The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: “New Music Saturday” is rich with FREE concerts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

By Jacob Stockinger

Think of this coming Saturday as “New Music Saturday.”

That is because fans of new and contemporary classical music have a busy day of MUST-HEAR concerts ahead of them.

Two FREE concerts will be featured in Mills Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

CLOCKS IN MOTION

The first concert is in the afternoon and will be given by the UW-Based percussion group “Clocks in Motion” (seen below in concert).

The “Clocks” concert is at 3 p.m. in Mills Hall and will present a FREE concert highlighting the music of American composers Henry Cowell (below top) and John Cage (below bottom).

Here are some program notes provided by Clocks in Motion:

“The performance will be interactive. Audience participation will be a central focus in the performance, resulting in a seamless sound tapestry that will transform the concert experience into a fully immersive event.

“Clocks in Motion’s ability to use virtually any object as an instrument will be extended to the audience, who will be encouraged to use their cell phones, keys, voices, hands, and other objects to contribute musical sounds throughout the performance.

“Hailed as “nothing short of remarkable” (ClevelandClassical.com), Clocks in Motion is a group that performs new music, builds rare instruments, and breaks down the boundaries of the traditional concert program.

“Formed in 2011, Clocks in Motion now serves as the ensemble in residence with the UW-Madison percussion studio.

“The individual members of Clocks in Motion’s unique skill sets and specialties contain an impressive mix of musical styles including, rock, jazz, contemporary classical music, orchestral percussion, marching percussion, and world music styles including Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian.

“Among its many recent engagements, the group served as resident performers and educators at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Rhapsody Arts Center, University of Michigan, Baldwin-Wallace University, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

”For more information on Clocks in Motion, including repertoire, upcoming events, biographies, and media, visit www.clocksinmotionpercussion.com

IOWA’S CENTER FOR NEW MUSIC

But that isn’t the end of new music on Saturday.

Also on this coming Saturday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. in Mills Hall, the acclaimed Center for New Music (below) at the University of Iowa will return to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a FREE concert.

The Center for New Music at the University of Iowa was established in 1966 with funds from the Rockefeller Foundation. Its purpose is to promote contemporary to audiences rarely exposed to such repertoire. The Center also resulted in a tight collaboration between composer and musician. During the past 47 seasons, the Center has performed over 400 concerts and presented over 2000 compositions. It has commissioned and premiered works by composers such as Berio, Crumb, Messiaen and Carter, and continues to serve as a vehicle for contemporary music in the Midwest.

The concert of late 20th-century and early 21st-century repertoire features Viennese violinist Wolfgang David and pianist-composer David Gompper (below).

The program includes “Nuance” for solo violin (2012) by David Gompper (below); the Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80 (1938-46) by Sergei Prokofiev; “Ikona” for violin and piano (2008) by David Gompper; and “Dikhthas” for violin and piano (1979) by Iannis Xenakis  (1922-2001).

Here is a note about “Nuance” — heard at the bottom in a YouTube video — from composer David Gompper (below) and reprinted courtesy of the UW School of Music:

“Nuance (2012) for solo violin is based on a simple descending melody heard in the opening bars. The three-part form explores timbral resources of the instrument through an extended series of character developments. Written in London in January 2012, it has undergone a number of expansions and a “filling out”. Very much in my mind was the application of the ratio 1.414 (the square root of 2), the same portion found in many of Bach’s works.”