Episode 13, 2020: Finnissy’s Ru Tchou (The Ascent of the Sun)
Wednesday 7 October 2020
A virtuoso pianist himself, British composer Michael Finnissy has been at the forefront of new music for the last fifty years. He composed Ru Tchou in 1975 for a concert series in Taiwan and intended it to be a musical ritual for welcoming the sunrise. A Canadian colleague advised him on taking advantage of “a small setup but using it thoroughly”. Earlier this year, Finnissy was able to watch ANAM percussionist Alexander Meagher’s performance of his composition and was thoroughly impressed by how Alex interpreted the piece.
In this special episode of ANAM Radio, Phil Lambert (ANAM Music Librarian) chats with Michael Finnissy and Alex Meagher about Ru Tchou and the proportions of sound and non-sound that require the player to perform it like a dance. Finnissy talks about how Alex gave a performance reminiscent of a stylised modern dance – something that is not only meant to be listened to, but also to be watched, a skill Alex credits to his training in Karate.
The performance you are about to see is from Alex’s 2019 ANAM Recital.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE
FINNISSY Ru Tchou (The Ascent of the Sun)
Alexander Meagher VIC, percussion
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