Lisa Illean (Photo: Cathy Pyle)
8 November, 9:30pm
Robinson College Chapel
Fausto Romitelli Nell’alto dei giorni immobili
Kaija Saariaho NoaNoa
Lisa Illean Weather a Rare Blue
Gérard Grisey Talea
Many sounds go into a single note. When a bell tolls, we hear a dominant note surrounded by a halo of harmonics and softer sounds. In 1970s Paris, the composer Gérard Grisey began to analyse these acoustic properties and explore their creative possibilities. In his music, the harmonics and details of sound are magnified or brought to the fore. The results can be sensual, mysterious or dream-like – and came to be known as ‘Spectralism’.
Grisey’s music – including Talea – and his pioneering approach to composition has influenced generations of composers. That legacy can be heard in the music of Saariaho, Romitelli and Illean performed by the sextet and electronics of Explore Ensemble.