Program celebrates ‘dean’ of composers

The School of Music plans a program honoring the distinguished American composer Elliott Carter, who will appear via video link.

The free public program Monday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, includes two of Carter’s works for voice and piano, written 50 years apart, and an even later cycle of songs with chamber ensemble.

Positioned between these works are short musical tributes by other late-20th century composers written in celebration of Carter’s 90th birthday in 1998. Stephen Dembski, professor of composition at UW–Madison, will serve as moderator.

The evening affords an unusual link between audience and composer via a 20-minute video segment, taped in late February, in which Carter talks about this program with soprano Lucy Shelton.

Carter’s impact on contemporary music and remarkable creative longevity have won him distinction as the “dean” of American composers, and he is commonly ranked among the greatest American composers of the 20th century. He won two Pulitzer prizes, in 1960 and 1973, the Sibelius Medal in 1961, and the National Medal of the Arts in 1985. He taught at the Juilliard School in New York from 1964 to 1984, and continues to make his home in New York.

Shelton performs most of the works on the forthcoming program, including two song cycles by Carter: “Voyage” (1943) and “Of Challenge and Of Love” (1994), both with pianist Christopher Taylor. The latter work was commissioned by the Aldeburgh Festival for Shelton.

The program’s other major Carter work is “Tempo e Tempi,” written in 1999, featuring Shelton and Marc Fink, oboe/cor anglais; Les Thimmig, clarinet/bass clarinet; Suzanne Beia, violin; and Paula Kosower, cello. David E. Becker conducts.

The birthday tributes include “Hommage a Elliott Carter,” by György Kurtág (b. 1926), performed by Fink; “Three Niedecker Verses,” by Harrison Birtwistle (b. 1934), with Shelton and Kosower; “Elly,” by Franco Donatoni (1927-2000), with Thimmig, Kosower and Taylor; and “Eccentric Melody,” by Oliver Knussen (b. 1952), performed by Kosower.

Mills Hall is located in the Mosse Humanities, 455 N. Park St. Call the Concert Line, (608) 263-9485, for weekly updated announcements of programs. For further information, call the school’s main office, (608) 263-1900.