The Esoterics: Subtilior
$15-$25
Michael Gilbertson — Late
Hasan Uçarsu — Sevgilerde
Aaron Jay Kernis — The wheel of time, the dance
Eric Banks — This delicate universe
In a program that reflects upon intimacy, subtlety, and all things delicate, The Esoterics will present five brand-new choral works inspired by our innermost dreams, our delight of nature, and the great beyond.
The centerpiece of this concert will be the world premieres by the most recent winners of The Esoterics’ POLYPHONOS competition – Michael Gilbertson, Karen Siegel, and Hasan Uçarsu. Gilbertson’s Late sets a triptych on past, present, and future by the Seattle poet Kai Hoffman-Krull. In Clouds ephemeral, Siegel sets her own text on the various species and genera of clouds. Uçarsu’s Sevgilerde [In loves] sets verses by the poet Behçet Necatigil (which The Esoterics will perform in Turkish). Michael and Karen will be joining us from New York, and Hasan will be traveling from Istanbul – for this weekend of premieres!
In addition to the three POLYPHONOS-winning works, The Esoterics will present the world premiere of The wheel of time, the dance by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Aaron Jay Kernis. Although Kernis composed his choral cycle for the Dale Warland Singers and the French ensemble “Microkosmos,” neither ensemble were able to sing all four movements in the same concert. So, The Esoterics will be presenting Kernis’ entire work (revised earlier this year) for the first time. Kernis’ Wheel sets four poems by Wendell Berry, the celebrated American novelist and environmental activist, who wrote on the cyclical nature of days, weather, and the seasons, as well as the dance of partners in love. The Esoterics is excited that Kernis will join us in Seattle for the world premiere of his most substantial choral work.
Also featured in the program will be the West Coast premiere of Eric Banks’ This delicate universe. After winning the 2010 Dale Warland Singers Commission Award from Chorus America, Banks composed this a cappella choral symphony for the Grammy-winning ensemble Conspirare, and it was premiered in Austin in May of this year. Banks’ 32-minute work sets five poems by the Greek-Egyptian poet Constantine Cavafy that explore the themes of artistic solitude, the familiarity of home, the distraction of memory, the most intimate of interactions, and “the sacred silence of creation.”
Admission: $25 at the door ($22 in advance), $18 for students, seniors, the un(der)employed, and the differently-abled ($15 in advance)