Esa-Pekka Salonen's 'Memoria' was composed as a gift for the 20th anniversary of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble Salonen co-founded.
Composition History
Hannah Lash's 'Leander and Hero' was commissioned by The City of Tomorrow to explore an apocalyptic theme (climate crisis) through the lens of the Greek myth of Leander and Hero.
Compositional Technique
Franco Donatoni's 'Blow' explores confrontational relationships between instruments, with the horn often arbitrating disputes between solo instruments and the rest of the group.
Compositional Technique
Salonen's 'Memoria' incorporates recomposed ideas from his earlier work 'Mimo' and shares some of the sound world of Stravinsky's 'Symphonies of Wind Instruments'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
In 'Leander and Hero', Hannah Lash uses the myth as a parable for the Apocalypse, framing it through the tragic fate of two small characters (migratory birds) to represent personal devastating loss.
Performer Biography
The City of Tomorrow is an experimental wind quintet committed to 21st-century music, often incorporating electronics, unusual lighting, and theatrical movements in their concerts.
Interpretation
During performances of 'Leander and Hero', the musicians are instructed to create whistle sounds by blowing across the mouth of another player, symbolizing the risks in intimate relationships.
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