works by Peter Eötvös, Bruno Mantovani, Franck Bedrossian

The Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös became known mainly for his operas: Le Balcon (96-97, after Genet), De drie zusters (Three Sisters) (01-02, after Chekhov), Angels in America (02-04, after Tony Kushner), etc. His theatricality is to be found not only in his lyrical works, however. According to him, he allows theatrical intuition and extra musical ‘situations’ to play a part in all his compositions, including his chamber music. Each of his works begins with three beats: after which it can begin.

 
Intervalles-Intérieurs, a beautiful quintet for acoustic instruments, is literally torn apart by a barrage of electronic sounds. The listener is swept along into new worlds of sound, where he oscillates between surprise and amazement.

In La Morte Meditata by Bruno Mantovani we discover a young composer whose work is cast in the same mould: The form of his work is powerful, clear and combined with drama, fine details and phrasing, and surprisingly beautiful timbres (the mirroring and shadow-play in a part for three clarinets).

In the view of the musicologist Eric Denut, there is in contemporary music a new interest in drama, narration and extra-musical arguments, but without detracting from ‘the total sound’ – acoustic and electric timbre and harmony, tones and pure sounds, etc. Does this mean that, against all expectations, ‘serious music’ is balanced on the brink of its Golden Age? The best place to test this hypothesis is … in a theatre.

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