Before the Frankfurt Book Fair focuses on its guest of honour, Slovenia, from October 18 to 22 2023, Ensemble Modern gives insights into the surprisingly diverse New Music scene of the country on October 7 2023 at the Alte Oper Frankfurt. The programme, conducted by Lucie Leguay, includes Vito Žuraj’s “Buch der Körper” for soprano and ensemble, based on poems by the Slovenian author Aleš Šteger (soprano: Nika Gorič). Petra Strahovnik explores the field of quantum mechanics in “Q.M. (Quantum Mechanics)”, while Nina Šenk has written “Stump the Guesser”, a score accompanying the eponymous silent film by the Canadian avant-garde filmmaker Guy Maddin and the brothers Evan and Galen Johnson Johnson. Another intriguing feature will be the world premiere of “TEHNO” by Matej Bonin, who explores the eponymous poetry anthology by the Slovenian poet Ana Pepelnik. In the “oldest” piece of the evening, dated 2007, Vinko Globokar creates a surprising sonic cosmos with experimental playing techniques and additional bird calls. Ensemble Modern also presents this programme in Bamberg as well as Maribor and Ljubljana in Slovenia.

Program

Petra Strahovnik: Q.M. (Quantum Mechanics) (2014) (German premiere)

Vinko Globokar: Substitution anonyme (2007)

Matej Bonin: TEHNO (2023) (World premiere)

– Pause –

Nina Šenk: Stump the Guesser (2021)

Vito Žuraj: Buch der Körper – for Soprano and Ensemble (2020)