PREVIEW
LAND’S END CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Thursday, April 17
Rozsa Centre (U of C)
It’s not every day that a person is referred to as an emerging genius.
Christiaan Venter, winner of the fifth annual Land’s End Composers’ Competition, doesn’t take the moniker seriously, though. Like any music composition student at the University of Calgary, he’s more concerned with finishing last-minute assignments and getting performers together for end-of-term projects.
Still, there is a slight spring in his step and he’s visibly excited about the world première of Changing of the Autumn Leaves, his work for piano trio. The work was chosen from among three pieces workshopped by Land’s End, and will be performed at the ensemble’s final concert of the season.
"It’s fantastic," says Venter. "It’s the first time I’ve had a professional ensemble perform a work of mine and (it’s) especially exciting because they played it the way I heard it in my head. It’s been an incredible experience."
The concert is part of Land’s End’s continuing mission to recognize and promote the creative talents of local emerging composers. For Venter, it’s all part of a learning process that began last autumn.
"(Changing of the Autumn Leaves) was inspired by my walks in the fall of last year. It’s my favourite time of year and I wanted to evoke the coolness and crispness, especially in the opening motive. The piece itself follows a short season – it changes very quickly and there’s a feeling of impermanence."
The concept of organic growth and process is something that comes up frequently when talking with Venter, who is influenced by composers like John Adams, Steve Reich and Phillip Glass.
"Process music is basically where the process or development of the work is what it’s about," he says. "I’m working on a piece right now that’s so far untitled, but is based on this idea of organic growth, like changing colours. There’s this 20th century compositional technique called "Klang Farben" where the whole concept is like a tree growing – it starts very small and then shifts colours slowly, introducing little motives along the way…. I’m fascinated with the concept of how music can logically develop from the parts before it." |
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