One of the 20th century’s most progressive minds, Ligeti found his escape plan in a more spontaneous approach to composition, using free-form drawings to express shape, colour and contour before committing a single note to the page. From the compelling absurdity of Poeme Symphonique for 100 metronomes to the glittering colours of his Melodien, this project explores Ligeti’s radical time-bending compositional methods in an immersive evening of music, public participation (in Poeme Symphonique) and films.
The London Sinfonietta’s exciting chamber touring format Turning Points presents new music by composers whose output was so distinctive that it influenced the course of music history. The events combine up-close performances and public involvement with video interludes of the composers and images from their time creating an immersive and alternative music experience for the audience.
I am in a prison. One wall is the avant-garde, the other wall is the past, and I want to escape György Ligeti
Production overview
Description: Chamber scale immersive concert
Duration: c. 2 hours
Music can include:
Poeme Symphonique (for 100 metronomes)
Artikulation (for tape)
10 Pieces for Wind Quintet
Public / local participation: Poeme Symphonique involves setting 100 metronomes off at the same time. 50 members of the attending audience can be recruited to undertake this task, under the guidance of a London Sinfonietta musician.
Instrumentation: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, 1 percussion = 6 musicians + 1 sound engineer (small project)
The project can include larger scale ensemble works including Melodien
Find out more
Please contact London Sinfonietta CEO & Artistic Director Andrew Burke for more information.
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