Phonics

Whether at the level of syllable, word, or sentence, language is inherently musical. An ode to our early childhood discovery of vowels and consonants, PHONICS features works that amplify the rhythms and timbres of speech. Kate Soper’s “Go Away” is a riveting counterpoint between flute and soprano that probes the gap between what we say and what we mean. Frederic Rzewski’s De Profundis for speaking pianist musically deconstructs a devastating long letter written by Oscar Wilde while in prison from 1895 to 1897 for his romantic and sexual relationships with men. John Cage’s Aria is a sprawling, virtuosic exercise in vocal intonation and expression across five languages, while Olivier Messiaen’s “Syllabes” uses repeating Quechuan syllables to spiritually reunite the lovers of his final song cycle, Harawi. Peter S. Shin’s soshi so$$$hi explores the commercialization of Korean pop music by electronically excerpting and arranging sound bites from representative girl groups. Finally, Alexandre Tchaykov performs his new album of poems, The Physics of Love. Program: Kate Soper: “Go Away” from Only the Words Themselves Mean What They Say Frederic Rzewski: De Profundis Intermission John Cage: Aria Peter S. Shin: soshi so$$$hi Olivier Messiaen: “Syllabes” from Harawi Alexandre Tchaykov: The Physics of Love Artists: Alexandre Tchaykov, piano and poet Yekaterina Lynch, soprano Emma McCartney, flute Connect with Spectra through our website, Instagram, and YouTube. More Info below.