Renaissance Research "Conservatory Project" Assignment: Can You Define Classical Chamber Music Today?

"A beautifull E. altensteinii or Eastern Cape cycad is reasonably common in cultivation but wild populations are threatened."

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“An integral part of British musical life for more than 40 years, The Nash Ensemble of London boasts an eclectic repertoire, from the classics to the contemporary to lesser-known gems for harp and wind instruments. British composer and conductor Oliver Knussen, the curator of the Kennedy Center's Contemporary Music Week, has selected the Nash's program, to be led by acclaimed British conductor Lionel Friend and featuring the talents of soprano Valdine Anderson. Three of the works are Nash commissions: Elliott Carter's Mosaic is written for harp and seven other instruments… Colin Matthews's The Island is set to text by Rainer Maria Rilke… and Nicholas Maw's Ghost Dances, subtitled "An Imaginary Ballet for Five Players," rhythmically and melodically distorts 10 dances. Also on the program: George Benjamin's Piano Figures is a challenging series of 10 pieces about children, Harrison Birtwistle's Crowd is a recent work for solo harp, while Knussen's own Songs Without Voices is an octet, and one of the composer's most popular chamber works.”

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“Classical chamber music and world music playing styles merge in this collaboration between two cultural treasures of West Africa and the acclaimed virtuoso quartet of percussionists. Traditional music of the Dagara People and original works for the Ghanian gyil. Traditional music of Guinea in the style of Ballet Djoliba Chamber works for percussion by Steve Reich, Iannis Xenakis, and Robert Levin.”

ETHOS PERCUSSION GROUP
BERNARD WOMA, Master of the Ghanaian Xylophone
M’BEMBE BANGOURA, Master Drummer from Guinea


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Sources: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Library of Congress.

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