Pianophilia

I was very sad upon hearing of Leon Kirchner's passing last Thursday (17th September 2009) http://www.timesoftheinternet.com/112214.html and I want to relay the information about the Orion Quartet's upcoming performances of the composer's complete quartet cycle. Kirchner was a remarkable modern composer, teacher, conductor and pianist who studied under Bloch, Schoenberg and Sessions. His string quartets are considered his finest works, not least the 3rd, which won a Pulitzer Prize in the 1960s. The 4th quartet was written only two years ago. The Orion Quartet is the only group who plays all four of these works. Their recent recording of them on Albany Records is excellent. As for the details on the performances:

Friday, September 25, 2009 8:00 p.m. (free tickets starting at 6pm, seating at 7:30pm)
Mannes Concert Hall, Mannes Building, 150 W. 85th Street, New York, NY
WEBSITE: http://www.newschool.edu/mannes/events.aspx?id=31131

Saturday, September 26, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Haverford College Department of Music, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041
610-896-1011
WEBSITE: http://www.haverford.edu/music/events

Hope some folks come out to this one.

I met Kirchner about 20 years ago and spent a very interesting evening with him and UK composer Robin Holloway. L.K. talked about lots of his pieces and played us recordings of them. He also talked of the genesis of his harmonic thinking, using extrapolations from the late E minor Intermezzo of Brahms as a starting point.