Sound Lounge for Friday 24 February 2017
9:00
Hungarian composer György Kurtág Photo: Wikimedia commons
Last Sunday it was the 91st birthday of the great Hungarian composer György Kurtág, the master of concision and intensity whose music has been compared to opening a trapdoor in your floor and dropping for a moment into the infinity of the cosmos. Pianist Emma Sayers studied with Kurtág at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and here presents her overview of the composer: plus a selection of his works, from the tiny piano miniatures of Játékok to the major genre-bending Zwiegespräch recorded live at his 80th birthday.
Plus in the second hour, a sneak peek of the woman that’s been called the “post-millennial Mozart” by Time out New York: it’s Missy Mazzoli, and her all female band Victoire.
Sound Lounge requests: favourite contemporary composer? Or favourite contemporary piece? Email us! soundlounge@radionz.co.nz or text 8824 to the studio
KURTÁG: Játékok (Games) – excerpts
Performers: Gabor Csalog (pno), Andras Kemenes (pno), Marta Kurtág (pno), György Kurtág (pno)
Label: BMC CD 123
KURTÁG: Zwiegespräch
Performers: Keller Quartet, Gyorgy Kurtag Jr (synth)
Label: BMC CD 129
10:00
MISSY MAZZOLI: Cathedral City
Victoire
New Amsterdam NWAM 025
GRAHAM FITKIN: Selection from Hard Fairy
Graham Fitkin (pno)
Argo 444 112
11:00 New Music Dreams
HAUSCHKA & HILDUR GUÐNADÓTTIR: Pan Tone
Hildur Guðnadóttir (cello), Volker Bertelmann (pno, electronics)
Sonic Pieces SONICPIECES 012
HILDUR GUÐNADÓTTIR/JOHANN JOHANNSSON/ROBERT AIKI AUBREY LOWE: End of Summer
Hildur Guðnadóttir (cello, voice), Johann Johannsson (electronics), Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (voice, synthesizer)
Sonic Pieces PATTERN 002