The Orchestra of the S.E.M. Ensemble
Petr Kotik, Conductor
Thomas Buckner, Baritone
Muhal Richard Abrams Mergertone (2007)
Roscoe Mitchell Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City (2002-08) on text by Joseph Jarman
for Baritone and Orchestra
Petr Kotik Asymmetric Landing (2003)
Abrams (b. 1930), Mitchell (b. 1940) and Kotik (b. 1942) are composers and virtuoso performers who have been collaborating since the mid 1990s in creating and performing works for orchestra, often with a voice solo sung by Thomas Buckner. Both, Abrams and Mitchell will be present at the concert.
Mergertone was commissioned by the Ostrava Center for New Music and premiered at the opening concert of the Ostrava Days 2007 festival (www.ocnmh.cz) by the Janacek Philharmonic, Petr Kotik conductor. For the June 17th performance the composer scaled down the score to be performed by chamber orchestra.
Commissioned by Mutable Music for baritone Thomas Buckner, Petr Kotik and The Orchestra of the S.E.M. Ensemble, Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City was premiered at the Willow Place Auditorium (Brooklyn/NY) in February 2003 and received its European premiere later that year.
Asymmetric Landing is the second movement from the orchestral work Music in Two Movements. It has been premiered in April 2002 at Alice Tully Hall and performed several times in Europe and the US since.