The world premiere of Light and Grass by Britta Byström will take place with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and conductor Peter Szilvay on October 6 at Musikhuset in Aarhus.
The work is composed specifically for the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and serves as a counterpart to Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations, a piece inspired by Arthur Rimbaud's poetic suite of the same name. In contrast, Byström's piece is inspired by the poetry collection Light and Grass by the Danish poet Inger Christensen.
The music alternates between these two phenomena: light and grass.
Throughout the piece, the light is represented by the open, almost dazzling orchestral sound that appears to fade into the distance. The grass is a series of wandering loops of tones created using Per Nørgård's compositional technique, 'The Infinity Series,' which multiplies endlessly on the ground, as if it were bringing us back home.
Inger Christensen was also the source of inspiration for Byström's composition Letter in April. The piece is a highlight of the album, also titled Letter in April, released earlier this year by Dacapo Records and performed by Athelas Sinfonietta. The album exclusively features Britta Byström's compositions.
Performance details
Friday, October 6, 7.30 pm
Aarhus Symphony Orchestra
Symfonisk Sal
Musikhuset Aarhus
