October 23, 2002 Kristjan Järvi's Absolute Plays Founder's Day Concert at Library of Congress
Press Contact: Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940
Contact: Concert Line: (202) 707-5502
Website: www.loc.gov
"Part rock band, part jazz ensemble, all bristling energy," Absolute brings an octet of performers from its cutting-edge electro-acoustic band for a free concert in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m.
Created, produced and conducted by Kristjan Järvi, Absolute's eclectic and original programming fuses classical roots with jazz, rock, world music and electronica, revolutionizing the way people hear and think about music.
The band's performance at the Library of Congress juxtaposes contemporary composer Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" with Igor Stravinsky's "Ragtime" and "Triumphant March of the Devil," plus contemporary "serious" works by Mark-Anthony Turnage, Gene Pritsker, Charles Coleman's "Rut Strut," Charles Porter's "Mojo," music by the legendary James Brown, 'Godfather of Soul,' and a funky arrangement of Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks."
The New York Times calls Absolute "compelling, persuasive...the adventuresome Absolute Ensemble was a refreshing break from the stuffiness of so many concerts."
The Founder's Day concert, which marks the birth anniversary of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the visionary founder of the Library's distinguished concert series, features new American music with a diverse range of influences and styles every year.
Tickets are available at the door, through TicketMaster (301) 808-6900, or from the Library's Music Division by calling (202) 707-8432.
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PR 02-153
2002-10-24
ISSN 0731-3527