Programme:

Gerald Barry Viola Concerto
Julia Wolfe’s Flower Power

Commissioned by Britten Sinfonia and Raidió Teilifís Éireann, The RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Lawrence Power perform the Irish premiere of Gerald Barry’s thrilling Viola Concerto.

“Yelp! Whoop! Bang! Holler! Gerald Barry’s Viola Concerto saunters through a slapstick landscape of stubbed toes, runaway trains and collapsing houses, with wobble sheet, cymbal and bass drum as exclamation points. Composed for Lawrence Power as part of Britten Sinfonia’s Beethoven and Barry cycle with Thomas Adès, it’s a grand musical joke in which the soloist doggedly practises technical exercises of fourths and octaves while chaos unfolds around him.” Anna Picard, The Times, 24 May 2019 –

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra and New York’s electric Bang on a Can All-Stars join forces in Julia Wolfe’s Flower Power, inspired by a radical revolutionary moment - the late 1960’s - a time when experimental ideas and questions permeated all parts of the political, social, and artistic landscapes. This shift brought new spiritual and intellectual explorations, a breakdown of social norms, psychedelic visions, artistic explosion, and a greater and more open expression of love and peace. In Flower Power, Wolfe draws on the optimism and energy of this moment in history. The piece includes projections by Jeff Sugg.

Performers:

RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Bang on a Can
Lawrence Power Violist
Ilan Volkov Conductor

Length: 90’