Composer Portrait: Conlon Nancarrow
featuring Alarm Will Sound

Sun, Mar 11, 3 pm

Venue: Hertz Hall

Price: $32

Subscription Series: Choose-Your-Own, Winter/Spring Mini Series

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Presented in collaboration with the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, Cal Performances' Composer Portraits offer the rare opportunity to dive in and immerse yourself in the works of some of the great composers of our time. Each concert focuses on the works of a single composer, performed by soloists and ensembles of international standing.

Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997) was born in America, took Mexican citizenship in 1955, and is remembered chiefly for the incredibly complex pieces he wrote for the player piano, which he used as kind of mechanical music sequencer. Nancarrow lived most of his life in complete obscurity, his work not enjoying a reassessment and revival until the 1980s. Today, he is remembered as one of the most original and unusual composers of the 20th century. For the past five years, Alarm Will Sound—"the future of classical music," "a brilliant new music ensemble" raves the New York press—has presented programs of contemporary music from modernist to minimalist as well as jazz, rock, world music, and everything in between, including the music of John Adams last season at Cal Performances.

Program: Nancarrow/Piece No.1 for Small Orchestra; Three movements for Chamber Orchestra; Septet; String Quartet No. 1; Studies for Player Piano Nos. 2 and 3a (arr. Alarm Will Sound); Sonatina for Piano

PATRON INFORMATION

Learn More! Program Notes: Program notes are available online, click here. Audio clips: ( Real One Player or Windows Media Player) Piece No. 1 for Small Orchestra * Sonatina for Piano * Study for Player Piano No. 3a * Clip is of a piece being played as part of the Cal Performances program, but is played by different artists (Continuum)

Education and Community Events:
Key Notes Lecture: The Composer's Way
Sun, Mar 11, 1-2:30pm
An artist who lived in obscurity is now remembered as one of the most original and unusual composers of the 20th century, particularly for his complex pieces for the player piano. This discussion will focus on the current interest in and revival of Nancarrow's work.

The third annual Key Notes lecture series delves into the music of contemporary composers featured on Cal Performances' 20th Century Music & Beyond series. Join us for inspiring commentary, light refreshments and insightful conversation at these pre-performance lecture/receptions presented by Cal Performances in association with the UC Berkeley Department of Music. All Key Notes lectures take place in the Seaborg Room of the Men's Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus and are free and open to the public.

Artists links:
Official Alarm Will Sound site

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