STRAVINSKY IN BLACK AND WHITE

Featuring works by Feldman, Nancarrow, Stravinsky, Williams and The World Premiere of gravity / after gravity by David Lang


THE BUGALLO-WILLIAMS PIANO DUO has been presenting innovative programs of contemporary music throughout North America and Europe since 1995. Helena Bugallo and Amy Williams perform cutting-edge new works and masterpieces of the 20th century for piano four-hands and two pianos, including works by Cage, Debussy, Feldman, Kagel, Kurtág, Ligeti, Nancarrow, Sciarrino, Stockhausen, Stravinsky, and Wolpe. They have premiered dozens of new works, many written especially for the Duo, and have worked directly with such renowned composers as Lukas Foss, Steve Reich, Jukka Tiensuu, Kevin Volans, and Bernard Rands. They also collaborate with composers who explore new approaches to the piano through multimedia applications, electronics, and extended techniques. They frequently perform with additional players in works for multiple keyboards, chamber works for duo piano and instruments, and concertos.

This evening's program in Asbury Hall will feature the Duo playing four hands on a single nine-foot concert grand piano. The program will include works from their repertoire by Morton Feldman, Conlon Nancarrow, Igor Stravinsky, and Amy Williams, and the world premiere of a new work by David Lang entitled gravity / after gravity. Mr. Lang will be present at the premiere, and his appearance, the Duo's commissioning of the new work, and this concert are all made possible by a grant to Hallwalls from the Yvar Mikhashoff Trust. Piano supplied, delivered, and donated in part by Denton Cottier & Daniels, Getzville, NY.Asbury Hall is used courtesy of The Church and Righteous Babe Records.

The Duo has been featured at the NUMUS Festival (Aarhus), UNAM (Mexico City), Miller Theatre, Merkin Concert Hall and Symphony Space (New York City), CAL Performances (Berkeley), Sound Field Festival (Chicago), Spring Festival of New Music (York, UK), Cutting Edge (London), Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik (Witten), Subtropics Festival (Miami) and Ojai Festival. As part of their mission to expand the repertoire for piano duet, the Duo has undertaken an extensive transcription project of the Studies for Player Piano by Conlon Nancarrow. This has resulted in a critically acclaimed recording of Nancarrow's music for piano duet and solo piano, released by Wergo in 2004. Their new CD Stravinsky in Black and White (Wergo 2007) includes original arrangements for piano duet and two pianos by the composer, two of which are world premiere recordings. They have also recorded the music of Jorge Liderman (Albany Records, 2005) and Erik Oña (Wergo, upcoming). Avid proponents of contemporary music, they frequently present master classes and lecture-demonstrations at colleges and universities in the United States and Europe.

The Duo's debut CD, Conlon Nancarrow: Studies and Solos, and new release, Stravinsky in Black and White are available on Wergo.


ARCHIVAL NOTE: Later the same year—on October 25, 2007—David Lang's The Little Match Girl Passion premiered at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and later went on to win the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Music. (Lang's first appearance at Hallwalls had been back on April 5, 1990, as part of the North American Music Festival, conducting two of his own works—Born to Be Wild and Dance Drop—performed by an ensemble comprising Bruno Degazio, David Mott, & John Brownell.)

Some publications related to this event:
March, 2007 - 2007