Interpretations

Thursday May 9 at Roulette, Interpretations presents Marty Ehrlich's Plowshares People and Brandon Ross's For Living Lovers. Plowshares people presents music for string quartet and solo woodwinds, from saxophonist/clarinetist Marty Ehrlich, including the NY premiere of his string quartet Plowshares People, and two world premieres: Lay Down Your Weary Tune for solo clarinet, and Starlings Suite, for string quartet plus alto saxophone. Featuring Jennifer Choi and Cornelius Dufallo – violins; Lev Zhurbin – viola; Alex Waterman – cello. “For Living Lovers” is the instrumental duo of the exceptional acoustic guitarist Brandon Ross and acoustic bass guitarist, Stomu Takeishi, performing Ross’s unorthodox but highly infectious compositions. They are joined by JT Lewis –drums, and Stephanie Richards- trumpets/flugelhorn.

In anticipation of this concert, we are offering four new tracks: Two from Marty Ehrlich's seminal group Darkwoods Ensemble, and two from Brandon Ross, and one featuring his partner with For Living Lovers, bassist Stumo Takeishi.

Paris based Diotima string quartet returns to New York to present a characteristically eclectic set of works from the 20^th Century to the current era. Works include the illustrious Henri Dutilleux’s Ainsi la Nuit (called “the only repertory French string quartet of the postwar period” by The New Yorker’s Russell Platt), Japanese modernist Toshio Hosokawa’s Silent Flowers, and two works from LA-based composer Hugh Levick: The Unimagined and Empire Inc, both featured on Diotima’s new CD on Signature Records.

We would like to offer two tracks from Hugh Levick's work for string quartet, Empire, Inc: the first and fourth movements, as performed by the Diotima quartet.

On Thursday March 21, Interpretations presents an evening of expressive re-imaginings of solo instruments and electronics:Pianist Kathleen Supové takes off with compositions for piano and soundtrack by Lainie Fefferman, Matt Marks, and Randall Woolf, inspired by Claude Debussy, and featuring the premiere of “Flaming Pairs” by Eric Lyon, part of an evening length work entitled “Earth To Kathy“. PLUS: English tubist Melvyn Poore and sound artist Cort Lippe explore new concepts for solo tuba technique and sound design, incorporating spatialization of microphone placement, bassoon reeds, MAX/MSP, delay, and audio playback.

In anticipation of this concert, we would like to offer three tracks: Kathleen Supové performs Randall Woolf's "Sutra Sutra" from her CD "The Exploding Piano" (a new work from Wolff will be featured on the March 21 concert).  Melvyn Poore performs Jonathan Harvey's "Lightness And Weight", a tuba concerto that Harvey wrote specifically for Poore. Also featured is one work Poore will be performing on his March 21 concert:  "Tubassoon" is an extended experimental work that featues prominently the tuba played through a bassoon reed.

This Thursday, Interpretations presents an evening of intensely focused music from baritone vocalist Thomas Buckner, with Hamburg-based new music specialists L’Art Pour L’Art. Baritone Thomas Buckner welcomes Hamburg-based L’Art Pour L’Art, (celebrating 30 years as an active ensemble). Taking a look at John Cage’s influence on the European experimental tradition, the evening features Cage’s “Four6”, Christian Wolff’s “Edges”, and three works from European composers: Matthias Kaul’s “Thinking About Air… A Song” and “Games for 5”, & Helmut Oehring’s “Philipp”.

On December 6th at Roulette, Interpretations presents an exciting event, with concert works for ensembles on the cutting edge of composition, improvisation, and integrative arts. 

In anticipation of this event, we are offering tracks from our three featured artists. One of these featured artists is Quasar, one of Douglas Ewart's many projects, and one that shares concepts about interdisciplinary performance with his group Inventions. Also included is Steve Swell, with two tracks from one of his other projects, Platform 1 (Ken Vandermark, Steve Swell, Magnus Broo, Joe Williamson, Michael Vatcher). And lastly, two duo tracks from Omar Tamez with percussionist Ramón López.

This coming Thursday, Interpretations presents an evening of NYC and world premieres of radical music inside and around the piano! Australian-based composer and improviser Erik Griswold presents the New York premiere of his prepared piano tour-de-force "Wallpaper Music," and the duo of Köln-based flutist Camilla Hoitenga and Estonian pianist Taavi Kerikmäe premiere a new work by Estonian composers Tatjana Kozlova & Helena Tulve, framed by two classic avant-garde works from the 1960s by Niccolò Castiglioni & Herbert Brun.

In anticipation of this concert, we offer three new tracks:  One solo prepared piano piece from Erik Griswold, one chamber work by Erik Griswold performed by New York's Either/Or Ensemble, and one duo improvisation by Taavi Kerikmäe and Michel Doneda.

On Thursday September 20, 2012, the 24^th Season of INTERPRETATIONS, Thomas Buckner’s longstanding series for the presentation of innovative new music begins with an evening featuring two innovative composers! Composer and Sonic Arts Union founding member David Behrman’s concert-length work is built around texts by Siegfried Sassoon & S. N. Behrman, and features Eric Barsness & Thomas Buckner (voices), Theodore Mook (cello), Ralph Samuelson (shakuhachi), & Peter Zummo (trombone). Canadian Composer Tim Brady’s monumental work takes solo guitar to evocative and dramatic new territory. Featuring Stephanie Griffin (viola), Cheryl Seltzer (piano), and Martin Messier & Nelly-Eve Rajotte (video).

In anticipation of our opening event, we would like to offer three pieces of music:  Two tracks from Tim Brady's monumental work 24 Frames, and one piece by David Behrman, performed by Jon Gibson at the Kitchen in the mid 1990s.

On Saturday May 12, Interpretations presents an evening at of music at Roulette featuring a mammoth new Guggenheim commission from composer Earl Howard, and a performance of amazing new works for violin duo by FLUX Quartet members Tom Chiu and Conrad Harris.  

In anticipation of this event, we are offering two great tracks, one by Conrad Harris and one by Tom Chiu.  Alvin Lucier's duet for two violins with sine tones will be performed by Chiu and Harris on Saturday, and appears here in a version recorded for Lovely Music by Conrad Harris.  Tom Chiu will have a world premiere for two violins on the Saturday concert, and here we are offering a piece he wrote for the FLUX Quartet with special guest pianist Bobby Few. Enjoy!

This week, Thursday through Saturday, Interpretations and Performing Arts Services present Robert Ashley's The Old Man Lives In Concrete at Roulette.  Each of the four evenings presents totally new material--  every night features totally different and totally new material:  a culmination of Ashley's longstanding Conrete project with his esteemed ensemble featuring singers Sam Ashley, Thomas Buckner, Jacqueline Humbert, Joan La Barbara, and Robert Ashley, with mixing and live processing by Tom Hamilton.

Robert Ashley’s newest opera follows Robert Ashley’s preoccupation with the speech of the homeless and of people living together in a home for old people. The libretto might be considered to be the “musings” of an old man, who thinks about strange questions and answers in various forms of sarcasm, indifference, questions about the questions, and explanations.

In anticipation of this major premiere, we are offering a recording of Robert Ashley's work World War Three (Just The Highlights), performed by Thomas Buckner at The Kitchen last year.  We would also like to share an extended interview with Robert Ashley, conducted by fellow composer Richard Carrick.  Enjoy!

On March 8 Interpretations presents an evening of two innovative women in music on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Lam premieres her “Five Songs From Cold Mountain” (baritone, flute, viola & harp) & “Age D’Or” (french horn & baritone), and her “…Like Water” (violin, piano & percussion) receives its New York premiere. Buzzarté premieres White’s “Tracing”, for trombone and electronic sound, which was funded by the MAP Fund for Creative Arts Performance Projects. Buzzarté also presents works by Pauline Oliveros (with pianist Sarah Cahill), Alice Shields, Sorrel Hays, & Buzzarté’s own work “Subtle Winds” for trombone octet.

Interpretations would like to offer a new track: "Sails Returning To Yabase"  from Bun-Ching Lam's new release on Mutable Music, The Heidelberg Concerts. Plus, trombonist Monique Buzzarté's mesmerizing duo with Ellen Fullman is included here already-- we've included this one.

Also, have a look at this interview with trombonist Monique Buzzarté and Alice Shields: