Principal Sound – Why Patterns?

Bringing together some of contemporary music’s most respected ensembles with the UK’s most exciting young talent – including St John’s Smith Square Young Artists George Barton and Siwan Rhys – the festival offers the opportunity to be immersed in the contemplative works of these two giants of post-war music, both of whom opened up new worlds of sonic exploration, focussing on the minutiae of individual voices, textures and sounds.

After their astounding performance of Feldman’s For Philip Guston in 2016, Jenni Hogan, George Barton and Siwan Rhys return to Principal Sound to perform his mesmerising Why Patterns? Nono’s last completed work, the fragmentary violin duet ‘Hay que caminar’ soñando, is performed by members of the Bozzini Quartet, whilst an effervescent trio by Earle Brown (commissioned by Nono for the Darmstadt Festival) is balanced by crystalline keyboard works from Webern and Jürg Frey.