The Interpretations Series opens its 33rd season on Thursday September 29th, 2022 with Petr Kotík’s monumental, six-hour piece Many Many Women (1975–78) performed by members of S.E.M. Ensemble under the composer’s direction. The performance will begin at 6:00PM and conclude at Midnight and audience members are encouraged to come and go as they please. This unique staged performance of Kotík’s magnum opus by singers from New York and Graz marks the composer’s 80th birthday. The concert will take place at Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students & seniors, available at Roulette.org and Interpretations.info.
A musical rendering of a novel/short story by Gertrude Stein, who has already provided inspiration for several pieces by the composer, the work will be presented in a new staged version that includes video projection, in collaboration with Berlin-based director Jo Fabian. The score of Many Many Women consists of 173 sections across 378 pages. The sections are distributed among all the performers, who shape the piece during the performance, improvising their entrances while creating a musical flow of unpredictable configurations.
In 1971, Kotik began composing for voice as a result of his close collaboration with the composer and singer Julius Eastman. From the first piece he composed for Eastman, Kotik was using the writings of Gertrude Stein. Many Many Women is the culmination of his series of Stein-related works. The music and stage direction is based on a concept of “Variable Situation” without a clear beginning or ending.
PLEASE NOTE: This performance begins at 6:00PM and runs approximately six hours. Audience is free to come and go throughout.