Western Fronts (a)
Solo Horn
James Helgeson
Centennial Commission
About
Western Fronts (a) for solo horn was written for Ben Goldscheider and for Curtis’s 100th anniversary. The impetus for the piece is a recording of test sirens made spontaneously at the window of my childhood bedroom in September 2022. The title, Western Fronts, refers to the predominant direction of large storms in central North America, but also Cold War memories evoked by distant, antiphonal sirens; this version (a) is one of four projected ones, the other three incorporating electronics derived from the field recording.
Performance
| James Helgeson |
Western Fronts (a) |
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Duration
05:00 |
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Commissioning Year
2024 |
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Premiere
January 31, 2025 Barenboim-Said Akademie, Berlin, Germany |
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Recording
April 25, 2023 Barenboim-Said Akademie, Berlin, Germany |
Artists
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James Helgeson Composition
James Helgeson is Dean of the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, where he is Professor of Musicology and Composition. He holds two doctorates (in Renaissance studies from Princeton and composition from Royal Holloway, University of London) and has also taught at the University of Cambridge and Columbia University.
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Ben Goldscheider Horn
100 for 100
100 for 100 celebrates contemporary music with a showcase of bold, original compositions and fresh perspectives.
