Nota Riotous at Brandeis

NotaRiotous is “in residence” this fall at Brandeis University. Julia Werntz and violist Anne Black have already taken part in a colloquium for the composition department on Sept. 25, and other events are coming up in November and December. Students in the graduate and undergraduate composition department are composing pieces for NotaRiotous, who will rehearse them with the composers, and present them in two concerts.

Here’s the schedule: all events take place at Slosberg Recital Hall, and admission is free.

Saturday, Nov, 8, 2008, 2:30 – 5 p.m. Reading Session/Workshop (for composers only)

Saturday, Dec. 13, 8 p.m. New Music Brandeis. Graduate composers concert.
Sunday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. New Music Brandeis. Undergraduate composers concert.

Julia Werntz reported that the colloquium (“Practical Aspects of Composing with Microtones”) was a great pleasure. She played music of several microtonal composers from different styles; she and the students discussed technical and stylistic issues; Anne Black demonstrated various microintervals; students had many good questions and interesting thoughts.

Anne also played excerpts from “—and, as I was saying…” (1979), a solo piece for viola by Ezra Sims, and Julia played a recording of one movement from “and also nowhere,” a set of songs she has set to an E.E. Cummings text. She reported that the students seemed energized to compose with microtones, one of the prime goals of the Boston Microtonal Society