As you know if you read Christian Carey’s earlier piece, Lincoln Center Festival’s Varèse: (R)evolution will present the composer’s entire oeuvre over two concerts on July 19 & 20. Performers include the New York Philharmonic, conductor Alan Gilbert, percussionist Steven Schick, and ICE. We have two pairs of tickets to give away for one of the performances. Because we have so many smart people who read S21 and the first answer is usually right, I’m going to take the names of all the people with the right answer, put them on a slip of paper, and have my unsuspecting next door neighbor pull one out of a Yankees cap.
Here’s your tossup: Varese’s 1906 Un Grand Sommeil Noir is titled after a poem by Paul Verlaine and suggests (to me, at least) the title of a 1995 film about Rimbaud and Verlaine. What is the title of that film and who played Verlaine?
You can get your name in the cap twice by answering this bonus question. What female composer wrote 21 pieces based on Verlaine poems?
Ok, looks like that was too easy so Ross gets a pair but I have a second pair and this time send me the answer by email: sequenza21@gmail.com The question is: Varese’s short flute piece is called Density 21.5 Why did he call it that AND why is it wrong?
DON’T POST THE ANSWER HERE.
Note to Ross: Send me an email (same address as above) and I’ll give you some info on how to get your tickets.
ANSWER: The film was Total Eclipse. Verlaine was played by David Thewlis
BONUS: Régine Wieniawski a.k.a. Poldowski
– Ross Marshall