From France
Oct. 20th, 2008 10:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariTonight I went to the Ludovico Ensemble's concert of contemporary French music.
Tombeau in memoriam Gerard Grisey - Philippe Hurel
This piece for percussion and piano partook heavily of the "atonal cacophony" esthetic, but I liked it nonetheless. The piano and percussion parts worked together in an extraordinary way, particularly in the matching and blending of timbres. I especially liked the second movement, which kept getting into odd grooves and then shifting away into new ones.
Vortex Temporum - Gerard Grisey
This piece for large ensemble was completely fascinating, and reminded me a lot of Helmut Lachenmann's music. The first movement opened with a rapidly rippling figure in the winds and piano paired with striking notes and sounds coming from the strings. Then the two groups switched roles, gradually becoming more soloistic. The movement ended with a spiky piano solo. The second movement was slow and more abstract, making a lot of use of electronic-style sounds coming from acoustic instruments. The third movement was the most Lachenmann-like. It opened with a reprise of the beginning of the first movement and then went off in a completely different developmental direction. It explored the material more expansively and daringly. This was really a very impressive and interesting piece, and I hope I can find more of Grisey's work to listen to.
Tombeau in memoriam Gerard Grisey - Philippe Hurel
This piece for percussion and piano partook heavily of the "atonal cacophony" esthetic, but I liked it nonetheless. The piano and percussion parts worked together in an extraordinary way, particularly in the matching and blending of timbres. I especially liked the second movement, which kept getting into odd grooves and then shifting away into new ones.
Vortex Temporum - Gerard Grisey
This piece for large ensemble was completely fascinating, and reminded me a lot of Helmut Lachenmann's music. The first movement opened with a rapidly rippling figure in the winds and piano paired with striking notes and sounds coming from the strings. Then the two groups switched roles, gradually becoming more soloistic. The movement ended with a spiky piano solo. The second movement was slow and more abstract, making a lot of use of electronic-style sounds coming from acoustic instruments. The third movement was the most Lachenmann-like. It opened with a reprise of the beginning of the first movement and then went off in a completely different developmental direction. It explored the material more expansively and daringly. This was really a very impressive and interesting piece, and I hope I can find more of Grisey's work to listen to.
