“Their conservatoire is the eternal rhythm of the sea, the wind among leaves and the thousand sounds of nature.”

–Claude Debussy on Javanese music at the 1889 Paris Exposition

Stravinsky’s Three Pieces were given the titles, “Dance,” “Eccentric,” and “Canticles” when the composer later orchestrated them.  Originally intended as studies in “the popular, fantastic and liturgical moods,” he uses extended techniques to produce a unique sound world that is both beautiful and chilling. As its title implies, Ligeti’s “Métamorphoses nocturnes” represents the beginnings of a transformation of new sounds and unusual timbres that he would later become famous for.  Going a step further, the Yanov-Yanovsky piece calls for the greatest amount of extended techniques on this program, turning the string quartet into drums, whistles, and slides, imitating the traditional Uzbek instrument, the Chang.  True to Debussy’s rebellious nature, his String Quartet paved a new road away from traditional French romantic music.  Determined to “free (music) from barren traditions” and inspired by Javanese gamelan music, he created sonorities that remain inspirational to many composers who would follow suit in search of new soundscapes.

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Works to be performed on the “Inventing Soundscapes” program include:

Stravinsky, Three Pieces
Ligeti, String Quartet No. 1 (“Métamorphoses nocturnes”)
Yanov-Yanovsky, Chang Music IV
Debussy, String Quartet