• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

I Festival of Contemporary Music 30July - 6August 1987 I Tanglew(©d Music Center 1 Boston's New Music collage Ensemble T ANNOUNCES 1987-1988 15TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON NOVEMBER 2 Premiere of semi-staged work CYMBELINE after Shakespeare composed and conducted by Charles Fussell. Guest artists include tenor David Gordon and a prominent actor as narrator. DECEMBER 14 Conducted by David Hoose, a program of works by Boston Com- posers in honor of Arthur Bergers 75th birthday. Joan Heller, soprano. FEBRUARY 8 Composers Born in 1938, featuring works by Charles Wuorinen, Joan Tower, Frederic Rzewski, John Heiss and David Stock. Con- ducted by John Harbison with soprano Roberta Gumbel. MARCH 2 A Program of Premieres featuring works by Gunther Schuller and Nicholas C.K. Thorne written especially for COLLAGE'S 15th Anniversary. Conducted by Gunther Schuller with Janice Felty, soprano. All concerts on Monday evenings. November program in Sanders Theatre, all others at Longy School of Music. Tickets from $ 10 to $5- Subscriptions are available at a substantial savings. For further information and a season brochure, call (617) 437-0231 or write: COLLAGE, 295 Huntington Ave., Suite 208, Boston, MA 02115. 1987 FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC sponsored by the TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER TanglewdDd Leon Fleisher, Artistic Director Music Gilbert Kalish, Chairman of the Faculty Center George Perl e, Composer-in-Residence Oliver Knussen, Coordinator of Contemporary Music Activities Daniel R. Gustin, Administrative Director Richard Ortner, Administrator James E. Whitaker, Chief Coordinator Works presented at this year's Festival were prepared under the guidance of the following Tanglewood Music Center Faculty: Doriot Anthony Dwyer Gilbert Kalish John Oliver Leon Fleisher Oliver Knussen Peter Serkin Margo Garrett Joel Krosnick Fenwick Smith Dennis Helmrich Donald MacCourt Roger Voisin Max Hobart Gustav Meier Yehudi Wyner 1987 Visiting Composer/Teachers Elliott Antokoletz Leon Kirchner Alexander Goehr Pieter van den Toorn The Tanglewood Music Center is maintained for advanced study in music and sponsored by the Boston Symphony Orchestra Seiji Ozawa, Music Director Kenneth Haas, Managing Director The 1987 Festival of Contemporary Music is sponsored in part by a grant from the Pepsico Foundation. Dedication The Tangiewood Music Center dedicates this year's Festival of Contemporary Music to the memory of Paul Fromm. Paul Fromm 28 September 1906— 4July 1987 Tanglew®d Music Center When Paul Fromm died a few weeks ago A modest and soft-spoken man with a the musical scene in this country lost one thick German accent which revealed his of its most acute observers, one of its most origins as an immigrant in the '30s, Mr. avid listeners, and one of its most active Fromm could be tough and unyielding, supporters. Mr. Fromm was one of the im- especially when arguing the cause of con- portant figures in music during the second temporary music. He loved music and was half of the twentieth century, and although passionately devoted as a listener to all its he has not been involved at Tanglewood manifestations as a serious art form. His for several years now, nowhere is his rich support for living composers and for new legacy more in evidence than in the con- music was a result of this love for music, certs of this Festival. and he never sought a good deal of the A wine merchant who lived in Chicago public recognition that came to him later most of his adult life, Mr. Fromm had a in his life— he always disdained the name lifelong passion for the music of his time, "Fromm Week," which is how, informally, and in 1952, with a mere fraction of the the Contemporary Music Festival at Tangle- funds of the "important" foundations at the wood came to be known. time, he founded the Fromm Music Foun- Paul Fromm's dream, which he articu- dation. The Foundation's purpose was (and lated over and over in various ways and in is) to support the creation of new works by various forums through the years, was that important composers of the day— both the certain masterpieces of music written since senior and the younger generation —and 1945 enter into the standard repertoire of to help underwrite performances of this performing organizations and be accepted and other significant contemporary music. by the wider public of concertgoers. For The Foundation has had a large influence the most part he did not live to see that on the musical life of the United States, an happen; but to the end he believed fer- influence which far outweighs its financial vently that it will happen, and, outside his resources. The reason for this was the guid- family and his business, all his consider- ing spirit and relentless energy and deter- able energies were poured into the work of mination of Fromm himself. the Foundation. In an oft-quoted remark Beginning in 1958 Mr. Fromm got to- made in 1979 he said: "I am convinced gether with Aaron Copland and began pre- that our century wi 1 1 eventual ly prove to be senting concerts of new music at Tangle- one of the great musical centuries. If we wood in cooperation with the Tanglewood choose to ignore what is happening in our Music Center, and then, in 1964, in al- midst, it is exclusively our loss." Mr. liance with Gunther Schuller, the present Fromm's life and work helped a great deal Festival of Contemporary Music was initi- to prevent that loss for many in an ever- ated. The Foundation's support continued widening musical community which through 1983, with Mr. Fromm having cherishes the music of its time. We at seen the concept through its infancy and Tanglewood are very proud of our associa- adolescence into a healthy maturity. Now tion with Paul Fromm and dedicate this the Festival is supported in part by the Pep- year's Festival of Contemporary Music to sico Foundation and funds from the Boston his memory in the hope that we, in our Symphony Orchestra itself; but those early own way, are carrying on the ideals he pioneering years were the crucial ones, helped set for us. and Mr. Fromm's vision and support, allied — Daniel R. Gustin with the redoubtable Gunther Schuller, Administrative Director, created the groundwork of success upon Tanglewood Music Center which we have built over the years at Tanglewood. Contemporary Music at Tanglewood It is our hope that this year's Festival of There has been support for contempo- Contemporary Music continues our aim to rary music here at Tanglewood from the very present a cross-section of musical manners beginning. How could there not have been and substances from what must be by now with Serge Koussevitzky as Music Director four or five generations of twentieth-century and Aaron Copland as Head of the Com- composers: our oldest composers (Bartok position Department and Chairman of the and Stravinsky) are nearly eighty years Faculty? Nevertheless, in 1964 Erich older than our youngest (Gandolfi, Yim, Leinsdorf, together with Gunther Schuller and Turnage). The presence at Tanglewood and Paul Fromm, thought it worthwhile to of both George Perle and Alexander initiate what he called a "festival within a Goehr, two composers who have most pro- festival," a week-long series of concerts foundly considered the nature and function entirely devoted to contemporary music. of harmony in the music of our century, Individual works by contemporary com- has prompted, perhaps, a sort of hidden posers continued to be represented at other theme through the Festival programs—that Tanglewood concerts, but where in earlier of different conscious attitudes to making years several concerts devoted exclusively "harmonic sense" in new music, some- to music by contemporary composers thing that directly unites the oldest and m ight be scattered through the Tanglewood youngest composers alike. season, these now came to be incorpo- These programs reflect, in part, the com- rated into the Festival of Contemporary plementary personal choices of Mr. Perle Music. and myself of music young and old that we At least one reviewer of that first Festival feel is neglected, underrated, or highly expressed some apprehension about "the promising, balanced with music by com- segregation inevitably imposed on [con- posers of generally acknowledged signifi- temporary music] by its relegation to a cance, from Carter and Imbrieto Lutostawski 'special' series of concerts, without its and Boulez. But above all we hope that treatment as an adjunct to larger concerts these programs—quite different in charac- of conventional music." However, in the ter to last year's, but similarly varied —will Tanglewood context the fear that the Festival provoke stimulating thoughts and consid- would only become another contemporary- erations of several aspects of the state of music ghetto has proven to be unfounded. creative music-making as we move toward For one thing, the special activities of the the final decade of our century. Contemporary Festival have not been en- It remains to thank Leon Fleisher, Gilbert tirely insulated from the "larger concerts." Kalish, Dan Gustin, and Richard Ortner If I may be permitted a personal note, my for their constant support and effort to own Concertino for Piano, Winds, and make this Festival happen, and last but not least the indefatigable James Whitaker and Carol Woodworth, without whom it cer- tainly would not. —Oliver Knussen Coordinator of Contemporary Music Activities, Tanglewood Music Center Timpani had its first Tanglewood perform- One of the advantages of a special Festi- ance and its second performance any- val is that it can provide the means and where when Gunther Schuller conducted facilities for the performance of works it at a Contemporary Festival concert in whose scope and character present 1980. This season it will move to the other economic and practical difficulties that side of the lawn, when Seiji Ozawa con- would otherwise be prohibitive.

Load more

  32

Copy Link