OFF — ROAD ultiµ∑ oslo coπteµpo®∑®y September ∞–⁄° 2º⁄# µusic festiv∑l — 2 — — 1 — Contents 3 Editorial 48 Open meeting: 4 Colophon Gender equality in the field of music 5 Alvin Lucier: Installation 49 Ultima Remake: Le Grand Macabre 6 Ensemble Modern plays Frank Zappa 50 Ultima Academy 8 Ensemble Recherche 52 Instrument Workshop 9 Ivo Dimchev: X-on 10 Norwegian Soloist’s Choir 54 Programme 11 Arne Nordheim: Installation 58 Educational projects 12 Christian Blom: Installation 58 Venues 13 Sven Lyder Kahrs 59 Tickets 14 Kristin Norderval: Installation 17 Tora Augestad 18 Oslo Sinfonietta and Song Circus 19 György Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre 20 Camille Norment, Ole-Henrik Moe and Kari Rønnekleiv 21 Eugeniusz Rudnik 21 Arne Nordheim: Exhibition 22 Alvin Lucier 23 The Recycled Instruments Orchestra of Cateura and Barratt Due’s Juniorensemble 24 Satyricon and the Norwegian National Opera Chorus 25 Lunchtime concert: Karstein Djupdal and Steve Reich 26 Kenneth Karlsson and Elisabeth Holmertz 27 Musical Election night vigil 28 Cikada Ensembe: Carola Bauckholt 29 Nadar Ensemble 30 KORK / Christian Wallumrød / Alvin Lucier 31 Transiteatret-Bergen and the BIT20 Ensemble: Judasevangeliet by Tore Vagn Lid 32 Alvin Lucier and Ensemble neoN 35 Odd Johan Fritzøe: Adventura Botanica 36 Harry Partch: Delusion of The Fury 37 Streifenjunko 38 Lunchtime concert: Christine Sun Kim 39 Cikada Trio 40 Kim Hiorthøy and Lisa Östberg: You 41 Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra: Charles Ives, Frank Zappa and Lene Grenager 42 Jefta van Dinther: GRIND 43 Nils Bech 44 Øyvind Brandtsegg / Robert Willey: Conlon Nancarrow 45 Kjell Samkopf: Etyder for slagverk 46 The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra with Martin Fröst 47 The Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Oslo Cathedral Choir Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet — # — Edito®i∑l OFF — ROAD I spent Norway’s Constitution Day at the landfill in Asunción, capital of Paraguay, home to the young mem­ bers of The Recycled Instruments Orchestra of Cateura. Playing the violin is not the most obvious pastime for the inhabitants there; neverthe­ less, using instruments made from recycled waste, this orchestra has be­ come a cornerstone in the community, and for many it has become a vital part of their lives. For me, this says a lot about the necessity of music and of the power of thinking outside the box. The Ultima Festival is a forum for unconventional musical ideas, and the theme for this year’s festival highlights people who find alter­ native ways to create new forms of musical expression. In an individ­ outskirts of both American society ualised, digitised society in which and central European tradition. the outsider position is desirable During Ultima, a special pro­ to the point that collective individ­ gramme is devoted to the ideas be­ ualism and subculture are regarded hind the music. For those with a as brands, it’s interesting to study particular interest, Ultima Academy this role from a musical­historical focuses on the relationship between perspective. In many cases this theory and practice in art music. leads us to twentieth­century United We believe it’s important to ask our­ States, where composers such as selves “Why?” Why? Because that’s Harry Partch, Conlon Nancarrow, what moves music forward. and – later – Alvin Lucier created Lars Petter Hagen Artistic Director, their highly original works on the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival Photo: Erell Perrodo — ° — Alvin Lucie® — ∞ — Thu®sd∑y ∞/ª Colophon Empty Vessels Inst∑ll∑tion: Alvin Lucie® Ultim∑ Find us online! Acknowledgements: ALVIN LUCIER WILL BE MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS Official festival This magazine is www.ultima.no · ANX/Atelier Nord TO ULTIMA ON THE magazine published with support Facebook: www.facebook. · Bekkelaget Renseanlegg FOLLOWING DATES: Ultima Oslo from Fritt Ord, com/ultimaoslo · Dansens Hus Contemporary Music Association of the Twitter: @ultimaoslo · Det Norske 8/9 Festival Freedom of Expression Instagram: Komponistfond ALVIN LUCIER 5-14 September 2013 Foundation, Oslo. @ultimafestivalen · Drivhuset Henie Onstad · Fagerborg Kirke Kunstsenter Editor-in-chief: · Fond for lyd og bilde 2:30 pm Lars Petter Hagen His Royal Highness · Fond for utøvende · Music for solo Crown Prince Haakon is P®og®∑m ∑dviso®y bo∑®d: Editor: kunstnere performer the patron of Ultima. Cathrine Nysæther Per Boye Hansen, Anne · Goethe-Institut Norge · Wave Songs (Soprano: Hilde Neset and Thomas · Grønland kirke Silje Aker Johnsen) Contributors: Schäfer · Institusjonen Fritt Ord Page: 22 Henrik Beck, · Kulturdepartementet Thomas R. Berg, · Kulturhuset 9/9 Emil Bernhardt, Ultim∑’s membe®s: · Kulturkirken Jakob INTERVIEW WITH ALVIN Karstein Djupdal, · Kunstnernes Hus LUCIER/ULTIMA ACADEMY Lars Mørch Finborud, · BIT20 Ensemble · Morgenbladet Ny Musikk Tomas Bjerke Holen, · Black Box Teater · Music Norway Mira Langeland, · Den Norske Opera & 11/9 · Nasjonalbiblioteket Anne Hilde Neset, Ballett THE NORWEGIAN RADIO · Nasjonalmuseet for Stine Sørlie, · Det Norske ORCHESTRA kunst, arkitektur Alf van der Hagen, Kammerorkester Empty Vessels. Photo: Roman März & Singuhr Berlin 1999 Store Studio, NRK og design Ola Vikås, · Det Norske Solistkor 6 pm · Nationaltheatret Ando Woltmann, · Henie Onstad Exploration of Ultima is supported by · NISS (Nordisk Institutt Rob Young, Kunstsenter the House the Ministry of Culture for Scene og Studio) Eight glass containers, Maren Ørstavik · Institutt for Page: 32 and City of Oslo. · NODE vases, and other vessels of Thu®sd∑y ∞/ª Alvin Lucie® (b. ⁄ª#⁄) is musikkvitenskap Design: NODE Berlin · Nordheimsenteret different shapes and sizes ∑n Ame®ic∑n legend in 11/9 · Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo ALVIN LUCIER Oslo www.nodeoslo.com · Norsk kulturfond are arranged in a row, each ALVIN LUCIER AND · NICEM Empty Vessels (1997) composition ∑nd sound · Norsk kulturråd on its own pedestal. Micro­ MUSICIANS FROM Address: · Norges musikkhøgskole × Sound installation ∑®t. With his ∑coustic · Norsk Teknisk Museum ENSEMBLE NEON Øvre Slottsgate 3, 0157 · Norsk Komponistforening phones are placed in the Atelier Nord ANX expe®iments in the 60’s · Oslo Domkirke Fagerborg Kirke Oslo, Norway · NOTAM mouths of the vessels and 1 pm he ®evolutionized ou® · Oslo kommune 10 pm · NRK, Kringkastings- the sounds picked up from $ Free w∑y of thinking ∑bout Post address: · Oslo Konserthus · Silver Streetcar for orkestret them are sent to speakers The exhibition is music. Now, he is coming c/o Sentralen, Pb 183 · Oslo kulturnatt the Orchestra for solo · Ny Musikk placed on pedestals that open daily from 1 – 6pm Sentrum, 0102 Oslo, · Scandic Hotels to Ultim∑. triangle (Triangle: · Oslo Domkor throughout the Ultima Norway · Sentrum Scene face the vessels. The sounds In cooperation with Ny Håkon Stene) · Oslo-Filharmonien Festival from 5 – 14. · Sparebankstiftelsen DNB from the speakers create Musikk, Henie Onstad · Two Circles Phone: (+47) 22 40 18 90 · Oslo Sinfonietta and September · Steinway Piano Gallery acoustic feedback, thus Arts Centre and Atelier (Ensemble neoN) E-mail: [email protected] Cikada · Stiftelsen Akershus creating resonances inside Produced by Nord, Ultima has · I am sitting in a room Web: www.ultima.no festning for Kunst each vessel. The shape of Atelier Nord. invited Lucier to Oslo. (Alvin Lucier) Print: TS Trykk og Kultur each vessel, as well as the Page: 32 · Trefoldighetskirken presence of people within · Utenriksdepartementet the space, cause corre­ sponding alterations in the sounds. (Maren Ørstavik) Thu®sd∑y ∞/ª — ^ — Ensemble Mode®n Opening Conce®t — ¶ — Thu®sd∑y ∞/ª Absolutely f®ee, ∑bsolutely b®illi∑nt Ensemble Mode®n pl∑ys F®∑nk Z∑pp∑ arena filled to capacity with approached him about the considered impossible for Boulez­like (?) The Girl in 13,000 people. It was at this possibility of performing humans to play, not least the Magnesium Dress. Thu®sd∑y ∞/ª festival that Arne Nord­ his symphonic music here the beautiful and wildly Ten years after the re­ OPENING CONCERT heim and Zappa met for the in Oslo.” polyphonic The Girl in the lease of The Yellow Shark, Ensemble Modern plays first time. In 1983 Kent Nagano Magnesium Dress. But this the ensemble followed up Frank Zappa And more followed: conducted 107 musicians was before Ensemble Mod­ with Greggery Peccary and Sentrum Scene Orchestral Favourites in the London Symphony ern approached Zappa in Other Persuasions, which 7:30 pm contained symphonic Orchestra (LSO), first at a 1992 asking for permission mostly consists of orches­ $ NOK 350/250 music with the Abnuceals catastrophic concert in the to orchestrate and perform trated compositions written Frank Zappa: Emuukha Electric Sym­ Barbican, where – according this and other tracks written by Zappa for the Synclavier, The Yellow Shark phony Orchestra (!) re­ to Zappa – several of the for the Synclavier. most of them from the al­ · Dog/Meat corded in 1975. The LP musicians got themselves The musicians trav­ bums Civilization Phaze III (Arr. Ali N. Askin) was first released by Warner drunk in the bar during the elled to LA to rehearse with and Jazz From Hell. Greg- · Outrage at Valdez Brothers in 1979 without interval. The album was Zappa for several weeks. gery Peccary is a more strin­ · The Girl in the Zappa’s consent. 1979 was subsequently recorded in a They must have hit the right gent, though slightly less Magnesium Dress Zappa’s most commercial derelict industrial building, notes, and clearly rehearsed unrestrained, production (Arr. Ali N. Askin) period; the single “Bobby and were – still according to intensely, because the en­ than the magical The Yellow · Ruth is Sleeping Brown” topped the Norwe­ Zappa – the first ever multi­ suing concerts performed Shark. Personal favourites (Arr. Ali N. Askin) · Get Whitey gian pop charts for weeks. track digital recording of a in Frankfurt’s Alte Oper here are Revised Music · G-Spot Tornado symphony orchestra. Unfor­ The double album Sheik Ye- created a sensation. Every­ for Low Budget Orchestra (Arr. Ali N. Askin) rbouti was a smash hit, and tunately, this historical foot­ one knew that Zappa was (on which a wonderful vi­ Frank Zappa: Zappa was voted Artist of note did little to make it a seriously ill.