Contraponto: Pierre Boulez & Frank Zappa

by Remix Ensemble

9:30 p.m. Main Room

12€ / Pentágono Card 6€ Ages 6+

The historic 1984 meeting between Pierre Boulez and Frank Zappa brought together the seemingly distant worlds of classical music and popular culture. Unclassifiable and averse to labels, Zappa challenged the conventions of classical orchestras by seeking out the prestigious French conductor. Recognizing Frank’s revolutionary spirit, Boulez opened the doors of the Ensemble Intercontemporain to him for a profound collaboration. From this collaboration emerged The Perfect Stranger, a piece Zappa composed for the ensemble, and Naval Aviation in Art? and Dupree’s Paradise, two pieces from his repertoire transcribed for this formation.

The Remix Ensemble Casa da Música revisits this brilliant moment bringing together two highly acclaimed artists on stage. Under the direction of conductor Susanne Blumenthal, the programme features soprano Christina Bock performing Le marteau sans maître, one of the seminal works in Boulez’s legacy.

Contraponto is a cycle dedicated to 20th- and 21st-century composition, in which we invite local, national, and international ensembles and composers to guide us through the music of one of the most fertile periods for new ideas and forms.

Programme

Pierre Boulez: ‘Le marteau sans maître‘ — 40’
Frank Zappa: ‘The Perfect Stranger‘, ‘Naval Aviation in Art?‘ and ‘Dupree’s Paradise‘ — 25’

Credits

Conduction Susanne Blumenthal
Soprano Christina Bock
Violin Angel Gimeno and Ashot Sarkissjan
Viola Trevor McTait and Teresa Silva
Cello Oliver Parr
Double bass António A. Aguiar
Flute Stephanie Wagner and Clara Saleiro
Oboe Filipa Vinhas and Catarina Farias
Clarinet Victor J. Pereira and Ricardo Alves
Bassoon Roberto Erculiani
Horn Nuno Vaz and Telma Gomes
Trumpet Aleš Klančar
Trombone Ricardo Pereira
Tuba Adélio Carneiro
Percussion Mário Teixeira Manuel and Campos João Cunha
Piano / Celesta Jonathan Ayerst and Francisco Lucena Pais
Harp Carla Bos
Guitar Giuseppe Mennuti
Production Casa da Música
Stage management Jose Torres and Ernesto Pinto da Costa
Sound management (there may be local amplification for the acoustic guitar, so we will have this support) Carlos Lopes
Institutional management of Remix Ensemble Casa da Música
Artistic direction of Casa da Música and Coordination of the Remix Ensemble François Bou
Executive management of Remix Ensemble Ricardo Torres

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Support Portuguese Republic – Culture, Youth and Sport / Directorate-General for the Arts / Portuguese Contemporary Art Network (RPAC) / Portuguese Network of Theatres and Cineteatros (RTCP)

Dst group is patron of Contraponto cycle.