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WOLPE TRIO based in Essen, Germany, is a German- American ensemble
founded in 1992 by three musicians who had already made names for themselves
as interpreters of 20th century music. The trio is dedicated to providing
excellent performances of contemporary chamber music. The cornerstone
of the ensemble's first collaborative efforts in 1992 was laid by intensive
and extensive rehearsal preparation of Stefan Wolpe's "Trio in
Two Parts", composed 1963-64. The choice of this demanding, rarely-performed
composition, virtuosic in every sense, served to set high standards
for the group's style of work and further development. Wolpe, who fled
Germany for Vienna in 1933, lived briefly in Palestine and finally settled
in New York in 1938, was influential as a teacher and as a charismatic
musical personality to an entire generation of American composers, including
such diverse figures as Elliott Carter, Morton Feldman, Herbert Brün
and John Cage. In Germany and in the USA, his music has been attracting
increased attention since his death in 1972. Wolpe's Trio became the
centerpiece of the group's first programs, which featured works of German
and American composers.
The repertory of the ensemble has, in the meantime, grown immensely.
The main programming emphasis is upon 20th century music (especially
music since 1960), including both works with a certain history, so-called
modern "classics", and new works by current composers. Their
repertory, however, also includes music of earlier periods such as trios
by Haydn, Weber and Marais. In addition to diverse trio literature,
a generous repertoire of duo and solo combinations (many also with live
electronics or with tape) is available, making it possible to accommodate
a wide range of program concepts.
The presentation of premier performances of new works is a priority
of the group. More than twenty compositions by German and American composers
have already been written for the trio. In the last few years, for example,
the Trio has premiered works by Ludger Brümmer (Essen), Sidney
Corbett (Stuttgart), Johannes Fritsch (Cologne), Dietrich Hahne (Essen),
Wolfgang Hufschmidt (Essen), Wolfgang Grandjean (Essen), Max Keller
(Winterthur), Ed Levy (New York), Erik Lund (Chicago), Roland Pfrengle
(Berlin), Kaija Saariaho (Paris/Helsinki), Stuart Saunders Smith (Baltimore),
Manfred Stahnke (Hamburg) and Michael Reudenbach (Aachen). Further commissions
are in preparation. Such projects serve to promote close collaboration
between the ensemble and composers and offer the listener the experience
of lively, highly competent performances of contemporary music.
Since their successful debut concert at the international arts festival
documenta 1992 (in Kassel, Germany), the WOLPE TRIO has gained
an excellent reputation in the realm of contemporary music interpretation,
reaching far beyond their region of Germany. The trio has performed
numerous concerts in Germany and in neighboring countries, demonstrating
time and again their competence and versatility - for example in the
4-city "Trapezium" project with concerts in The Hague, Amsterdam,
Cologne, and Essen (1995); appearances at several new music festivals
such as the festival "EX MACHINA '96" with electro-acoustic
works, the jubilaum "25 Jahre Feedback Studio Cologne", and
7 concerts featuring works by composers of the province North-Rhine
Westphalia for the series "50 Jahre Neue Musik in NRW" in
1996.
A North American tour took place in March 1997 (with concerts in Toronto,
Baltimore, Chicago etc.), sponsored by the Stiftung Kunst und Kultur
NRW (Art and Culture Foundation of North Rhine-Westphalia),
the Goethe Institut Chicago and theWolpe Society in
Toronto. A concert series featuring interactions between instrumental
constellations and live electronics started in 1997 with a concert in
the Lehmbruck Museum (Duisburg) on the occasion of the closing of the
"InterAct!" exhibition. In 1997 and 98, the group presented
works of Bulgarian and Finnish composers. As part of the "SkandinaVia"
series in the Fall of 1998, the Wolpe Trio premiered Cendres by
the renowned Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, which was written especially
for the trio as a commission underwritten by the City of Essen. In March
1999, the trio presented an entire program devoted to works by Ms. Saariaho
in DeutschlandRadio Cologne (as part of the festival NovAntiqua), which
was such a success that a Saariaho CD is planned for 2000.
The members of the trio have also been active in the newly established
ENSEMBLE ECOUTE (of the Ruhr chapter of the International Society for
Contemporary Music) with many concerts from the Fall of 1997 through
1998 in many of the most significant museums in featuring programs designed
around specific exhibition or collection themes in each of the venues.
In Fall 99 there were two further concerts with members of ECOUTE as
part of the festival MM::99 in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Schönberg's
monumental Pierrot Lunaire. In November 99 the trio performed
in Warsaw, Poland.
The Trio has produced numerous broadcasts for German, Canadian, American
and Dutch radio; their debut CD, "Harmonies
and Counterpoints between Germany and America"
was released July 1999 on the cybele label with works by Wolpe,
Stahnke, Hahne, Lund and Roller. See the "CD: Harmonies and Counterpoints"
section of this site for further information about the CD.
The concerts of the Wolpe Trio are supported in part by the Deutsche
Musikrat. (The German Music Council).
New
CD Release 2004 :
on
the KAIROS label (Vienna),
a Kairos Musikproduktion / DeutschlandRadio coproduction
Kaija Saariaho: Chamber Music
Wolpe Trio / Andreas Boettger / Thomas Neuhaus
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Kaija Saariaho (*1952) :
01: Cendres (1998) for alto flute, violoncellocello and piano
[9:02] ,
02: Noa Noa (1992) for flute and electronics [8:21] ,
03: Mirrors (orig. version 1997) for flute and violoncello
[3:31] ,
04: Spins and Spells (1996) for violoncello solo [5:58] ,
05: Monkey Fingers, Velvet Hand (1991) for piano solo [2:59]
,
06: Petals (1988) for violoncello (electronics ad libitum)
[8:53] ,
07: Mirrors (version L. Olson 1998) for flute and violoncello
[3:30] ,
08: Laconisme de l'aile (1982) for solo flute with optional
electronics [10:23] ,
Six Japanese Gardens (1993/1995) for percussion and electronics
[18:33]
09: Tenju-an Garden of Nanzen-ji Temple [3:08]
10: Many pleasures (Garden of Kinkaku-ji) [1:37]
11: Dry Mountain Stream [3:23]
12: Rock Garden of Ryoan-ji [3:56]
13: Moss Garden of Saiho-ji [2:48]
14: Stone Bridges [3:43]
Interpreten:
Wolpe Trio:
Lesley Olson, flute
Scott Roller, violoncello
Susanne Achilles, piano
Thomas Neuhaus, live-electronics - (2, 6, 8)
Andreas Boettger, percussion and live electronics (9-14)
KAIROS 0012412KAI - Total Time: 72:12
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