nicole
PAIEMENT
conductor
Parallèle |
Ensemble Parallèle
It is unfortunate that many great works by important composers of the 20th century - Ligeti, Messiaen, Imbrie, Milhaud, Chou Wen-chung, Weill, Schoenberg, Cowell, Harrison - fall between the cracks, too modern in their sonority to be part of the traditional canon, but just old enough to not be considered contemporary. Ensemble Parallèle, founded in 1993 by Artistic Director Nicole Paiement, focuses on the performance and recording of obscure works of the 20th century by such artists as well as spotlighting the music of today. Ensemble Parallèle bridges the gap between the recent past and the present, providing audiences with historical insight that helps them appreciate the musical language of today, which is at the root of the Ensemble’s mandate.
As
suggested by its name, the ensemble focuses on collaborations with other
art forms that increase the accessibility to and visibility of contemporary
music. Ensemble Parallèle’s collaborations have ranged
from the commission of a work by Carolyn Yarnell to accompany the silent
movie The Smiling Madame Beudet, to art exhibits that have accompanied
various concerts, to collaborations with dancers, including Larry Pech
(SF), and Aeju Lee (Korea). Based in San Francisco, the Ensemble has
also collaborated with Other Minds in the American première of
Hanna Kulenty’s Flute Concerto and participated in San Franciso’s
Gamelan Sekar Jaya, the Pacific Rim Festival, and April in Santa Cruz.
In the future, Ensemble Parallèle intends to continue its associations
with other art forms with an annual contemporary opera as its focal
event.
Since its formation, Ensemble Parallèle has presented many world
and American premières and has commissioned more than 15 works.
Upcoming commissions include a Pièce Concertante from Canadian
composer Bruce Mather, a work for mezzo and ensemble by Laura Schwendinger,
a multi-media guitar concerto by Stella Sung and a work by Jacques Desjardins.
Under Paiement’s baton they have completed 10 world première
recordings that range from music by Henry Cowell and Lou Harrison, to
commissioned works by Elinor Armer and Dusan Bogdanovich. The Ensemble
toured in Australia last summer and participated in the Asian-American-Australian
Sound-Dance and Multi-Media Connections. In April it will perform the
opening concert of the Pacific Rim Festival 2005. In May, the ensemble
will travel to Los Angeles to perform the première of Korean-American
composer Hi-Kyung Kim’s theater piece Rituel III. The piece will
also be reprised at the San Francisco International Art Festival, incorporating
performance by dancer Aeju Lee, video artist Eliot Anderson, and choreographer
Tandy Beal. For the last three years, the Ensemble has participated
in the BluePrint project, a new music series sponsored by the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music. The Ensemble is preparing the world première
of Lou Harrison’s opera, Young Caesar, for February 2007. This
large-scale project will also include an art exhibit of the artifacts
collected over the 20 years of creation of the work, which included
the original puppets and scrolls serving as sets.
Recordings by Ensemble Parallèle
| 2006 | |
 |
Conductor
and Artistic Director for Lou Harrison: In Memoriam. Includes world
première recordings of Mass for the Feast of Saint Cecilia,
Elegy for Harpo Marx, In Memory of Victor Jowers, Sanctus, and Pied
Beauty. Also includes Solstice. Ensemble Parallèle. Helicon
Records. Fall 2006. |
| 2005 | |
 |
Conductor
and Artistic Director for Tribute to Andrew Imbrie. Includes world
première recording of Spring Fever by Imbrie, and world première
recordings of commissioned works by John Harbison, Mario Davidovsky,
Hi Kyung Kim, Wayne Peterson, Sung-Jae Lee, William Smith, and Robert
Help. Ensemble Parallèle and San Francisco New Music Ensemble.
Albany Records. |
 |
Conductor
and Artistic Director for Autour de Messiaen. Includes world première
recording of Michèle Reverdy's Concerto for Orchestra, and
chamber music by Tristan Murail, Gilles Tremblay, and Qigang Cheng.
San Francisco New Music Ensemble and Ensemble Parallèle.
MSR Records. |
 |
Conductor
and Artistic Director for Music of Darius Milhaud. Includes world
première recordings of Cantate de la Guerre by Milhaud, and
API - a commissioned work by Elinor Armer, student of Milhaud. Also
includes Sonate pour Violin et Clavecin, and Aspen Serenade. Ensemble
Parallèle and UCSC Chamber Singers. Helicon Records. |
| 2002 | |
 |
Conductor
and Artistic Director for Music by Lou Harrison. Includes world
première recordings of Easter Cantata, Caesar's Aria I, V,
IX, The Only Jealousy of Emer, Caligula's Dance, Music for Remy,
Marriage at the Eiffel Tower (chamber version), and Mass (reconstructed
and rewritten for our ensemble). Ensemble Parallèle and UCSC
Chamber Singers. Mode Records. |
| 2001 | |
 |
Conductor
for Dancing with Henry: Music of Henry Cowell. Première recordings
of Atlantis, Heroic Dance, Dance of Works, Dance of Sports, and
Suite. Ensemble Parallèle. Mode Records. |
| 2000 | |
 |
Germaine
Tailleferre: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Partita for Flute,
Oboe, Clarinet and Strings. Ensemble Parallèle and UCSC Orchestra.
Helicon Records 1048. |
| 1997 | |
 |
Lou
Harrison: Rapunzel. World première recording of Harrison's
serial opera in six acts. Ensemble Parallèle. New Albion
Records NA093. |
| 1996 | |
 |
The
Music of Germaine Tailleferre. This is a new release of the previously
released CD by Intrada in Europe (1993). Helicon Music Ltd. HE1008. |
| 1995 | |
 |
Claude
Debussy and the French School. Ensemble Parallèle. Musical
Heritage Society MHS 513903F. |
| 1993 | |
 |
La
Musique de Germaine Tailleferre. Includes Images, Forlane, Chansons
Françaises, Sonate pour harpe, and Quatuor à cordes.
Ensemble Parallèle. Helicon Music Ltd. HE 1008 (originally
Dureco Records, Intrada 11 58582). |
Performances
World Premiere
Performances
Aria from Young Ceasar Opera* (1992) Lou Harrison
Mass for the Feast of Saint Cecilia* (new edition) (2004) Lou Harrison
Elegy for Harpo Marx* (1965) Lou Harrison
In Memory of Victor Towers* Lou Harrison
David’s Lament* Lou Harrison
Pied Beauty* (1940) Lou Harrison
Rituel III (2004-5) Hi Kyung-Kim
Commissioned works
New Work for cello and ensemble (2006) Bruce Mather
Guitar Concerto (2006) Stella Sung
New work for film and ensemble (2005) Jacques Desjardins
Lady Lazarus (2005) Laura Schwendinger
Games* (2002) Dusan Bogdanovich
API* (2003) Elinor Armer
RecitAndy* (2001) Mario Davidovsky
New work (2006) Jacques Desjardins
Chaconne* (2001) John Harbison
Mass* (2002) Lou Harrison
Postcards* (2001) Robert Help
Ansichtskarte an Johann (2001) Alden Jenks
Sour Music (2002) Alden Jenks
Orange Paster* (2001) Hi Kyung Kim
Piece concertante (2005) Bruce Mather
Inscape* (2001) Wayne Peterson
New Work (2005) Laura Schwendinger
New Work (2005) Stella Sung
Ottanta* (2001) William Smith
Smiling Madame Beudet (1999) Carolyn Yarnell
American Premières
Popart (2002) Regis Campo
Missa Brevis in Pentecoste (1928) Henri Collet
Chant de Billitis* (1901) Claude Debussy
Trois Strophes pour Paul Sacher Henri Dutilleux
Les Citations (1991) Henri Dutilleux
Instants d’un opéra de Pékin* (2000) Qigang Chen
Still (2000) Melissa Hui
Musique pour Delphine (1992) Betsy Jolas
Flute Concerto No. 1 (2001) Hanna Kulenty
To Yuang Seong for pansori and chamber ensemble (2001) Chan-Hae Lee
Concertino pour flute et piano* Germaine Tailleferre
Chansons populaires françaises* (1952-55) Germaine Tailleferre
Concerto pour piano* Germaine Tailleferre
Forlane* (1972) Germaine Tailleferre
Images* (1918) Germaine Tailleferre
Partita* Germaine Tailleferre
Quatuor à cordes* (1917-19) Germaine Tailleferre
Quatuor à cordes* (2001) Gilles Tremblay
Projection for string trio (2001) Joji Yuasa
Piri (1971) Isang Yun
Other performances
Folk Songs (1968) Luciano Berio
Upon silence (1991) George Benjamin
Graceful Ghost (1970) William Bolcom
Atlantis* (1926) Henry Cowell
Dance of Sport* (1931) Henry Cowell
Heroic Dance* (1931) Henry Cowell
Reel No. 2* (1934) Henry Cowell
Sound Form No. 1* (1937) Henry Cowell
Suite for Small Orchestra* (1934) Henry Cowell
Three Ritournelles from “Marriage at the Eiffel Tower”* (1939)
Henry Cowell
Quatuor: Ainsi la nuit Henri Dutilleux
Trois Strophes pour Paul Sacher Henri Dutilleux
Les Citations (1991) Henri Dutilleux
Suite for Cello Lou Harrison
Easter Cantata* Lou Harrison
The Only Jealousy of Emer* Lou Harrison
Caligula’s Dance* Lou Harrison
Music for Remy* Lou Harrison
Marriage at the Eiffel Tower* Lou Harrison
Rapunzel* (1987) Lou Harrison
Sanctus (1940) Lou Harrison
Pied Beauty (1940) Lou Harrison
Scenes from Nek Chand (2001-2002) Lou Harrison
Elegy for Harpo Marx (1965) Lou Harrison
Solstice (1950) Lou Harrison
An eine äolsharfe (1985-86) Hans Werner Henze
Trio Sori (2002) Hi Kyung Kim
Spring Fever (2001) Andrew Imbrie
Reminiscence (1998) Andrew Imbrie
Quatuor pour la find du Temps (1941) Olivier Messiaen
Quatrième Quintette, Op. 350 (1956) Darius Milhaud
Violin and Harpsichord Sonata* (1946) Darius Milhaud
Suite de Sonnets, Op. 401 (1963) Darius Milhaud
Cantate pour l’inauguration du Musée de l’Homme (1937)
Darius Milhaud
Attracteurs étranges (1992) Tristan Murail
Concerto da Camera II (1987) Shulamit Ran
Spins and Spells (1996) Kaija Saariaho
C.B. for Solo Cello (1972) William O. Smith
* indicates that the work was also recorded
Ensemble Parallèle collaboration with other art organizations:
BluePrint Project 2002-03
Messiaen and His Legacy
Strings at the Shrine
Milhaud’s America
BluePrint Project 2003-04
Lou Harrison: A life’s Celebration
BluePrint Project 2004-05
György Ligeti: To the Edge of Sounds
Henri Dutilleux: Master Craftsman of Color
Intercultural Creativity in 2004: Asian-American-Australian Sound-Dance and Multi-media Connections.
Other Minds Festival (2004)
Pacific Rim Festival 2003: Celebration of Chou Wen-Chung’s 80th birthday
Pacific Rim Festival 2005: Opening concert: Bridges of the Soul
San Francisco International Arts Festival (2005)
World Women in Music Today Forum: International Women composers Festival (2003)
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