waking states
charles curtis interprets
la monte young/éliane radigue/alvin lucier/terry jennings/morton feldman
December 3 -17, 2005
New York
A survey of singular works for solo cello, presented in seven concerts over fifteen days in intimate New York venues: works created for cellist Charles Curtis by La Monte Young, Eliane Radigue and Alvin Lucier; a major composition by early Minimalist Terry Jennings; and Morton Feldman's "Patterns in a Chromatic Field". These mostly concert-length works treat time, frequency and human experience as an undivided state of awareness; over the long durations of the individual works, and the series, sound reveals unique qualities of sentience, focus and attentiveness in the listener.
Waking States lays out, first and foremost, the special body of interpretive work developed by Curtis as one of the key performers of American experimental music. Waking States invites the listener to participate in a sequence of intense perceptual experiences, unfolding as complementary stations in one immersive whole.
Charles Curtis is an acclaimed soloist and chamber musician. Since the early eighties he has pursued a dual path, working in the worlds of experimental rock and sound art while continuing as a highly respected performer of the traditional cello repertoire. For ten years he was first solo cellist of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg, and he has appeared as soloist with major conductors and orchestras worldwide. In Waking States he presents the fruit of his close personal and musical friendships with some of the most original figures in American experimentalism.
For more information contact Rachel Jimenez at 718.499.4842 or wakingstates@gardenvariety.org