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2008: Carter 100th
“Our time is so much more awesome, frightening and, certainly, energetic. Therefore, its greatest music must be and is more powerful than the classical masterpieces.”
—Elliott Carter
New England Conservatory celebrates the culmination of the extraordinary 100th birthday year of legendary living—and still working—composer Elliott Carter. NEC and local partners will present all five string quartets this fall, as well as other works from the entire span of Carter's transformational journey.
Carter in brief
Elliott Carter's early musical ambitions were fostered in the 1930s and '40s by his friend and mentor Charles Ives, who sold insurance to Carter's parents. Carter emerged as part of a milieu that brought forth choreographer George Balanchine, artist Alexander Calder, and the Wadsworth Athenaeum and Museum of Modern Art as centers of agitation for modernism in the arts in America. The Pulitzer Prize first went to Carter in 1960 in recognition of his works for string quartet. As America's senior composer, Carter has been exceptionally active in recent years, with 30 of his 130 works written in the last 10 years, and nine of them composed in 2007 alone.
Carter at NEC
Elliott Carter visited NEC in 1993, as a young man of 85, for a residency that transformed all who participated. Now, in his 100th birthday year, he is handing out presents to the musicians of the world in the form of new compositions. Elliott Carter expects to be in Boston for final rehearsals and performances of his works that are being premiered. It has been his hope to do all he can to attend events dedicated to his music during this celebratory year. NEC is honored to present the premiere of Tintinnabulation, a new work for percussion ensemble. Double bassist Donald Palma will perform the solo work Figment III, written for him earlier this year.
Life works at 100
Elliott Carter's 100th birthday is December 11, 2008, at the conclusion of these Boston musical celebrations. In all, listeners will have the opportunity to truly experience Carter's life works, with music from every one of eight decades in which Carter has been productive. For new music lovers, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. NEC's John Heiss has curated these concerts to dovetail with the Boston Symphony Orchestra's premiere of Interventions for piano and orchestra.
Works from eight decades
The following chronological list of Carter works links to the concerts on which they are performed this year at NEC and partner venues. As a visitor to NEC's Firestone Library of audio materials, you may listen to recordings of the NEC Carter concerts and other unique NEC performances.
1939 Canonic Suite
1944 The Harmony of the Morning
1944 Holiday Overture
1945-1946 Piano Sonata
1946 Elegy for string quartet
1948 Musicians Wrestle Everywhere
1948 Sonata for cello and piano
1948 Woodwind Quintet
1950 String Quartet No. 1
1952 Sonata for flute, oboe, cello, and harpsichord
1959 String Quartet No. 2 (Pulitzer Prize winner)
1961 Double Concerto
1971 String Quartet No. 3 (Pulitzer Prize winner)
1986 String Quartet No. 4
1988 Birthday Flourish
1995 String Quartet No. 5
1997 Luimen
1997 Quintet for piano and string quartet
1999-2000 Asko Concerto
2006 Caténaires
2007 Figment III
2007 La Musique
2007 Matribute
2008 Tintinnabulation
2008 Interventions
NEC 2008 Carter events
December 1, 8pm, NEC
"First Monday" concert includes Carter's String Quartet No. 1 with the Borromeo String Quartet, NEC quartet-in-residence.
December 2, 4pm, 7pm, and 8pm, NEC
4pm masterclass on Carter's Sonata for cello and piano with cellist Laurence Lesser and pianist Christopher Taylor '98 M.M., '00 D.M.A.
7pm Immediately preceding tonight's concert, there will be a talk with Elliott Carter's assistant Virgil Blackwell and John Heiss and Donald Palma of the NEC faculty.
8pm Frank Epstein conducts NEC Percussion Ensemble in world premiere of Tintinnabulation as part of an all-Carter program, which also includes String Quartet No. 2 with the Ariel Quartet. Tintinnabulation was commissioned by New England Conservatory for Frank Epstein and the New England Conservatory Percussion Ensemble with generous support provided by Catherine and Paul Buttenwieser and the Shrieking Meadow Foundation.
6pm Chiara String Quartet, Harvard University's Blodgett Artists-in-Residence for 2008–2011, performs Carter's String Quartet No. 4.
8pm all-Carter program includes Double Concerto, Canonic Suite, Sonata for flute, oboe, cello, and harpsichord, Luimen, Figment III, The Harmony of Morning, and Musicians Wrestle Everywhere.
December 4, 8pm, Harvard University
8pm Chiara String Quartet, Harvard University's Blodgett Artists-in-Residence for 2008–2011, performs Carter's String Quartet No. 4. SOLD OUT
December 4-5, Symphony Hall
world premiere of Carter's Interventions with the Boston Symphony Orchestra BOTH PERFORMANCES SOLD OUT, SEATS REMAIN FOR OPEN REHEARSAL DECEMBER 4
December 6 and 9, Symphony Hall
James Sommerville is soloist in Carter's Horn Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
December 8, 8pm, NEC
8pm NEC choruses perform The Harmony of Morning and Musicans Wrestle Everywhere.
Past events
Masterclass led by the Pacifica String Quartet, who have performed and recorded all five of the Carter quartets
April 7, 8pm, NEC's Jordan Hall
"First Monday" concert includes Carter's Figment III for solo double bass, performed by Donald Palma of the NEC faculty, for whom it was written.
Hugh Wolff conducts NEC Philharmonia in Carter's Holiday Overture.
November 11, 8pm, NEC
all-Carter program, covering a wide range of genres.
November 17, 8pm, The Longy School of Music
Pacifica Quartet performs Carter's String Quartet No. 3.
Pianist David Holzman performs Carter's Piano Sonata.
November 20, 8pm, NEC
William Drury conducts the NEC Jordan Winds in Carter's Canonic Suite.
November 30, 1:30pm, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Laurel Quartet performs String Quartet No. 5, as part of an all-Carter program.
For further reference
Tanglewood's Festival of Contemporary Music was devoted to Elliott Carter in August 2008. WebTV clips offer a window into these performances, many of which involved NEC musicians. Find interviews, commentaries, and behind-the-scenes footage of selected programs, including works that will be performed at NEC this fall, such as Luimen and Double Concerto.
Carter's publisher, Boosey and Hawkes
Elliott Carter Centenary website
video interview with Carter from February 2008
audio interview with Carter from July 2002
New York Times article on Carter by Charles Rosen
BBC interview with Carter (audio with transcript)
updated 1 December 2008
in collaboration with:
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