Budapest, May 18, 2018 – Quake (2018) by Icelandic composer Páll Ragnar Pálsson (born 1977) and Le café de nuit (2017) by the young Dutch composer Jan-Peter de Graaff (born 1992) are the works selected by radio music producers participating in the 65th International Rostrum of Composers (IRC) held in Budapest, from May 14 to 19, 2018. A flagship programme of the International Music Council, the IRC took place for the first time in its history in in Hungary, co-organized with Bartok Radio – MTVA.
Pursuing its mission to promote contemporary music creation through broadcasting for over sixty years, the annual Rostrum has this year again strengthened its role as one of the most important “rendez-vous” for professional exchange between radio producers. Its overall objective remains fostering the exchange of performances of contemporary music between broadcasting organisations. For example, works chosen at the preceding Rostrum (2017) were given some 800 broadcasts by participating networks as well as affiliates of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Since 2015, the IRC has been part of a larger project co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union: Rostrum+ which aims to rethink the ways in which contemporary music connects with audiences through radio network by exploring new strategies to develop audiences, promote new music, enhance the skills of radio professionals and inspire cooperation between musicians, higher music education institutions and broadcasting companies throughout Europe and beyond.
The 2018 Rostrum gathered representatives from 25 national radio networks from four continents, which presented 55 works composed within the five years preceding the Rostrum. 27% of these works were by composers under the age of 30 and 38% by female composers. Evert van Berkel, recording producer and coordinator for P2 live at the Swedish Radio, chaired the sessions. After the listening sessions, the assembly of delegates selected and recommended the most distinctive works in two categories: general and “young composers under 30”.
These and other works will be presented in concerts and broadcast after the Rostrum by the participating and other interested radio stations.
In the general category, Quake (2018) for cello and chamber orchestra by Icelandic composer Páll Ragnar Pálsson (born 1977) was selected by the delegates as most outstanding. The work was presented by RÚV – The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.
“’Quake’ […] is pretty much what its title suggests, the music of the ground not being steady under your feet. Nothing is settled, everything is in trills and tremolos and glissandi. The solo cello, excellently played by Saeunn Thorsteinsdóttir, creaks and moans. But the most effective musical quaking feels interior, evoking the quaking you feel in those first seconds when an earthquake begins, when you first sense the Earth may be moving but have no idea yet how much.” (Mark Swed – LA Times).
In the “young composers” category, the work selected as most worthy for worldwide broadcasting was Le café de nuit for orchestra (2017) by young Dutch composer Jan-Peter de Graaff (born 1992). The composition was presented by Netherlands Public Broadcasting.
“Le café de nuit” is a 13-minute fantasia/nocturne for orchestra, based on the painting (with the same name) by Vincent van Gogh, and the letters he wrote to this brother Theo during his stay in Arles, where he rented a studio above the café. In the letters, he describes this place as “a place where you can ruin yourself, go mad, commit crimes”. This subject really interested me as a composer as there is really a conflict within the concept of a café: usually, one goes to a café to escape the on-going world and everyday problems, to dance, to celebrate life and to drink and go drunk to immerse oneself in a different reality (Jan-Peter de Graaff).
In addition to the selected works, 9 other works (see list further) were recommended for broadcasting and concert presentation after the Rostrum by the participating and other interested radio stations.
The results of this year’s Rostrum were announced at a press conference held at the Marble Hall of the Old Radiohouse on May 18th. Páll Ragnar Pálsson will receive a joint commission from Radio France and IMC while Jan-Peter de Graaff will benefit from a special Rostrum+ commission and residence programme in Sweden offered by IMC and Swedish Radio.
During their stay in Budapest, Rostrum delegates had the possibility to experience the richness of the Hungarian music scene with a diverse musical programme including performances by the Hungarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, of Hindemith’s Operas at Kiscelli Castle, a concert by the Amadinda Percussion Group and a visit to Budapest’s iconic music places such as the Ferenc Liszt Academy and the Pesti Vigadó concert hall.
GENERAL CATEGORY
SELECTED WORK
Páll Ragnar Pálsson (Iceland) Quake
RECOMMENDED WORKS
Helen Grime (United Kingdom) Two Eardley Pictures: No. 1 Catterline in Winter
Hildur Guðnadóttir (Iceland) Point of Departure
Sigurd Fischer Olsen (Norway) Sserenade
Luka Juhart (Slovenia) Unleashed
Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes (Estonia) Lighting the Fire
Bence Kutrik (Hungary) Ritual
Jug Marković (Serbia) VokatiV
Jean-Frédéric Neuburger (France) Concerto pour piano et orchestra
Julieta Szewach (Argentina) El Oceano del Aliento Puro
COMPOSERS UNDER 30 CATEGORY
SELECTED WORK
Jan-Peter de Graaff (Netherlands) Le café de nuit
RECOMMENDED WORKS
Igor C. Silva (Portugal) Plastic Air
Liina Sumera (Estonia) Conatus for 16 speakers