea Gypsies', and directs and conducts a children's orchestra in WolJongong.

Matthew Shlomowitz Nter studying composition with Stephen Whittington for one year at Adelaide Unjversity, Matthew Shlomowitz (born 1975) transferred to the Sydney Conservatorium. Now a fourth year student in the Bachelor of Music program, he has studied with Bozidar Kos, Trevor Pearce, Michael Smetanin, Richard Toop and Greg White. He has had many works performed in student concerts and is one of the founding members of 'Makama', an organisation which has presented five concerts of contemporary Australian music since its inception in 1993. Recently Matthew was awarded a 'Big Brother' scholarship to study with Michael Finnissy in London. At present he is composing works for David Phillips' (bass) and Lisa Mathieson's (piano) end of year recitals.

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Loretta Palmeiro : Loretta Palmeiro recently grad uated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she studied saxophone under the direction of Mark Walton, and attained her Bachelor of Music degree. Last year she toured as soloist with the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, performing the Ibert Saxophone Concerto. Loretta is a member of the Austra lian Saxophone Quartet, and has played in various ensembles including the Sydney Wind Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra, as well as big bands including Brass Machine and HighJy Swung. When she is not performi.ng, Loretta works as a professional music teacher in a number of Syd ney schools.

Corrado Palleschi : After obtaining the Bachelor of Music Degree (Hons) at the University of New England under the tutelage of Daniel Mendelow, Corrado PaJJeschi has subsequently completed a Diploma and Graduate Diploma at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music whilst studying with Gordon Webb. Corrado performed on natural trumpet in John Albert Delany's 'Mass in A flat and slide trumpet at the Powerhouse Museum. He is also a founding member of the contemporary music ensemble: New Sydney Sinfonia and has recently returned from overseas where he studied wi th David Staff and other European trumpeters.

Tonya Lemoh : After studying for two years at the Hobart Conservatoriwl1 in piano wlder Ling En Pei, Tonya Lemoh is currently a post-graduate student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Nikolai Evrov. Tonya has performed in Master classes for various ar tists such as Mi.khaiJ Voskresseroky, Christine Ortiz and Lev Vlasenko. Tonya was a recent performer in the Rising Stars concert series broadcast on 2MBS-FM.

•

J

Loretta Pafllleiro, Con'ado Palles"i, TOllya Lemo"

Adam Tomkins is currently studyi.ng as a fourth year Bachelor of Music student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has played with the Sydney Youth Orchestra and Willoughby City Band.

Benita Murchie is a fourth year Bachelor of Music student at the Syd ney Conservatorium of Mus.ic. She has performed wi th Sydney Youth Orchestra, Mercury Brass Quintet and toured with the Australian Youth Wind Orchestra and Pan Pacific Orchestra .

Damien Buttler played principal trombone during the Australian Youth Orchestra's tour of Europe in 1994. He has also performed wi th the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and the Hunter Orchestra.

Clare Littleton is a third year Bachelor of Music student at the Sydney Conserva torium of Music studying under Ron Prussing. She has performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Adela ide Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and attended the Easter Brass Academy in 1995.

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Adam Mason is a third year Bachelor of Music student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying with Authur Hubbard, He has performed with the Sydney Youth Orchestra.

Helen Blunt is a recent graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she attained her Bachelor of Music degree under Daniel Mendelow. She has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and has toured with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Camerata.

Mark Edwards is currently a final year Diploma of Music student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has performed with the SBS Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Youth Orchestra.

Naomi Radom is a third year Bachelor of Music student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying under Alice Waten. She has performed with the Canberra Youth Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Camerata and plays in the Coda String Quartet. She has premiered new works by many student composers, as well as recently recording a program of AustraJian electro-acoustic music for ABC Classic FM's New Music Program.

Lisa Nihill is a third year Bachelor of Music student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying under Christopher Kimber. She has performed and recorded with Don Harper, and has recentJy returned from tour in Hong Kong with the Don Harper Constellation.

James Eccles is a second year Bachelor of Music student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has performed with the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra and Ensemble 21.

Daniel Morris graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music in 1991. He was principaJ 'cellist of the 1991 Australian Youth Orchestra tour. He is four-time-winner of the Sydney Chamber Music Eisteddfod, and competed in the Inaugural Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

SYD

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

OF NEW MUSIC