Sounds for spring: strings, wind, percussion

Concerts to feature Asian premiere of contemporary classics

By Lee Hyo-won

Think Stravinsky. “The Rite of Spring” awakens every cell in the listener’s body, as it evokes primitive sensibilities that are at once altogether new. Many pieces of contemporary classical music may appear to break away from traditions, but they continue the age-old human quest for music-making, here and now.

Concerts beckon fans to explore now established modern classics by Stravinksy as well as Asian premieres of newer works:

the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual symphonic performances will be held next week, while a zestful European duo of wind and percussion players will take to the local stage.

Under the direction of the orchestra’s composer-in-residence Unsuk Chin, the Seoul Philharmonic’s Ars Nova Series has become an established event not only here but also overseas. It inspired the Philharmonia Orchestra’s contemporary music program “Today’s Music,” which Chin also overseas as its artistic director.

The sixth edition of Ars Nova will feature two performances: the chamber section will be held April 20 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul, while the symphonic collection of works will be staged April 22 at the Seoul Arts Center.

The first evening, titled

“EarlyNew,” will feature chamber works that were inspired by centuries-old classics: Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for String Orchestra, which continues the spirit of Baroque music, and Alfred Schnittke’s “Moz-Art a la Haydn,” an homage to its titular master composers. Also to be featured is “Gerere,” a harpsichord solo piece by up-and-coming Korean composer Kim Texu.

In the second performance, “Discoveries,” Chin will see the Asian debut of her own critically acclaimed Cello Concerto. “The greatest compliment you can pay a new work is the desire to hear it again, as with Unsuk Chin’s Cello Concerto,” The Times wrote enthusiastically about the concerto’s premiere last year at the BBC Proms. Cellist Alban Gerhardt, to whom Chin dedicated the piece, will perform in Seoul, reviving the piece that premiered in London.

Also included in the program are Georg Friedrich Haas’ “Torso,” which was written after Schubert’s unfinished Piano Sonata in C major, and Christophe Bertrand’s “Mana” for orchestra. Conductor Stefan Asbury, a renowned contemporary music specialist, will conduct both concerts.

Tickets cost from 10,000 to 30,000 won for “EarlyNew” while those for “Discoveries” are from 10,000 to 50,000 won. For more information call 1588-1210.

Meanwhile, two soloists who became famous here through appearances with the Seoul Philharmonic will give their own showcase at the LG Arts Center, Yeoksam-dong on Sunday.

Swedish trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger and British percussionist Colin Currie have gained international prominence for demonstrating the solo potentials of their instruments, and furthermore, bringing an electrifying edge to the concert experience.

Hardenberger, who is known for recording almost all the staple trumpet works under top labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and EMI, is also a reputed pioneer that premieres works that are dedicate to him. Currie, the first percussionist to win the BBC Young Musician Competition, recently became a residential artist of the London South Bank Center.

Currie will set the rhythm with an eclectic variation of 35 different instruments ranging from the marimba and woodblock to vibraphone, gong and cymbal.

Hardenberger will then crown the beats with his bravura trumpet melodies, showcasing three Asian premieres: Christian Muthspiel’s jazzy “To and Fro,” Lukas Ligeti’s experimental “Tangle” and Tobias Brostrom’s surreal “Dream Variation.”

Also featured in the program are the pop-inspired “Catch” by Joe Duddell and the dynamic seven-part “Heptade” by Andre Jolivet, which the duo has frequently staged to rave reviews.

Tickets cost from 30,000 to 70,000 won. For more information call (02) 2005-0114.