Earlier this year, I went to the Konzerthaus to attend a rather avant-garde chamber recital. It was a concert held in the Werner-Otto-Saal, and while I have been to the Konzerthaus before and have seen concerts in their larger venues, this was the first time I was attending a concert in the chamber recital hall, right at the topmost floor of the building. The program also featured rather avant-garde pieces, so I was quite looking forward to this intimate occasion.
This specific program is a masterclass in modern European avant-garde and "musique concrète instrumentale." The first piece was Leonid Hrabovsky's Trio for Violin, Piano and Contrabass (1964). Written during the height of the Soviet "Thaw," this is a seminal work of the Kiev Avant-Garde. It utilizes a pointillistic, serialist language with sparse textures and unusual interaction between the strings and piano. I haven't encountered this composer before, and so it was interesting to see avant-garde music coming from Ukraine.
The next piece was Ying Wang's "Speed" for bass flute and contrabass clarinet. The composer herself was in the audience and provided additional background on this rather interesting and peculiar piece. The piece is highly physical, and a high-energy work that explores the "basement" of the woodwind family. It uses multiphonics, breath noises, and percussive key-slaps to create a dense, driving sonic environment. I find unique instruments rather interesting, and so this was quite fascinating to listen to.
The third piece was Daniela Terranova's "sentire con tatto" for String Quartet. I especially enjoyed this one. The title translates to "feeling with touch." This piece focuses on "musique concrète instrumentale," where the physical act of playing—the friction of hair on wire, the pressure of fingers—becomes the music itself. It is often very quiet and fragile.
If there was a piece that I didn't quite enjoy, it is the fourth piece, which was Mark Andre's Asche for five instrumentalists. This piece uses extremely quiet, breath-like textures and microscopic sounds that force the listener into a state of intense concentration. It is highly spiritual but entirely modern, but unfortunately not for me. I prefer loud sound masses than extremely quiet sounds that make me feel like I am too old to hear them.
Rebecca Saunders' "Fletch" for String Quartet was another favourite of mine. It is an explosive, visceral work. Saunders uses the string quartet to create "modules" of sound—ripping glissandi, heavy bow pressure, and sudden silences. It is a highly physical experience for both performer and listener.
Finally, there is Beat Furrer's "Ira-Arca" for bass flute and contrabass. This is another piece that features an atypical instrumental pairing. Furrer uses the bass flute to create percussive, aspirated sounds that are mirrored and distorted by the double bass. It focuses on the threshold between sound and silence.
Overall I enjoyed this avant-garde concert. It avoids the 19th-century repertoire I often find unengaging and focuses entirely on the cutting-edge timbral exploration I love. It was slightly academic, but every now and then one needs these types of concerts.
