As part of the festival, an exhibition was presented in the new space of the Artemyev Center, which presented the history of the ensemble and objects from the most notable performances.
What is new music?
You can hear the sound of drops falling from a rag to the head of a drum, Dutch wooden shoes that click loudly, a jar of nails that can be shaken at different amplitudes and tempos, and much more.
The new music is a total deviation from the canons, it is an eternal experiment and a provocative dialogue with the viewer. The new musical language denies the usual sound: dissonance and noise dominate here, and lots of sounds fly chaotically towards the viewer. It also combines living and non-living beings: electronics and acoustics, as well as light and sound.
It is a constant game with space and time. When thinking about what art is, the artist always walks on the edge of a cliff. Any object that produces sound can be an instrument and any sound can be music. Thus, according to the mandate of one of the fathers of the avant-garde, the Italian Luigi Nono, music is everything that is listened to with the intention of listening to music.
By the way, these experiments with music are not new. As you know, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a revolution in the field of art spread throughout the world, and Russia was no exception. Avant-garde artists created their extraordinary concepts by breaking the mold.
The New Music Studio, which appeared 30 years ago, built the traditions of contemporary academic music in Russia practically from scratch. It is not just a set of concerts, but an entire “ecosystem” that connects feelings and cognition. The studio nurtures new artists, songwriters and performers who explore the limitless possibilities of art, sound and their own strengths.
The main ensemble was created in 1993 by composer Vladimir Tarnopolsky, conductor Igor Dronov and musicologist Alexander Sokolov (now rector of the Moscow Conservatory). The first performance of the ensemble took place in France under the direction of Mstislav Rostropovich. At the same time, a class of the Modern Music Orchestra was opened at the Moscow Conservatory.
Today the studio allows you to open little-known musical pages: the scores of Alexander Mosolov, Vladimir Deshevov, Arthur Lurie have come to life… The works of some of them were performed at the opening of the festival on September 18. in the Rachmaninov Hall.
The entire program was united by the theme of endless movement, the influence of urban culture and technological progress. Thus, in the concert directed by Sergei Akimov, “Plant” by Mosolov and “Rails” by Deshevov were performed. The artists literally built the factory. The biting strikes of the bows on the strings and the crash of the keys imitated the roar of a machine that worked inexorably. The hard, and at times clumsy, music was frightening with its insistence and volume, receiving standing ovations after each piece.
It was a look at the time: the authors of the early 20th century collided with our contemporaries through the works “Fast and Furious” by Vladimir Tarnopolsky (premiere in Russia), “Homage to Honegger” by Yuri Kasparov and Parovoz Structures by Alexey Syumak.
And in the second part, the triptych Professor Bad Trip will be performed, a cult composition by the Italian composer Fausto Romitelli, where a complex spectral technique meets brutal psychedelic rock.
At the opening of the festival, Konstantin Zenkin, doctor of Art History and vice-rector for Scientific Affairs of the Moscow Conservatory, noted: “New music in Russia has had a brilliant, although very complex history, which, of course, is related to social unrest. For example, “Russian Seasons” is firmly rooted in history “the ballets of Diaghilev and Stravinsky, which had a colossal influence on all world music. But later, in Soviet times, the fate of the avant-garde was difficult. When I When I was a student, names like Nikolai Roslavets were not mentioned. But thanks to the activities of the ensemble, the entire layer of the Russian avant-garde was resurrected. It is important to note that the ensemble was created jointly with scientists and creative department. Meetings were held with Pierre Boulez, Lachenmann, Iannis Xenakis, Fausto Romitelli and other famous composers. This makes the Moscow Conservatory a special institution, but I say this not so much with pride, but rather “with regret, because this should be everywhere. “I congratulate our ensemble and wish the ensemble reach new milestones and strengthen its international ties.”
By the way
The studio has performed on the best stages in the world, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus, the Cité de la Musique in Paris and the Malibran Theater in Venice. The studio is the only Russian ensemble performing at the International New Music Courses in Darmstadt. The best composers of our time wrote for the ensemble: Maarten Altena, Yuri Vorontsov, Alexander Vustin, Roman Ledenev, Faraj Karaev, Yuri Kasparov and others.
At universities, including such well-known universities as Oxford, Boston and Harvard, festivals, master classes and special projects are regularly held. The ensemble opens works by world authors to our public, performs premieres in Russia, and works by young Russian composers are heard abroad.
Until October 19, within the framework of StudioFest, concerts, educational events and presentations of books, anthologies and multimedia archives will be held in the most important cultural venues of Moscow.
