musica viva: Duncan Ward & Lawrence Power

Collisions: Before “the combustion engine and radio monopolized earth and air” (Ives), one could experience the stillness of night even in New York. In Central Park in the Dark, stillness is interrupted by distant noises – including a passing street band. A second dimension is also present in Sofia Gubaidulina’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra via a solo string quartet tuned a quarter tone lower than the other instruments of the orchestra. Both works provide the framework for this concert with internationally acclaimed guest conductor Duncan Ward. The centerpiece is the world premiere of sparks, waves and horizons by Minas Borboudakis, who describes his music as “a mixture of intensity, impulse and curiosity.” The concert also includes the work Čvor (Knot) by Serbian composer Milica Djordjević – named after the proverbial knot that bursts.