On February 6, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra begins its 2010 New Music Festival, a seven-day concert series in which over 50 contemporary compositions are performed.  Works heard at the festival include Thomas Adès' Catch, performed by eighth blackbird on February 11, and two works by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov: Nostalghia for piano on February 8; and the monumental Metamusik for piano and orchestra, performed on February 10 by conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with pianist Jenny Lin.

Composed in 1992, Metamusik premiered in Berlin the following year and its February 10 performance at the New Music Festival marks its North American premiere. A pioneer of the 'metamusic' compositional style that is at once challenging yet accessible, raucous yet tonal, Silvestrov has only recently seen more performances of his work worldwide. This is due in large part to his association with the Kiev avant-garde, which drew heavy fire from conservative critics of the Soviet music circle. Until that time, Silvestrov's home country of Ukraine largely ignored his work, and when his work was performed there and elsewhere in the west, he was often not allowed to attend the concerts.

Dubbed "one of the greatest composers of our time" by friend and colleague Arvo Pärt, Silvestrov in recent decades discarded the compositional techniques of the avant-garde in favor of a more post-modern style which he calls "metamusic," which is short for "metaphorical music." He states:

It seems to me that music is song in spite of everything, even when it is unable to sing in a literal sense. It is not a philosophy, not a system of beliefs, but the song of the world about itself, and at the same time a musical testament to existence.

Learn more about the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's 2010 New Music Festival at www.newmusicfestival.ca.

Visit www.fabermusic.com for more on Thomas Adès' music.

Visit www.schott-music.com for more on Valentin Silvestrov's music.

Thomas Adès
Catch (1991)
for chamber ensemble
cl.pno.vln.vlc
9'

Valentin Silvestrov
Nostalghia (2001)
for piano
4'50'

Metamusik (1992)
Symphony for piano and orchestra
2(2.pic.)2.2(2.bcl)2(2.cbsn)-4.2.3.1-timp.3perc-hp.cel-str
42'