Bryce Dessner to present orchestral works in Sydney, Australia
American composer and guitarist for The National, Bryce Dessner, will present orchestral works in Sydney, Australia, together with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The centrepiece of the performances will be the Australian premiere of his cello concerto Trembling Earth, written for Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina, ABC News Australia reports.
Works about landscape and renewal
Dessner created Trembling Earth under the impression of an exhibition of landscapes by Edvard Munch in Oslo. The composer describes the work as a pastoral symphony that reflects on the state of humanity in times of conflicts and traumatic events. According to him, the music combines themes of nature's fragility, human decisions, destruction, renewal and hope.
The concerto was written when Dessner was the first composer-in-residence of the Czech Philharmonic. He called Kobekina “a force of nature” and noted that she performs both classical repertoire and new music.
Previously, Dessner wrote Impermanence, commissioned by the Australian String Quartet and Sydney Dance Company, in response to Australia's large-scale “Black Summer” bushfires. In Sydney, his composition St Carolyn By The Sea for two electric guitars and strings will also be performed in Australia for the first time. It was inspired by Jack Kerouac's 1962 novel Big Sur.
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Concert hall and algorithms
Dessner combines his work in the indie rock band The National with writing classical music and considers these directions related through the collective work of musicians. At the same time, for an orchestral performance, the composer must prepare a finished score, whereas The National creates music collaboratively.
The musician speaks about “algorithmic culture” and music created with the help of artificial intelligence. In his view, concert halls remain a space for direct contact between listeners and performers. Dessner has also completed work on his first opera, Herakles Mad, which is due to premiere next year.
Trembling Earth concerts featuring Anastasia Kobekina and Umberto Clerici will take place on September 19 and 20 at the Sydney Opera House. Dessner will present the A Portrait In Music programme on September 24 at City Recital Hall in Sydney and on September 25 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
