eighth blackbird

The Music of Less and More 

 

March 22 and 24, 2012

 

 

 

eighth blackbird, Chicago-based chamber music ensemble and 2012 Grammy winner for "Best Chamber Music Performance," return to the MCA Stage for two concerts presented in conjunction with the MCA exhibition, The Language of Less (Then and Now). The Music of Less and Music of More present work that explores the dynamics of minimal and complex elements within music. The concerts take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on Thursday, March 22, and Saturday March 24, 2012. Following the March 24 concert, eighth blackbird stages a special (separate ticket) concert of the landmark composition In C (1964) by Terry Riley.  

 

eighth blackbird: The Music of Less/More
VIDEO trailer

The March 22 concert explores what "less" can mean when translated to music - with stark, otherworldly landscapes by Alvin Lucier and Morton Feldman, contrasted with calm beautiful works by composers Timo Andres and Caleb Burhans. Music by Philip Glass and David Lang rounds out the concert. The "more" concert on March 24 features more of everything - more notes and complexity that pushes the virtuoso ensemble to its limits. 

 

Music of Less Program: Philip Glass, Music in Similar Motion (1969), 12 minutes; Morton Feldman, Durations I (1960), 10 minutes; Caleb Burhans, Lullaby for Madeline (2008), 5 minutes; Jacob TV, The Body of Your Dreams (2002), 10 minutes; Timothy (Timo) Andres, Crashing through Fences (2009), 6 minutes; Alvin Lucier, Fidelio Trio (1987), 12 minutes; David Lang, these broken wings (2007), 15 minutes.


Music of More Program: Fabian Svensson, Two Sides (2009), 9 minutes; Amy Beth Kirsten, Pirouette (2011), 8 minutes; Kurt Rohde, this bag is not a toy (2011), 11 minutes; Andy Akiho, ErAsE (2011), 10 minutes; György Ligeti, Etudes (1985-94), 8 minutes; Bruno Mantovani, Chamber Concerto No. 2 (2011), 18 minutes.

 

In C Performance: This influential work consists of 53 short, numbered musical phrases, composed in 1964 by Terry Riley. More than 30 Chicago-area musicians join eighth blackbird for this event, and ticket proceeds benefit New Music Chicago, the organization established in 2005 to expand the audience for contemporary art music and foster more opportunities for its performance. 

 

 

FULL MEDIA RELEASE AND HI-RES IMAGES 

 

 
 
ARTISTS UP CLOSE
First Night
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Opening night post-show talk with the artists and MCA Performance Programs staff in the theater provides insight about the performance and includes time for questions from the audience.
  
ABOUT THE ARTISTS

eighth blackbird is in its 16th season of showcasing music by contemporary composers. They combine virtuosity with an alluring sense of irreverence. The ensemble attracts fans of all ages to its performances and recordings and seeks to make new music accessible to wide audiences. They often play from memory with theatrical flair. They have performed numerous times at the MCA Stage including in 2011; a 2006 collaboration with puppet theater artist Blair Thomas and soprano Lucy Shelton for a dramatic new staging of Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire; a 2007 presentation of their double-bill concert as part of Contempo with Dave Douglas Quintet; and three concerts as part of Contempo between 2006 and 2009.

 

 

TICKET INFO 

 

The Music of Less/More takes place on March 22 and 24 at 7:30 pm, at the MCA Stage, 220 East Chicago Avenue. Individual tickets are $28. Student tickets are $10 and subject to availability. In C takes place on March 24 at 10 pm. Individual tickets are $15, or $10 with a ticket to The Music of Less/More. Student tickets are $10 or $5 with a ticket to The Music of Less/More.  MCA Box Office is at 312.397.4010 or www.mcachicago.org. One free museum admission is granted with an MCA Stage ticket stub, valid up to seven days after the performance.

  
email: ebird@mcachicago.org
voice: 312.397.3828