Dopamine, degradation and vulgar forms - NOSPR

The concert program has been composed on the basis of contrast - world premieres by young composers are juxtaposed with classics of contemporary music. This is, in fact, the programmatic goal of the entire "Newest Music" series, led by the New Music Orchestra under the baton of Szymon Bywalec. 

Paul Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 1 is intended to serve as a point of reference and context for the world premieres of Tomasz Opałka and Mateusz Ryczek. Hindemith's composition is neoclassical, virtuosic, and even today sounds classically, almost archaically. Yet, 30 years ago, it was considered an absolute novelty in the treatment of musical ideas and their instrumentation. The first Kammermusik, premiered in 1922, was written for a twelve-member orchestra. After the premiere, Hindemith was seen as the enfant terrible of the 1920s. Critics wrote with alarm: 

"At last! Contemporary music has managed to achieve the degradation of our society's lifestyle, with its most frivolous and vulgar forms. The composer responsible for this is Paul Hindemith in his “Kammermusik, op. 24”. We are faced with music that no German composer possessing even a modicum of decency would ever dare to conceive! This is the music of lechery!” 

How will the remaining compositions fare against this backdrop? Dimorphos, written for two low-pitched clarinet instruments, provides performers ample opportunities to utilize all the interesting effects of modern performance techniques on these instruments. Likewise, Dopamine, composed for trumpet and performed by Piotr Nowak, has the potential to stimulate an increase in this hormone among the listeners. 

Alexandra Kozowicz

Concert duration: approximately 75 minutes

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