Heather O’Donnell | Frederic Rzewski

El pueblo unido – “The people united” is one of the most significant songs of the new Chilean song movement. It was composed in Salvadore Allende’s last year in government and, after the putsch in 1973 that overthrew the democratically elected socialist president, became a symbol of the resistance against the dictator Augusto Pinochet. The composer of the song, Sergio Ortega was forced into exile.

¡El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido! – “The people united will never be defeated” became the anthem of the socialist left’s fight for freedom and of all suppressed peoples. The song reached a level of significance comparable to The Internationale.

The American composer Frederic Rzewski wrote in 1975, two years later, the composition for piano The people united will never be defeated!, which consists of 36 variations on this battle song. Certainly, the political message was also the focal point here. And yet this was also a polystylistic work of the highest musical calibre and as a result one of the most important examples of early Postmodernism.

Alvain Curran was an early companion of Frederic Rzewski. Together with Richard Teitelbaum they co-founded in 1966 the legendary and at that time unique electronic live music and improvisation ensemble “Musica Elettronica Viva”.

Inner Cities 11. Aglio Olio Peperoncino Blues (2003) by Alain Curran, part of a cycle of twelve pieces, is dedicated to his friend Frederic Rzewski, “who in a recent email suggested that these three humble foods were all one needed for lasting life: garlic, olive oil, and hot chilli peppers”, Curran joked.

The fantastic American pianist, Heather O’Donnell will lead us through an extremely exciting and interesting evening with her distinguished interpretations of the works for MaerzMusik in the Neue Nationalgalerie.