nyMusikk | The Norwegian Opera and Ballet

In collaboration with nyMusikk and The Norwegian Opera and Ballet, Oslo Sinfonietta presents the Norwegian premiere of Rebecca Saunders' new work Skull (2023) and Through imaginary landscapes (2021) by Martin Hirsti Kvam.

Rebecca Saunders: Skull (2023)

Experience dark abyss, animalistic chaos, and strings in a fight to the death when Oslo Sinfonietta performs the Norwegian premiere of Rebecca Saunders' Skull. Oslo Sinfonietta premiered the work during the Klang Festival in Copenhagen in June 2023. It was very well received, and the Danish music magazine Seismograf wrote:

"Impressively wild was also Rebecca Saunders' constantly smoldering Skull, whose dark abyss was delineated by pulsating Korg synth bass, but otherwise came to life through Oslo Sinfonietta's unbelievably precise rendition of a precisely restrained apocalypse. In glimpses, one could sense an animalistic chaos of overpowering brass, timpani, and strings in mortal combat, but the eerie strength of the piece lay precisely in the fact that the wildness never broke completely free but was held in check like a raging beast."

Seismograf.org, 06/17/23

Skull is a co-commission with Ensemble Modern, Oslo Sinfonietta, Ensemble Contrechamps, Festival Acht Brücken | Musik für Köln & La Biennale di Venezia. This concert is the Norwegian premiere of the piece and is performed by Oslo Sinfonietta.

Martin A. Hirsti-Kvam: Through imaginary landscapes (2021)

Martin Hirsti-Kvam's work explores concepts of landscapes and technology by sampling and remixing sounds and ideas from John Cage's Imaginary Landscapes (1939-1952) using today's technology, in addition to record players and FM radios. At the center of this exploration is the listener-soloist. Like an avatar with binaural headphones in her ears, we follow in her footsteps through real, virtual, historical, and imaginative landscapes.

Performed by Oslo Sinfonietta, Jennifer Torrence, and Ane Marthe Sørlien Hoen.

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The pieces will be performed in this order: Hirst-Kvam, Saunders.

Photo of Rebecca Saunders by Jahn Khür.

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