The Centre Acanthes is intended for composers, interpreters, teachers and students who wish to broaden their theoretical and practical knowledge of contemporary musical creation, especially through the works of Helmut Lachenmann.
Helmut Lachenmann's path is at the very heart of the main research of our time: destruction/reconstruction, form/expression. For more than thirty years, Helmut Lachenmann has created an œuvre which is both multiple and personal, demanding and strong, based on a thought process which has led him several times into the field of exegesis. He is considered today as one of the predominant figures of German music, and in his works and theoretical texts he puts fundamental questions which will be at the very center of the musical activities of the Chartreuse in Villeneuve-lez-Avignon in July.

General and analysis classes

Instrumental and chamber music workshops

Composition workshop

General and analysis classes

Helmut Lachenmann

• The concept of musical structure
• “Musique concrète instrumentale”
• Towards the elimination of discourse
• "Non-music"
• An opera : Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern

Frank Hilberg

• Helmut Lachenmann and tradition - contradiction and connection
• "Tonality" in the thought of Helmut Lachenmann
• Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern - musical critique of the opera as a genre
• “Musique concrète instrumentale” in the string quartet Gran Torso
• The etudes: Pression, Dal niente, Guero - the concept of "sound-structure"
• Essays on the instrumentation of an orchestra: Kontrakadenz

Martin Kaltenecker

• Lachenmann and the 20th Century
• About the 2nd string quartet "Reigen seliger Geister"
• Lachenmann's music as a lever: art/culture

Wilhelm Bruck

• The guitar in contemporary music
• Instrumental theater

Instrumental and chamber music workshops

Guitar : Wilhelm Bruck

Helmut Lachenmann
- Salut für Caudwell, for two guitars
- Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern, work for music theatre (solo guitar part)
Pierre Boulez
Le Marteau sans maître (solo guitar part)
Mauricio Kagel
- Acustica, for two guitars
- Sonant (1960/...), for guitar, double bass, harp and two percussions with skin instruments
- Zwei-Mann Orchester
- Repertoire
Bruno Maderna
Y despuès, for solo guitar
Giacinto Scelsi
Ko-Tha, for solo guitar
Bernd Alois Zimmerman
Die Soldaten (solo guitar part)

Piano : Massimiliano Damerini

Helmut Lachenmann
- Five Variations on a theme by Franz Schubert, for piano
- Rondo, for two pianos four hands
- Echo Andante, for piano
- Wiegenmusik, for piano
- Guero, for piano
- Ein Kinderspiel, seven small pieces for piano
- Surenat, for piano
- Ausklang, music for piano and orchestra
Works for solo piano, piano and orchestra and chamber music by Luciano Berio, Alban Berg, Sylvano Bussotti, Niccolò Castiglioni, Luigi Dallapiccola, Marco Di Bari, Franco Donatoni, Brian Ferneyhough, Paul Hindemith, Charles Ives, György Ligeti, Olivier Messiaen, Luigi Nono, Nicolai Roslavets, Arnold Schoenberg, Salvatore Sciarrino, Alexander Skriabin, Karol Szymanowski, Anton Webern.

Cello : Walter Grimmer

Helmut Lachenmann
- Pression, for cello
- temA, for mezzosoprano, cello and flute
- Allegro sostenuto, for clarinet (and bass clarinet), cello and piano
Pascal Dusapin
- Immer, for cello
- Invece, for cello
- “Ohé...”, for clarinet and cello
Henri Dutilleux
Trois Strophes sur le nom de SACHER
Heinz Holliger
Chaconne
Klaus Huber
- Lazarus, for cello and piano
- Schattenblätter, for bass clarinet, cello and piano
Witold Lutoslawski
Sacher Variation, for cello – Grave, for cello and piano
Anton Webern
all works for cello and piano
Jacques Wildberger
Tantôt libre, tantôt recherché, for cello
Isang Yun
- Glissées, for cello
- Etudes, for cello
- Ost-West Miniaturen, for clarinet and cello
Sonatas of the 20th century (Debussy, Kodály, Prokofiev, Schnittke, etc.)

Clarinet : David Smeyers

Helmut Lachenmann
- Dal niente (Intérieur III), for clarinet
- Allegro sostenuto, for clarinet (and bass clarinet), cello and piano
- Accanto, for clarinet and orchestra (solo clarinet parts)
Luciano Berio
Sequenza IXa, for clarinet
Pierre Boulez
Domaines, for clarinet
Edison Denisov
Sonata for solo clarinet
Tom Johnson
Rational Melodies, for clarinet
György Kurtág
Hommage à R. Sch., for clarinet, viola and piano
Wolfgang Rihm
Chiffre IV, for bass clarinet, cello and piano
Giacinto Scelsi
all works with clarinet
Iannis Xenakis
Charisma, for clarinet and cello

As far as possible, instrumentalists should bring their different clarinets

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The instrumentalists must indicate the works they wish to study on the application form. They may propose one or two works not belonging to the above repertoire.

Helmut LachenmannÕs works are published by Breitkopf & Hþrtel, as well as Wilhelm BruckÕs work, Studien zum Spielen Neuer Musik, especially intended for the students taking part in the Òguitar and musical theaterÓ workshop.

Some scores will be on sale before and during the session : Le Kiosque ˆ Musique, 7 rue de la Monnaie, 84000 Avignon, Tel. 04 90 85 37 52 (international 0033 4 90 85 37 52), Fax 04 90 85 71 45 (international 0033 4 90 85 71 45).

Lectures will be simultaneously translated either into English or into French

Composition workshop

Helmut Lachenmann

At this workshop, the pieces presented will be rehearsed by the musicians of the Orchestre Lyrique de Région Avignon-Provence, conducted by Sylvio Gualda. The instrumental work will be preceded by studies of critical analysis, and will thus allow the "active" participants to review details of their composition, thanks to constant control of the sound.

The instruments available to the composition workshop are: two violins, two violas, two cellos, one bass, one flute, one oboe, two clarinets (one is a bass clarinet), one bassoon, one horn, one trumpet, one trombone, two percussionists (vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel and four toms).
The participants may choose all or part of these instruments but must use at least four, not counting the string quartet.

The piece should last from five to eight minutes.

The active participants will be selected as follows:

1) Along with their enrollment dossiers, composers will send one or two finished works using the above instruments or others, and may add a recording. All this must be sent in before May 15th. Composers will be told whether they have been accepted as from June 1st.
Composers not selected may however attend the Centre Acanthes, sit in on the composition workshops, and take part in all the other activities of the Center.

2) Composers who have been accepted must send in the work written for the instruments mentioned above before June 25th (conductor's score). The instrument's parts must be finished before the beginning of the session and must be readable and of a good quality.

3) Some of these pieces will be used for the instrumental composition workshop. The others will be presented by the composers and will be studied briefly around a table.

4) The works selected will either be played through or be rehearsed more thoroughly. Some works will be played at the students’ concert on July 22nd.

Acanthes 1999 - teaching team 1999 - concerts 1999 - accueil Acanthes - welcome