Our nu ensemble had a fantastic concert last Saturday night: seven pieces from the last five years, all by composers between the ages of 23 and 45. The program: Ted Hearne: But I Voted for Shirley Chisholm Derek Arnold: Cook’s Wall Cheyne Runnells: Mistakes Were Made Donnacha Dennehy: That the Night Come Caroline Shaw: Entr’acte Dak Van Vranken: Hag Stefan Freund: The Soldier Dances With … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2015
Words and music
It’s a truism that great poetry doesn’t always make for great lyrics. Most composers who have set a lot of poetry can attest to the fact that some of the things that make a poem come alive on the page or when spoken are the very things that make it DOA when set to music. I haven’t heard much discussion, though, of the ways that poorly constructed poetry can make for effective music. I’ve been … [Read more...]
Herschel Day
Today is the 277th birthday of William Herschel, a man who shows us just how vast the change has been in the fortunes of the arts and sciences. Herschel has often been dubbed the Father of Modern Astronomy, the first person to discover a planet unknown to the ancients, a fellow renowned for building some of the finest telescopes of his day. But his day was not an optimal time for … [Read more...]
Entr’acte
Between performances of Lo, her new quasi-violin concerto, Caroline Shaw paid a visit to our Composition Department yesterday. Her visit came in two chunks: first coaching a graduate string quartet in her 2011 composition Entr’acte, then speaking with the composition students about her music and theirs. If you haven’t heard any of Caroline’s music, type her name into your favorite search box … [Read more...]