Photo: New York Times, Carnegie Hall Premiere
Lost Wax is a deep dive into the field recordings of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. The project began in conversation with David Harrington, the artistic director of the Kronos Quartet. We wanted to create a new piece that would connect the dots between Bartók's wax cylinder phonograph recordings and his string quartets.
Imagine touching sound itself: The undulations of a cello solo, the impact of a kick drum, the explosion of a thunder clap. Conceived and constructed by composer Albert Behar, the Sound Orb bridges the gap between hearing and feeling. Within each 10-inch diameter Sound Orb is a powerful tactile transducer that converts sound into physical energy. This energy travels through the wooden sphere and resonates the audience member’s hands and body. The result is an unforgettable synesthetic experience.
"Those Quite Evenings" is a meditative piece inspired by the oboist and vocalist Theodosia Roussos. I was fascinated by the sonic connection between the english horn and the voice, both rich with double reed resonance. The backing track adds accordion to the mix to blend the voice and english horn into an imaginary instrument.
Calligrammes is a new song cycle for soprano (Ariadne Greif) and accordion (Albert Behar) that celebrates the 100-year anniversary of Guillaume Apollinaire’s visual poetry. Inspired by cubism, Apollinaire broke free from linear text and set his poems in the shapes of doves, carnations, and stopwatches. Behar’s compositions take this poetic spontaneity to new ground, creating an otherworldly space between Apollinaire's world and ours. Featuring costumes by Gretchen Vitamvas.
"Your Sympathy" is a piece written by composer Albert Behar for the overtone harp, an instrument built by Andy Cavatorta. The piano string harp are vibrated by custom magnets which create a lush metallic drone. Percussionist Amy Garapic also explores the natural resonance of the instrument with soft timpani mallets.
Flourishes, ornaments, and tremolos swirl in the debut album by Belgian baroque ensemble Europa Ritrovata. Trill presents a fresh vision of baroque music interpreted by young virtuoso musicians from across Europe and featuring new works by three contemporary composers. Europa Ritrovata charts a course through rare gems of the baroque repertoire and into unexplored territory by composers Joachim Brackx, Albert Behar, and Enrico Pigozzi. Trill is sure to delight lovers of baroque and new music alike.