Archive

Blackbox #008: How it all began Part I: Reinventing Dissonance and its Resolution

 
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Tristan Chord

Tristan Chord

In Blackbox I usually talk about contemporary music. However recently I have been receiving questions about how it all began. So I decided to prepare a few episodes about the beginnings of modern music, and about some of the pieces that are pivotal in showing a new musical direction.

For many of us, contemporary music is defined by its extensive use of dissonances: intervals that -when played simultaneously- sound clashing, and not really in harmony, for some ears even disturbing. But there is something very important here to keep in mind: dissonance as such is not necessarily something unpleasant or unnatural. Composers like Bach, Mozart, Chopin, all used dissonances. With one important point however, when these composers used dissonances, and created tension they always resolved it.

Today I would like to bring three examples for the different uses of dissonance by Mozart, Chopin and Wagner, and show you how these composers handled dissonance and paved the way for the future composers.

– Seda

Commemoration at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC

Seda Röder plays at the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC

On May 13, Seda performed for Holocaust survivors and invited guests at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC.

The event was held to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the National Fund for the Victims of National Socialism in Austria.

After introductory remarks by the Austrian Ambassador Christian Prosl, the fund’s general secretary, Hannah Lessing, as well as the U. S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Ambassador Christian Kennedy, and the U. S. Special Representative for Holocaust Era Issues, the Honorable Stuart Eizenstat gave powerful and emotional speeches.

Each attendee was presented with a copy of the anniversary publication of the National Fund–a two volume history of the fund and a impressive collection of memories from Holocaust survivors.

Seda performed selections from her Viennese Piano Music of the Turn of the Century program, which she presented in April at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City.

Photography by Karl Schrammel

Concert Gift from the Austrian Cultural Forum

Photograph by Frederic Ohringer
Photograph by Frederic Ohringer

What a nice hall and wonderful audience! Thank you all for coming out to hear Seda perform at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City on Tuesday.

We have just sent out an mp3 with excerpts from the performance to those who attended. Enjoy this concert gift from Seda!

For those of you who couldn’t make it, please contact us at info@sedaroeder.com and we would be more than happy to send you the file as well.

Blackbox #007: “A Child’s Play” Listening to Helmut Lachenmann

 
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Helmut Lachenmann and Seda RöderIn this episode of Blackbox I would like to talk about a piece that caused a very interesting discussion on my YouTube Channel: “Ein Kinderspiel” (A Child’s Play) by Helmut Lachenmann. I am hoping that this episode will help you to develop a new listening strategy for this very interesting piece while also clarifying its context a little bit.

As always please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or comments. Enjoy!

–Seda

An Alphabet of Sounds: Tolga Tüzün on his Compositional Process

The Turkish composer Tolga Tüzün speaks about the compositional process that underlies his new piano piece “Permanence,” a piece he composed for the “Listening to Istanbul” Project and dedicated to me. I can’t wait to play this composition for the Listening to Istanbul project.

By the way, if you haven’t signed up to my mailing list yet, please do so. I’ll send around a notice once the recording is ready. And hopefully you will be able to come to one of the many concerts that we are planning as well!

– Seda