Judith Lang Zaimont's Symphony No. 2 "Remember Me" to Receive May 10
World Premiere in Ukraine with Kharkov Philharmonic
Judith Lang Zaimont's Symphony No. 2 "Remember Me" for Orchestral
Strings will be given its World Premiere on Friday, May 10 by the Kharkov
Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of their Resident Conductor Yuri
Yanko at Philharmonic Hall in the city of Kharkov, northeastern Ukraine.
The Kharkov Philharmonic is a superb orchestra whose illustrious history
dates from the early 19th Century, and includes concerts conducted by
Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Koussevitsky, Kondrashin
and Rozhdestvensky. Soloists who have appeared with the orchestra have
included Wieniawski, Richter, Rostropovich, Sarasate, Chaliapin and many
other legends. Their concert are given at the lovely and intimate
Philharmonic Hall. Visit their webpage at
http://www.jamesarts.com/KHRKVPHILWEBPAGE.htm.
The composer has written the following program note about the work:
"In 1998 my aunt, Mildred Friedman, died unexpectedly at a relatively
early age (63). In response to her death, I conceived the idea of a
very personal, three-movement work for string orchestra, Remember
Me, in which I would contemplate lineage and the influence of previous
generations on future ones. The symphony was written in 1999 and
2000.
While truly symphonic in its scope and length (c. 30 minutes),
"Remember Me" does not conform to the traditional forms for its
constituent movements, although they follow a rough symphonic plan
of Essay - Song - Dance // Fast - Slow - Fast.
The second movement 'Elegy' was written first -- a long, songful
lament. Then I turned to the opening movement, 'Ghosts', in which
I embed six composer 'ghosts' via references to their works. In
three cases the references are clear and unambiguous - Britten, Ravel,
Scriabin -- while the other three are briefer, and more beclouded -
Laurie Anderson, Alban Berg, Christopher Rouse. The music of all
six composers is vital and interesting to me, so I organized the
movement in a way that all the musics interpenetrate and overlap,
'bleeding' into one another in novel, yet reasonable manners.
Naturally, the interpretation of these 'ghosts' is highly idiosyncratic,
and the total effect is to visit with influential fragments within
a conception that is wholly original.
The final movement, 'Dancin' over my grave' is a passacaglia - but
a demonic, jazzed-up one. Here, ghostly spirits thumb their noses
at death, cavorting about, though in a dark tone. There is an American
country-type fiddle-tune built from a minor third that passes around
the orchestra, transmutes, and periodically returns. The entire
orchestra dances madly, and a bit off-kilter. The movement ends
wildly.
There are many solo moments throughout Remember Me, and the
concert-master reads a completely independent part - albeit not a
true center-stage solo - during the entire work."
Judith Lang Zaimont teaches at the University of Minnesota and is an
internationally recognized composer whose music is characterized by its
expressive strength, dynamism, and rhythmic vitality. Her musical language
is coloristic, and she has contributed to virtually every genre in a style
featuring clear pulse, intricate surfaces and an almost centrifugal shift
of tonal pivots.
Ms. Zaimont's music is widely performed throughout the U.S. and Europe
and has been recorded for the Koch International Classics, Arabesque,
Milken Family Foundation, Albany, Jeanne, Leonarda, Northeastern, and
4Tay labels. She was awarded First Prize in the international 1995
McCollin Competition for Composers (for Symphony No. 1, performed by the
Philadelphia Orchestra in 1996) and the 1995 Recording Award - First Prize
awarded by the International Alliance for Women in Music (for the Arabesque
CD "Neon Rhythm"). Several other Zaimont compositions have been honored
by selection for competition repertoire lists, including works for the
Carnegie - Rockefeller competition for interpreters of American vocal music
and the 2001 Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Her
music appears on two Century lists (Chamber Music America; Piano & Keyboard
Magazine), and is the subject of many articles, book chapters and several
dissertations.
An Electronic Dialogues interview with Judith Lang Zaimont can be read at
the Internet Classical Music Magazine Sequenza 21 -
http://www.sequenza21.com/Zaimont.html
You can read "Reflections on an Undescribable Art - Being A Composer,"
Ms. Zaimont's February 2002 Keynote Speech to the Minnesota Listening
List Competition at
http://www.jamesarts.com/releases/feb02/JLZ_021202.htm
More information about Ms. Zaimont is available at her website
http://www.jzaimont.com:8000/ and at
http://www.jamesarts.com/artists/index.htm#COMPOSERS
She is represented by Jeffrey James Arts Consulting, who can be contacted
at 516-797-9166 or at [log in to unmask]
Jeffrey James <[log in to unmask]>
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