Ligeti’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

Ligeti’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra receives a performance by The Orchestra of the S.E.M. Ensemble and the Ostravská banda on April 13 at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. Under the baton of Petr Kotik, the concert features works from their recent European tour, as well as several premieres by emerging composers. Belgian pianist Daan Vandewalle joins the ensemble as they take on Ligeti’s complex and enthralling work.

Founded in 1970 as the S.E.M. Ensemble, and expanding into the larger-scale Orchestra of the S.E.M. Ensemble in 1992, the group focuses on performance and advancement of contemporary music, with much of the repertoire written specifically for the orchestra. The Ostravská banda, established more recently in 2005, started as the resident chamber orchestra for the Ostrava Days Festival in the Czech Republic, and is comprised of top young musicians from Europe and the United States. Still holding its position as chamber orchestra-in-residence, but also regularly performing independent of the festival, this chamber ensemble’s primary focus similarly lies in the performance of new music. Conductor Petr Kotik offers his thoughts on Ligeti's concerto:

A first look at the score of Ligeti’s Concerto for Piano makes a confused impression. While studying and rehearsing the music—the polyrhythms, different meters occurring simultaneously, the so called "unplayable" passages—a clear and straightforward picture emerges. Beyond the complex calligraphy, one finds a clear musical world. This is important for the ensemble musician to realize even more so, than for the conductor. The less one reads the music analytically, especially in the complex passages, the more precise and together the playing will be.

For more details on the performance visit: www.carnegiehall.org.

Information on the life and work of György Ligeti can be found at his Composer Profile.

György Ligeti
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
1(pic.).1.1(alt-ocarina in G).1-1.1.1.0-perc- str. (8.7.6.5.4; solo string section [1.1.1.1.1])
22’