1971 London
Jun 1, 1971 – Jun 8, 1971
London
Festival info
Start: Jun 1, 1971
End: Jun 8, 1971
Locations: London
Hosting member(s)
From a contemporaneous review
“For the most part, as usual with an organization that is not entirely blessed with untold wealth, the repertory consists
largely of chamber music, and concerts are held in the smaller halls.
…
“A look through the festival program shows the orientation of the music. The various composers still think alike and are still writing pieces named ‘Projection’ or ‘Tetragon’ or ‘Confluence’ or ‘Epitase.’ … There is no romanticism at one of these concerts.”
— Harold Schonberg, “Music: On Nonobjectivity,”
New York Times, June 5, 1971, p. 21.
Jury
Sven-Erik Bäck
Franco Donatoni
Milko Kelemen
Witold Lutosławski
Stephen Plaistow
Concerts
Tuesday, 1 June 1971, afternoon
Carel Brons (Netherlands, b. 1931; d. 1983): String Quartet No. 2 (1969) [9′] performed by the Gaudeamus String Quartet;
Agustín Bertomeu (Spain, b. 1929): Confluencias sobre do sostenido for string quartet (1967);
Joji Yuasa (Japan, b. 1929; d. 2024): Projection (II) for string quartet (1970) [9′];
+ Jürg Bauer (West Germany, b. 1918; d. 2010): Abbreviaturen for 23 solo strings (1969).
Tuesday, 1 June 1971, evening
Betsy Jolas (France, b. 1926): J. D. E. for 14 musicians (1966) [10′];
Per Nørgård (Denmark, b. 1932): Rejse ind i den gyldne skærm (Voyage into the Golden screen) for chamber orchestra (1968) [18′];
Jani Christou (Greece, 1926-1970): Praxis for 12 (1966) [9′];
Irmfried Radauer (Austria, b. 1928; d. 1999 in Greece): Tetraeder [Tetrahedron] for 12 instruments and computer-generated fixed media electronic sounds (1966 rev 1967);
+ György Ligeti (Austria, b. 1923 in Romania; d. 2006): Chamber Concerto for 13 musicians (1969-70) [21′].
Wednesday, 2 June 1971, afternoon
Miklós Maros (Hungary, b. 1943): Turba for unaccompanied wordless chorus (1969) [6′];
León Schidlowsky (Israel, b. 1931 in Chile): Requiem for 12 solo singers (1968) [12′];
+ Morton Feldman (United States, b. 1926; d. 1987): False Relationships and the Extended Ending for violin, violoncello, trombone, three pianos, and chimes (1968) [16′];
Salvatore Sciarrino (Italy, b. 1947): Da un Divertimento for 10 instruments (1969-70) [22′].
Wednesday, 2 June 1971, evening – BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez at Festival Hall
* Harrison Birtwistle (United Kingdom [England], b. 1934; d. 2022): An Imaginary Landscape for brass, percussion, and double basses (1971) [20′] [world premiere];
* Béla Bartók (Hungary/United States, 1881-1945): Piano Concerto No. 2 (1930-31) [c. 26′-29′];
* Heinz Holliger (Switzerland, b. 1939): Siebengesang for oboe, orchestra, singing voices and loudspeaker [Georg Trakl] (1966/67) [21′] featuring the composer as oboe soloist;
” Arnold Schönberg (Austria/United States 1874-1951): Variations for Orchestra, op. 31 (1926-28) [21′].
Thursday, 3 June 1971
Rudolf Maros (Hungary, b. 1917; d. 1982): Monumentum 9in memoriam 1945) for orchestra (1969) [11′];
Augustyn Bloch (Poland, b. 1929; d. 2006): Enfiando for orchestra (1970) [11′];
Ton de Leeuw (Netherlands, b. 1926; d. 1996): Haiku II for soprano and orchestra (1968) [12′];
+ Jorge Antunes (Brazil, b. 1942): Tartinia for violin and orchestra (1969) [15′] most likely performed by Erich Gruenberg;
Luigi Nono (Italy, b. 1924; d. 1990): Per Bastiana Tai-Yang Cheng for two-channel magnetic tape and three groups of instruments (1967) [15′].
Friday, 4 June 1971, ?afternoon
Milan Stibilj (Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1929; d. 2014): Zoom for clarinet and bongos (1970) [7′];
Attila Bozay (Hungary, b. 1939; d. 1999): Tételpár, op. 18, for oboe and piano (1970) performed by Heinz Holliger and Klára Körmendi [5′] [world premiere?];
Hugh Wood (b. 1932; d. 2021): String Quartet No. 2 (1970) [13′];
Zbigniew Rudziński (Poland, b. 1935): Quartet for Two Pianos and Two Percussionists (1969) performed by the composer (pf) with Jerzy Witkowski, Andrzej Wojakowski, and Jerzy Woznicki.
Friday, 4 June 1971, an evening of music theater works presented by the ISCM British Section
Alexander Goehr (United Kingdom [England], b. 1932): Tryptich (1968-71) a three-part cycle consisting of Naboth’s Vineyard (1968) [20′], Shadowplay (1970) [20′], and Sonata about Jerusalem (1971) [20′] conducted by the composer.
Saturday, 5 June 1971 – concert of music from the ISCM Australian Section
” Nigel Butterley (Australia, b. 1935): Variations for wind quintet, piano, and pre-recorded piano (1967) [20′];
* Peter Sculthorpe (Australia, b. 1929; d. 2014): Tabuh tabuhan for wind quintet and two percussionists (1968) [24′];
” Richard Meale (Australia, b. 1932; d. 2009): Incredible Floridas (Hommage an Rimbaud) for flute/alto flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin/viola, violoncello, piano, and percussion (1971) [33′] [world premiere];
Peter Maxwell Davies (United Kingdom [England], b. 1934; d. 2016): Revelation and Fall for soprano and 16 instruments (1966; revised 1980) [25′] conducted by the composer.
Monday, 7 June 1971 – concert of music from the ISCM British Section
* Bill Hopkins (United Kingdom [England], b. 1943; d. 1981): Two Pomes [text: James Joyce] for soprano, bass clarinet, trumpet, viola, and harp (1964) [3′];
” Robert Sherlaw Johnson (United Kingdom [England], b. 1932; d. 2000): Piano Sonata No. 2 (1967) [19′] performed by the composer;
” Justin Connolly (United Kingdom [England], b. 1933; d. 2020): Poems of Wallace Stevens (I), op. 7 [text: Wallace Stevens] for soprano and seven instruments (1967) [14′];
” Elisabeth Luytens (United Kingdom [England], b. 1906; d. 1983): Islands for soprano, tenor, alto flute, bass clarinet, baritone sax, French horn, 2 percussionists, celesta, piano, and string trio (1971) [22′] [world premiere];
+ Roberto Gerhard (United Kingdom [England], 1896 in Spain [Catalonia]-1970): Leo (1969) [21′] [in memoriam].
Tuesday, 8 June 1971, afternoon
+ Václav Kučera (Czechoslovakia, b. 1929; d. 2017): Invariant for bass clarinet, piano, and fixed media electronic sounds (1969) performed by the Due Boemi (Josef Horák and Emma Kovárnová);
Éric Gaudibert (Switzerland, b. 1936; d. 2012): Epitase for violin, viola, cello, harpsichord and tape (1971; revised 1974) [13′];
+ Alfred Schnittke (Soviet Union [Russia], b. 1934; d. 1998 in Germany): Dialogue for violoncello and ensemble (1965) [13′]; possibly performed by Siegfried Palm;
Bengt Hambraeus (Sweden, b. 1928; d. 2000 in Canada): Tetragon for flute, trumpet, cimbalom, harpsichord, percussion, voice, and organ (1965) [16′].
Tuesday, 8 June 1971, evening
Seymour Shifrin (United States, b. 1926; d. 1979): In eius memoriam for flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano (1967-68) [6′];
R. Murray Schafer (Canada, b. 1933; d. 2021): From the Tibetian Book of the Dead for soprano and mixed chorus (1971) [9′];
Nicolaus A. Huber (West Germany, b. 1939): Versuch über Sprache for 16 solo voices, Hammond organ, double-bass, and two speaker channels (1971) [18′];
Aulis Salinen (Finland, b. 1935): Chorali, op. 22, for wind orchestra (1970) [12′];
+ Bernd Alois Zimmermann (West Germany, 1918-1970): Présence for piano trio and narrator [text: Paul Pörtner] (1961) [30′] [in memoriam];
+ Iannis Xenakis (France/Greece, b. 1922 in Romania; d. 2001): Atrées for flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, violoncello, and 2 percussionists (1958-62) [15′].
The following additional works were originally programmed but were not performed
Hiroaki Minami (Japan, b. 1934): Tanabata for soprano and orchestra (1968) [15′];
? Olaf Anton Thommessen (Norway, b. 1946): A Little Sound (reprogrammed for the 1972 ISCM Festival in Graz but also not performed there);
??? William Albright (United States, b. 1944; d. 1998): Piece for Orchestra;
Gerardo Gandini (Argentina, b. 1936; d. 2013): Fantasia-Impromptu for piano and orchestra (1970) [12′];
+ Jan Bark (Sweden, b. 1934; d. 2012) and Folke Rabe (Sweden, b. 1935; d. 2017): Electricity and Trombones, a music theater evening with the Culture Quartet (reprogrammed for the 1972 ISCM Festival in Graz).
Other significant interpreters
Voice: Dorothy Dorow, Mary Thomas, Jane Manning, Philip Langridge, Marius Goring, Annon Lee Silver.
Piano: Claude Helffer, Aloys Kontarsky.
Violin: Saschka Gawriloff.
Clarinet: Alan Hacker.
Percussion: Tristran Fry.
Ensembles: Francis Chagrin Ensemble, Nuova Consonanza Ensemble, Dartington String Quartet, Music Theatre Ensemble, Vesuvius Ensemble.
Orchestra and Chorus: London Sinfonietta, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Choruses: John Alldis Choir, BBC Chorus, London Sinfonietta Chorus.
Conductors: Francis Chagrin, David Atherton, John Alldis, Marcello Panni, Frederik Prausnitz, Elgar Howarth.
Sources
Anton Haefeli, Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart (Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag, 1982), pp. 530-531 [in German].
Harold Schonberg, “Music: On Nonobjectivity,” New York Times, June 5, 1971, p. 21 (available online).
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, Sixth Edition edited by Laura Kuhn (Schirmer Reference, 2001), pp. 645-647.
(annotated by Frank J. Oteri, in progress)