International Contemporary Ensemble) John Zorn Retrospective Oct 26
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theaterdancemusic Fall 2013 Body/Head MCA STAGE featuring Kim Gordon and Bill Nace at the Sep 24 Edlis Neeson Taylor Mac Theater An Abridged Concert of The History of Political Popular Music Sep 27–28 Timbre 4 Tercer Cuerpo (Third Wing) Oct 3, 5 and 6 ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) John Zorn Retrospective Oct 26 Rainpan 43 Elephant Room Nov 2, 3, 7–10 Nassim Soleimanpour White Rabbit, Red Rabbit Nov 3–5 and 9 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Break Out! Celebrating ten years of supporting new work by Chicago dancemakers Nov 16 Sandra Bernhard Experience an electrifying array of Everything Bad and Beautiful artists from around the globe—all at Dec 5 and 7 a great price. Tsukasa Taiko Visit mcachicago.org/stage or call Taiko Legacy 10 and Reduction 312.397.4010 for tickets. Dec 21–22 ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) John Zorn Retrospective October 26, 2013 David Fulmer, conductor International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) Claire Chase, flute Joshua Rubin, clarinet Rebekah Heller, bassoon Erik Carlson, violin Kyle Armbrust, viola Michael Nicolas, cello Cory Smythe, harpsichord Dan Lippel, guitar Tyshawn Sorey, drums ICE’s 2013–14 MCA residency is made Edlis Neeson possible through generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts; the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Theater Family Foundation; the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The Aaron Copland Fund for Music; the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Amphion Foundation; Museum of The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, a state Contemporary Art agency; the Alice M. Ditson Fund; and Photo: Armen Elliott International Contemporary Ensemble Chicago the BMI Foundation. MCA STAGE at the Edlis Neeson Theater the steppenwolf Walpurgisnacht (for madmen only! A Witches’ Sabbath in three movements price of admission: your mind) 2004 2012 For string trio For solo clarinet Rainpan 43 Chicago premiere Canon to Stravinsky in memoriam Occam's Razor 1972 Elephant Room canons, interludes and fantasies For flute, clarinet, bassoon, and viola 2013 Chicago premiere For cello and piano Nov 2, 3, 7–10 Chicago premiere Baudelaires part I. Paris Spleen A trio of world-class illusionists the tempest part II. Flowers of Evil deliver a candy-colored love letter a masque part III. Artificial Paradises to the world of magic 2012 2013 For flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, For flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, bassoon, drumset, and percussion harpsichord, guitar, violin, viola, and cello Buy tickets online at Chicago premiere World premiere mcachicago.org The performance runs approximately Copresented with the 70 minutes with no intermission. Chicago Humanities Festival Artists Up Close Gain insight into the creative process through these intimate opportunities to engage with the artists. As part of the evening, John Zorn and ICE Artistic Director/CEO Claire Chase—who names Zorn as a major influence—join each other onstage for a conversation about their Museum of ongoing work together. Contemporary Art Chicago From the artists About the music John Zorn says that he writes music for people. the steppenwolf (for madmen only! two parts are named after two of Baudelaire’s After a conversation over lunch with Zorn last price of admission: your mind) (2012) most famous books of prose-poetry, and the year, Claire Chase and I were inspired by his A piece for solo clarinet, this short, third takes its name from his controversial book legendary enthusiasm about the music and virtuosic composition takes Herman about his personal experiences with opium musicians that he cares about. Then, not a Hesse’s 1927 novel of the same name and hashish. month later, he e-mailed to tell us that a new as its inspirational material. piece was already done, for us—the tempest. Full of characters taken from the play, the piece Occam’s Razor, canons, interludes felt natural in our hands, so much fun to play; and fantasies (2013) it was custom, personal. He captured our John Zorn continues his interest in blending characters in the margins of Shakespeare's music with logic and mathematical principles own, and gave us freedom to play (loudly at with a series of canons, interludes, times, as you will hear). and fantasies between a piano and cello. For Zorn, it's the only way. The power of his the tempest, a masque (2012) many unique musical and artistic collaborations William Shakespeare’s play is pared down are unnecessary to mention except to reinforce to a ten-minute trio. In this supernatural drama, how much the loyalty and respect of his flute, bass clarinet, and drums reenact the collaborators defines his ever-evolving career. story of Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan, In a short couple of years, I've been able who uses illusion and deception to restore to watch Zorn's furious, prolific streak from his family’s position. front-row seats. It's been one masterpiece after another, written for and played with Walpurgisnacht, A Witches’ Sabbath abandon by the best performers in the world. in three movements (2004) This has been made explicit in the carnival of This three-part composition showcases events celebrating his sixtieth birthday this year: Zorn’s aggressive compositional side, hundreds of musicians pouring their creative using dissonance and irregular rhythm energy into Zorn's similarly energetic scores to eerie effect. Written in 2004, it has since at concert halls, theaters, clubs, and museums. spawned the 2012 companion piece All Hallows’ Eve. John Zorn Music is storytelling, and Zorn's connection Photo: Scott Irvine with the people he works with is, of course, only Canon to Stravinsky, in memoriam (1972) made clear to the audience in performance. Written when Zorn was only nineteen, Canon The pieces on our program tonight are colorful to Stravinsky is one of his earliest works. gems that some words can describe (complex, Its composition was inspired by the death of cut-and-paste, haunting, wild, improvisatory, the famous Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, playful, extreme precision), but the players tell which occurred during the previous year. it even better. Baudelaires (2013) Joshua Rubin Similar to Zorn’s 2012 work Rimbaud, Program Director, International Baudelaires interprets the work of another Contemporary Ensemble. French poet, Charles Baudelaire. The first About the artists John Zorn Tanglewood, appearing as the soloist in International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) Ludovic Morlot, Matthias Pintscher, John has created an influential body of work that his concerto. is dedicated to reshaping the way music is Adams, and Susanna Mälkki. defies academic categories and draws on his created and experienced. With a modular performance and composing experience in a New commissions include the Salzburg makeup of thirty-three leading instrumentalists With leading support from The Andrew W. variety of genres including jazz, rock, hardcore Foundation for the Scharoun Ensemble performing in forces ranging from solos to Mellon Foundation, ICE launched ICElab in punk, classical, klezmer, film, cartoon, popular, of the Berlin Philharmonic, Ensemble large ensembles, ICE functions as performer, early 2011. The program places teams of ICE and improvised music. A native of New York, Intercontemporain, Heidelberg Festival for the presenter, and educator, advancing the music musicians in close collaboration with six emerg- he has been a central figure in the downtown Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and of our time by developing innovative new works ing composers each year to develop works music scene since 1975, incorporating a wide violinist Stefan Jackiw, RTÉ National Symphony and new strategies for audience engagement. that push the boundaries of musical exploration. range of musicians in various compositional of Ireland and clarinetist Carol McGonnell, ICE redefines concert music as it brings together ICElab projects are featured in more than one formats. Early inspirations include American Carnegie Hall, and Alte Oper Frankfurt, as well new work and new listeners in the twenty- hundred performances from 2011–14 and innovators Ives, Varèse, Cage, Carter, as a commission from BMI for a new work for first century. documented online through DigitICE, a new and Partch, the European tradition of Berg, cellist Jay Campbell and his Carnegie Hall online venue. Stravinsky, Ligeti, and Kagel, soundtrack debut recital. Fulmer's work will be premiered Since its founding in 2001, ICE has premiered composers Herrmann, Morricone, and Stalling, by the New York Philharmonic this season in more than 500 compositions, the majority ICE’s commitment to build a diverse, engaged and avant-garde filmmakers such as Harry their inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL CONTACT! of these new works by emerging composers, audience for the music of our time has inspired Smith, Jack Smith, Kenneth Anger, Stan concert series. His hour-long cycle for saxo- in venues ranging from alternate spaces to The Listening Room, a new educational initia- Brakhage, Richard Foreman, and Jean-Luc phone and ensemble, On Night, composed for concert halls around the world. The ensemble tive for public schools without in-house arts Godard, as well as avant-garde theater, art, saxophonist Eliot Gattegno, was released this received the American Music Center’s curricula. Using team-based composition and and literature. Zorn established the Tzadik summer and features the Argento Ensemble Trailblazer Award in 2010 for its contributions graphic notation, ICE musicians lead students label in 1995; opened The Stone, a performance and Fulmer conducting on the Tzadik label. to the field, and received the ASCAP/Chamber in the creation of new musical works, nurturing space, in 2005; and has published and edited Music America Award for Adventurous collaborative creative skills and building five volumes of musicians’ writings under the This season, Fulmer received the Charles Programming in 2005 and in 2010. ICE is an appreciation for musical experimentation. title Arcana. He has been awarded the William Ives Fellowship from the American Academy Ensemble-in-Residence at the Museum of Read more at www.iceorg.org.