Helianthus musca - Thank you Helmut Lachenmann

This Spring 2008, Helmut Lachenmann was the Fromm Visiting Professor at Harvard.

We met for the first time in 1999, when I was a student at Centre Acanthes. My piece Helianthus musca was selected for the final concert, and premièred by the Orchestre Lyrique de Région Avignon Provence (OLRAP) conducted by Sylvio Gualda.

Here at Harvard, Herr Lachenmann has been a great professor, as generous during his seminars as during private lessons/discussions.
It was fun to listen again to Helianthus musca with him. Here is the original recording from July 22nd, 1999 (click play, or listen to it on last.fm):

You will surely guess which instruments play Helianthus, and which ones play musca...

Check also Helmut Lachenmann in April 2008.

Ballade for clarinetist dancer

May has been a great dance season at Harvard.

I invite you to Dancers' Dozen - New dances by 12 student choreographers created in Dramatic Arts 14a, a course taught by Lecturer Elizabeth Bergmann, with Assistant Joshua Legg (meet the Dance Staff).

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 7PM - Free.
Harvard Dance Center - 60 Garden Street - Cambridge, MA

I will perform for the first time my composition Ballade for clarinetist dancer (or dancing clarinetist?), and there will be awesome choreographers and dancers.

In the meantime, have a look at Liz Bergmann's great little book: Connecting to Creativity: Ten Keys to Unlocking Your Creative Potential

More information about Dance at Harvard.

The Man With The Movie Camera - New Score

Last Sunday, April 27th, the Dudley House Big Band performed a brand new score to The Man With The Movie Camera. The first short feature was The Great Train Robbery, with a new score performed by the Dudley House Improvisation Workshop.

The concert took place in Paine Hall, Harvard Music Department. Nicolas Sidoroff - trumpeter, composer, and educator, was invited by Dudley House for this exciting project.

Edwin S. Porter's The Great Train Robbery (1903)

In 1993, I played clarinet in Nicolas's first version of this score (for 5 horns.) Last Sunday, we played a great updated version, with:

• Clarinet: Jean-François Charles
• Trumpet: Nicolas Sidoroff
• Tenor Sax: Michael Heller
• Baritone Sax: Alan Lenarcic
• Piano: Nathan Fosse
• Upright Bass: Nathan Haselby
• Drums: Ben Stanton

It was a real treat to play with such awesome musicians!

Dziga Vertov's The Man With The Movie Camera (1929)

Dziga Vertov's 1929 masterpiece pulses with a boundless energy, and the virtuoso performance of camera and editing techniques was only matched by the involvement of the musicians.

Musicians

• Voice: Mariam Nazarian
• Alto Sax: Kimberly August
• Alto Sax: Jillian DeMair
• Clarinet and Alto Sax: Lisa Rosenfeld
• Tenor Sax: Eric Diebold
• Flute, Clarinet and Tenor Sax: Marlene Cohen
• Baritone Sax: Aaron Silberstein
• Trumpet: Stephen Furqueron
• Trumpet: Gary smiley
• Trumpet: Evan Biela
• Trombone: Ethan Fenn
• Trombone: Rob Cautillo
• Sousaphone: Alan Lenarcic
• Guitar: Jonathan Buonocore
• Piano: Nathan Fosse
• Bass: Eric Leibensperger
• Drums: Sven Seuken

Tunes

The complete score consists in:

• The Eye-Opener (JF Charles / N Sidoroff)
• 29' Printemps '29 (N Sidoroff)
• Wake' N' Wash (N Sidoroff)
• The City Is Not Mine (JF Charles)
• Weddingorce (Kimberly August / Alan Lenarcic / JF Charles / N Sidoroff)
• Dark Lips (JF Charles)
• Dark Eyes (Traditional / JF Charles)
• Workegy (N Sidoroff)
• 1st KinoPlaiz (N Sidoroff)
• 2nd KinoPlaiz (N Sidoroff)
• re1st KinoPlaiz (N Sidoroff)
• re2nd KinoPlaiz (N Sidoroff)
• Bublitchki (Traditional / JF Charles)
• Take The "V" Train (JF Charles)

Thanks to Jim Hogle, Doreen M. Hogle, Susan Zawalich, Chad Conlan, the team of the Dudley Fellows, and Ean White, for their support. Above, Nicolas Sidoroff and half the screen during the set-up, Sunday morning around 11 a.m.