Two (Five) Faces Of Contemporary Classical Music In The Nation's Capital This Coming Week

London's The Smith Quartet performs contemporary classical music for string quartet by Philip Glass on May 24th at 4 PM. Admission is free if you buy entry to The Phillips Collection, Du Pont Circle. Sunday is the last day of the superb Giorgio Morandi Exhibition. (Quiz: How many famous Italian works of contemporary cinema reference Giorgio Morandi?)

Philip Glass: 'There will be people who are horrified by these ideas' Philip Glass in conversation with Nico Muhly in today's Guardian.

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Christophe Desjardins (viola) &
Christophe Lebreton (electronics)

In the presence of composer Philippe Manoury

THURSDAY, MAY 28 AT 7:30PM
at La Maison Française

A reception to meet the artists will follow the concert.

Program

- Gerard Grisey: Prologue (1976) 15’ for solo viola and electronic effects
- Sébastien Béranger: Le triangle de Pascal (2003) 10’ for solo viola
- Philippe Manoury: Partita I (2007) 45’ for solo viola and live electronic effects

(Commission: Grame/Ministry of Culture; Musical realization: Christophe Lebreton, Grame & Serge Lemouton, Ircam, Paris, France, Present European Union)

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Photo credits: (c) The Smith String Quartet website; Morandi © 2008 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE Rome; Christophe Desjardins photo © P. Gontier

Giorgio Morandi (Italian, 1890–1964)
Still Life (Natura morta), 1943
Oil on canvas; 11 7/8 x 17 3/4 in. (30 x 45 cm)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon 2006.128.29