Chatter presents a concert titled “The Cello” on Sunday, May 11, at The Kosmos (1715 Fifth Street NW). Featuring work by Haydn and Britten, this concert aims to demonstrate the crucial fluency of the instrument between distant ends of the classical and modern canons. With tonal qualities similar to the human voice, the cello’s primacy as an orchestral, chamber and solo instrument has never been in dispute. Even the likes of Cobain and Lennon were privy to the mysterious gravitas this instrument is capable of producing. Composers of more esoteric genres have long regarded the cello as a sublime interpreter of human emotion; as director of narrative, the selections on offer in this latest cello-themed offering demonstrate that empathetic capacity with charm and urgency.
Haydn's “Divertimento for Horn, Violin and Cello” is ebullient but contemplative, recalling an Arcadian adventure full of natural wonder. Contrariwise, Britten’s “Opus 72,” his first “Suite for Unaccompanied Cello,” demonstrates all the complexity, ennui and anxiety of the age and culture that gave it life. James Holland is featured cellist on the Britten piece, while horn player Nate Ukens and Burqueño violinist/maestro David Felberg sit in on the Haydn trio. The music starts promptly at 10:30am. Tickets are $15. There's a $6 discount if you’re under 30, and children get in for a fiver. UNM music prof David Bashwiner will read before the curtain rises on this stringed extravaganza. The Kosmos • Sun May 11 • 10:30am • $5-$15 • ALL-AGES! • View on Alibi calendar
Chatter has distinguished itself in the New Mexico arts community by successfully producing a varied and often challenging range of classical performances by both local and international talent of note. This welcome trend continues tomorrow morning at the Kosmos (1715 Fifth Street NW). New Mexico Philharmonic concertmaster Ruxandra Marquardt and her husband, pianist Paul Marquardt, have devised a program that is notable for its wide-ranging exploration of the violin’s vast musical capabilities, to be demonstrated in concert with the complex passion of Schuman’s “Sonata in A Minor,” John Cage’s intricately postmodern yet playful “Six Melodies for Violin and Keyboard,” and a rare selection from Manuel de Falla’s first substantial work, the “Danse Espangole,” from the Spanish composer’s opera La Vida Breve. Author V.B. Price will transmit his poetry in advance of the Marquardt’s musical sojourn. This event—sure to add to your earthly experience of wonder—happens tomorrow at 10:30am. Get there early to partake in a gratis espresso bar. Admission ranges from five to 15 clams for a concert that portends the cosmic. Que chido. The Kosmos • Sun Nov 3 • 10:30am • $5-$15 • View on Alibi calendar
Saying that Alibi columnist Derek Caterwaul sees a lot of live music would be a major understatement. If he isn’t DJing on KUNM or sorting through his massive archive of obscure A/V and ephemera, it’s a pretty safe bet he’s at a show. In this month’s installment of MAXIMUMCATERWAUL, he shares a quick and dirty overview of 10 shows he caught in March. ... right here in our quirky, beloved burg. Peep related A/V below.
Fans of avant-garde and anarcho jazz-punk will thrill to Thollem Electric at The Kosmos (1715 Fifth Street NW) tonight. Part-time Nuevo Mexicano pianist and vocalist Thollem McDonas tickles those Fender Rhodes ivories pink—nay, fuchsia—and his lyrics, vox and analog sound manipulation may induce frisson. McDonas is touring solo in support of international avant-punk outfit Tsigoti's new release, Read Between the Lines … Think Outside Them, and In the Valley of the Cloudbuilder, the debut full-length of Bad News from Houston, his revelatory collaboration with Deerhoof's John Dieterich. Consort Un-Caged opens the gig with percussion, flute and effects-centric art-rock and Tuia Cherici's Manucinema films screen as real-time avant wallpaper. This all-ages concert starts at 8 p.m., and 10 bucks gets you in. The Kosmos • Fri Apr 12 • 8 pm • $10 • View on Alibi calendar
There are more boss concerts coming up than you can shake a stick at. We took a stab at it anyway. But what about the stuff there just wasn't enough dead tree space to explore? Of primary importance is the 42nd Annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium, which happens Sunday, March 24, through Wednesday, March 27. Celebrating the centenary of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, special guest composers and performers include wireless controller-obsessed Duo X, Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli and local Sunday favorites Chatter, and they're demoing Robb's Moog Synthesizer this year. For the full schedule, visit the trust's site: robbtrust.org
But experimental and classical composition isn't all our fair city has on offer this week. Whether you're into hip-hop, horrorcore, pornocore, strings, Zimbabwean spirituals or songs written by women, Music to Your Ears has you covered. Peep related A/V below. Sister • Kool Keith • Fri Mar 22 • 10 pm • $16 • 21+ • sisterthebar.com
GMOs are supposed to freak you out, but hybrid instruments merely demonstrate artists' unwillingness to be restrained by the musical status quo. In this week's music feature, A Cure for Stockhausen Syndrome, DJ/DIY mainstay/music writer Derek Caterwaul brings us up to speed on Manny Rettinger's chuppers, hybrid musical instruments that each boast not only their own ambiance, but even individual personalities. As Caterwaul notes, attending Cabinet of Curiosities on Saturday may give you a whole new set of ears. Scope related A/V below. The Kosmos • A Cabinet of Curiosities • UBIK Sound • Carmina Escobar • Marisa Demarco • Monica Demarco • Drake Hardin • Martian Funk • Sat March 2 • 7:30 pm • $7 • ALL-AGES!
