VOLUMINUM
VOLUMINUM
8pm, November 30, 2023
Melbourne Town Hall,
90/130 Swanston St, Melbourne, Australia.
György Ligeti’s organ solo ‘Volumina’ (1961-67) alongside the world premiere of Cat Hope’s 40 minute homage work ‘Volumimum’ performed by Super Lumimum and guests, commissioned by the City of Melbourne.
VOLUMINUM is a program celebrating the centenary of the birth of Hungarian composer György Ligeti. Starting with a performance of Ligeti's legendary organ piece, often referred to as noise music (Gillies, 2012) - "Volumina" - by Perth organist Stewart Smith, the concert concludes with the world premiere of a new large scale homage work entitled "Voluminum" (2023) performed by Super Luminum (Cat Hope, bass guitar, Lisa MacKinney, organ) with special guests Bonnie Mercer (electric guitar), Louise Devenish (large percussion) and Mary Doumany (harp).
Overview
To celebrate the centenary of Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti’s (1923-2006) birth, this program revisits Ligeti’s graphically notated organ work “Volumina” (1961-6) via a new technologically enhanced notation system, the Decibel ScorePlayer, presented alongside a newly composed sister work ”Voluminum” for bass, guitar, percussion, harp and organ.
More Detail
The new work is a homage to the ground-breaking organ solo ‘Volumina’, exploring the energy specific to the grand organ alongside more modern instruments. Developing from the strong influence of Ligeti’s work on Hope’s own, the work transforms Ligeti’s mass textural and p effects by adding amplified guitars, radical harp and large percussion including timpani and large gongs. Hope’s approach is inspired by songwriters such as Scott Walker and Low, the ideas of composers such as Giacinto Scelsi and Ennio Morricone, and the cumulative effect of organ works such as“Volumina” and Messiaen’s “Apparition de l'Église Éternelle" (1932).
“Music as frozen time, as an object in an imaginary space that is evoked in our imagination through music itself. Music as a structure that, despite its unfolding in the flux of time, is still synchronically conceivable, simultaneously present in all its moments.”
Both works are presented as animated graphic notation shared with the audience via projection.The score for ‘Voluminia’ has been adapted to be read on software developed by Australian musicians/ composers/ programmers Decibel new music, ensuring a more accurate reading of this work, and heard this way by audiences for the first time.
What can I expect?
This will be a breathtaking, hypnotic and immersive live music experience where the animated graphic notations for the music are projected at a large scale. it will be an at times loud, exhilarating and textural music where drone, glissandi, very low frequency sound and shimmering percussion.
A screenshot excerpt from the developing score to ‘Voluminum’, by Cat Hope.
INFORMATION
30th November, 2023.
Melbourne Town Hall, 90/130 Swanston St, Melbourne CBD.
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8.00-9.30pm show. Free Entry. No bookings required.
Tel: (03) 9658 9658