A Music Festival Features Premiere of the Opera ‘Dorian Gray’
By GEORGE LOOMIS
Published: November 13, 2013
By GEORGE LOOMIS
Published: November 13, 2013
This article is about The World New Music Days festival that was first held in Salzburg in 1922 and it remains a robust champion of new music. This year the 11-day program, sponsored by the International Society of Contemporary Music, was spread over three cities — Kosice and Bratislava in Slovakia, and Vienna — and included some 25 concerts. The Slovak component included works rooted in European modernism as well as more recent ones showing a greater variety.
The theater’s orchestra plays under the conductor Christopher Ward’s leadership.The concert also brought two works by elder statesmen of Slovak music. A concert by the Austria-based Stadler Quartet in the Slovak Philharmonic’s Small Hall brought an engaging selection of post-World War II quartet music in which pieces by the Slovak composers Jozef Malovec and Jana Kmitova were joined with works by Luciano Berio, Luca Francesconi and Gyorgy Kurtag. Kurtag’s “Six Moments Musicaux, op. 44,” proved especially welcome, both for their musical refinement and their allusions to other composers, from Bach to Janacek and to Schubert in the title.
The theater’s orchestra plays under the conductor Christopher Ward’s leadership.The concert also brought two works by elder statesmen of Slovak music. A concert by the Austria-based Stadler Quartet in the Slovak Philharmonic’s Small Hall brought an engaging selection of post-World War II quartet music in which pieces by the Slovak composers Jozef Malovec and Jana Kmitova were joined with works by Luciano Berio, Luca Francesconi and Gyorgy Kurtag. Kurtag’s “Six Moments Musicaux, op. 44,” proved especially welcome, both for their musical refinement and their allusions to other composers, from Bach to Janacek and to Schubert in the title.
I feel that the idea of the music festival that originated in Austria is a great example of how cultures can come together. the fact that they are now going on tour is equally as amazing and will offer an opportunity to spread ideas and styles of music. I noticed that they are coming to North America For the first time and this will give people a chance to experience styles of music other than pop culture or mainstream.
I believe this article shows how music is a big part of culture. this festival was created to bring three cities closer together and not only has it accomplished that, but it is spreading around the world with similar effects.