Julius Eastman: Works for String Orchestra

Lenbachhaus Munich is hosting a concert on March 5, 8pm featuring works by US composer Julius Eastman (1940–90). Three compositions by this outstanding composer will be performed by the Munich Chamber Orchestra together with singer Sofia Jernberg: “Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc” (1981), “The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc” (1981) and “Buddha” (1984) (version for string orchestra by Philip Bartels, 2022).

Julius Eastman was a representative of Minimal Music and composed primarily for smaller ensembles, including piano quartet. This rarely performed and challenging music is an impressive example of the international and cross-genre movement of Minimalism. The concerts at Lenbachhaus Kunstbau are intended as a musical complement to important works of Minimal Art in the museum’s collection by artists such as Dan Flavin, Marcia Hafif, Rosemary Mayer, Robert Morris, Senga Nengudi, Charlotte Posenenske, and Richard Serra.

Eastman was appreciated by his contemporaries as a pianist and singer, but hardly recognized as a composer, although he collaborated with figures such as Pierre Boulez, Meredith Monk, Zubin Mehta and Morton Feldman. Although well known in professional circles, his work hardly penetrated the public sphere. Eastman’s compositions were performed in the U.S. and in Europe, but did not enter the canon of New Music. When Eastman died, most of his scores were lost, and his music fell into oblivion. Thanks to dedicated reconstructions, especially by the composer Mary Jane Leach, his work was rediscovered and has been made internationally accessible. Most recently his works have been frequently performed, and become influential for young composers. Moreover, individual pieces by Eastman are important early testimonies to the thematization of racism and homophobia in our societies. Already his original work titles confront us with this theme: with Nigger Faggot* (1978), Evil Nigger* (1979) or Gay Guerrilla (1979), Eastman addresses racist or homophobic themes consciously and directly, in order to leave no one the possibility to escape the reality of these discriminations. Analogous to the titles, Eastman developed an aesthetic-musical correspondence to the structural racisms of his time, which still exist today. The topicality of his compositions is a sad fact in this context, as he brings before our eyes and ears that even decades later we are still far from a language and society free of discrimination. The verbal violence of the work titles is therefore an unconditional part of Eastman’s aesthetic work and these must be written out in the context of the performances so as not to jeopardize the integrity of his work and his intentions.

The collection of the Blaue Reiter—a group of artists who championed the equality and mutual enlightenment of all the arts—has led to a programmatic focus at Lenbachhaus that combines visual art and music. We have been pursuing this consistently for several years with extraordinary projects. These include the first large-scale installation/performance by the Kraftwerk group in 2011, the Playback Room by Wolfgang Tillmans in 2016, the exhibition Electric Ladyland by Michaela Melián in 2016, the world premiere of Symphony 80 by Ari Benjamin Meyers together with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2017, the installation White Circle by raster-noton in 2018, and the world premiere of the Prekäres Singspiel Prekärotopia by Beate Engl, Leonie Felle, and Franka Kaßner in 2019. Later in 2022 the sound installation Spatial Jitter by the electro duo Mouse on Mars will follow. Our supporting program is also repeatedly dedicated to musical themes, such as in our collaborations with the Bavarian State Opera.

The concert with the Munich Chamber Orchestra is part of a concert series containing a total of five different concerts. The first concert with the Munich Philharmonic took place on February 8, 2022 and was broadcast live. Watch the video.

Join the concert Julius Eastman: Works for String Orchestra on March 5, 8pm via livestream.

Moreover, four pianists Philip Bartels, Duri Collenberg, Simone Keller and Lukas Rickli from the Kukuruz Quartet will perform impressive and well known compositions by Eastman, including “Fugue No. 7” (1983), “Evil Nigger”* (1979), “Gay Guerrilla” (1979) on March 11 and 12, 8pm, each. Watch the livestream of Kukuruz Quartet on March 11.

Curated by Eva Huttenlauch und Matthias Mühling

With the kind support of Förderverein Lenbachhaus e.V.

*This is the original title given by the composer. Julius Eastman deliberately exposed the term as racist, drawing the attention of non-black people in particular to structural racism and verbal violence. We have therefore decided to spell out Eastman’s original title in the context of the performance of his works.