Pinja Nuñez — Art revolution
Pinja Nuñez discusses the relationship between art and society.
Who gets to have a voice in the canon of western art music and literature? And who will remain bystanders, what are the themes that are often left untold? What does a concert institution mean: on whose terms do they play music? How do the role models and paragons look like that people want to see?
Performers and team
- Pinja Nuñez, cello, adaptation, composition and artistic planning
- Tomas Nuñez, cello
- Maria Puusaari, violin
- Salla Savolainen, violin
- Riitta-Liisa Ristiluoma, viola
- Kati Salovaara, double bass
- Salla Pynssi, piano
- Armi von Vep, burlesque artist
- Siljamari Heikinheimo, direction of the miniature opera and overture
- Perttu Inkilä, concert recording and camera recording editing
- Sirje Ruohtula, light design
- Olli Ovaskainen, sound design
Programme
- Elisabeth Maconchy: Ophelia’s song (1930) arr. Pinja Nuñez
- Max Savikangas: Taidekapina – Pitkät jatkot (Art revolution – long afterparty, 2022)
- Charlotte Bray: Those secret eyes (2014)
- Anna Clyne: Rest these hands (2014)
- Pinja Nuñez: Alkusoitto oopperakuolemista kahdelle sellolle ja sopraanolle (Overture on operatic deaths for two cellos and soprano, 2022)
- Piccolo Opera Burlesco – Gioachino Rossini: Theme and variations (1819) for cello and string quintet arr. Pinja Nuñez
Concert presentation
In my doctoral project, I discuss the relationship and interaction between art and the society around it, especially from the perspective of a performing artist.
I am interested in how the prevailing social situation affects artists and their production. I also wonder how the political significance of Western art music is created in history and in our modern society.
I want to use the programme of my last doctoral concert to shake up the listener and make them think about the values conveyed through art
I want to use the programme of my last doctoral concert to shake up the listener and make them think about the values conveyed through art.
Who gets to have a voice in the canon of western art music and literature? And who will remain bystanders, what are the themes that are often left untold? What does a concert institution mean: on whose terms do they play music? How do the role models and paragons look like that people want to see? The aim of the concert is to introduce themes and characters on the concert stage, which are usually not at the centre of the traditional concert institution.
The programme is built around composer Max Savikangas’s commissioned work. The work written for reciting solo cellist is based on texts by journalist and author Sonja Saarikoski. The lines read by the cellist focus on abuse of power in teaching situations, such as sexual harassment and humiliating teaching methods. Visual artist Jaana Kokko is responsible for the visual part of the work.
Side characters that were flimsy and marginalised in the tradition of western literature will play a key role in the concert. The source of inspiration for Charlotte Bray’s “Those secret eyes” are the female characters in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Ophelia, sentenced to stereotypical feminine madness in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, gets a voice in “Ophelia’s Song”, composed by Elisabeth Maconchy. Anna Clyne’s work for solo cello, “Rest these hands”, is based on a poem written by the composer’s mother in her last year of life. Describing the daughter and mother’s personal experience in art seems touching and still topical, as the majority of the works showcased in the traditions of visual arts, literature and art music are made by men.
A short overture on operatic deaths will be performed after the intermission. It has been inspired by the musical theoretical analysis of musicologist Susan McClary, who describes the musical activity. The overture serves as an introduction to the last piece of the concert: “Piccolo Opera Burlesco”, a miniature opera that is only around twenty minutes long. The performance approaches the caricatural portrayal of female characters in the history of Western opera by combining classic opera deaths with the art of undressing.
If the caricature and the passive role of a side character is removed from the female characters, is there anything left? Or is it so that when the forever flimsy female stereotype is removed, it reveals something much more?
The music arranged for cello and string quintet is based on the work of opera composer Gioachino Rossini, “Theme and Variation”. The miniature opera is directed by Siljamari Heikinheimo and brought to life in cooperation with burlesque artist Armi Von Vep.
The total duration of the concert is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Additional information: Matti Leisma, matti.leisma@uniarts.fi
Who gets to have a voice in the canon of western art music and literature? And who will remain bystanders, what are the themes that are often left untold? What does a concert institution mean: on whose terms do they play music? How do the role models and paragons look like that people want to see?
Performers and team
- Pinja Nuñez, cello, adaptation, composition and artistic planning
- Tomas Nuñez, cello
- Maria Puusaari, violin
- Salla Savolainen, violin
- Riitta-Liisa Ristiluoma, viola
- Kati Salovaara, double bass
- Salla Pynssi, piano
- Armi von Vep, burlesque artist
- Siljamari Heikinheimo, direction of the miniature opera and overture
- Perttu Inkilä, concert recording and camera recording editing
- Sirje Ruohtula, light design
- Olli Ovaskainen, sound design
Programme
- Elisabeth Maconchy: Ophelia’s song (1930) arr. Pinja Nuñez
- Max Savikangas: Taidekapina – Pitkät jatkot (Art revolution – long afterparty, 2022)
- Charlotte Bray: Those secret eyes (2014)
- Anna Clyne: Rest these hands (2014)
- Pinja Nuñez: Alkusoitto oopperakuolemista kahdelle sellolle ja sopraanolle (Overture on operatic deaths for two cellos and soprano, 2022)
- Piccolo Opera Burlesco – Gioachino Rossini: Theme and variations (1819) for cello and string quintet arr. Pinja Nuñez
Concert presentation
In my doctoral project, I discuss the relationship and interaction between art and the society around it, especially from the perspective of a performing artist.
I am interested in how the prevailing social situation affects artists and their production. I also wonder how the political significance of Western art music is created in history and in our modern society.
I want to use the programme of my last doctoral concert to shake up the listener and make them think about the values conveyed through art
I want to use the programme of my last doctoral concert to shake up the listener and make them think about the values conveyed through art.
Who gets to have a voice in the canon of western art music and literature? And who will remain bystanders, what are the themes that are often left untold? What does a concert institution mean: on whose terms do they play music? How do the role models and paragons look like that people want to see? The aim of the concert is to introduce themes and characters on the concert stage, which are usually not at the centre of the traditional concert institution.
The programme is built around composer Max Savikangas’s commissioned work. The work written for reciting solo cellist is based on texts by journalist and author Sonja Saarikoski. The lines read by the cellist focus on abuse of power in teaching situations, such as sexual harassment and humiliating teaching methods. Visual artist Jaana Kokko is responsible for the visual part of the work.
Side characters that were flimsy and marginalised in the tradition of western literature will play a key role in the concert. The source of inspiration for Charlotte Bray’s “Those secret eyes” are the female characters in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Ophelia, sentenced to stereotypical feminine madness in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, gets a voice in “Ophelia’s Song”, composed by Elisabeth Maconchy. Anna Clyne’s work for solo cello, “Rest these hands”, is based on a poem written by the composer’s mother in her last year of life. Describing the daughter and mother’s personal experience in art seems touching and still topical, as the majority of the works showcased in the traditions of visual arts, literature and art music are made by men.
A short overture on operatic deaths will be performed after the intermission. It has been inspired by the musical theoretical analysis of musicologist Susan McClary, who describes the musical activity. The overture serves as an introduction to the last piece of the concert: “Piccolo Opera Burlesco”, a miniature opera that is only around twenty minutes long. The performance approaches the caricatural portrayal of female characters in the history of Western opera by combining classic opera deaths with the art of undressing.
If the caricature and the passive role of a side character is removed from the female characters, is there anything left? Or is it so that when the forever flimsy female stereotype is removed, it reveals something much more?
The music arranged for cello and string quintet is based on the work of opera composer Gioachino Rossini, “Theme and Variation”. The miniature opera is directed by Siljamari Heikinheimo and brought to life in cooperation with burlesque artist Armi Von Vep.
The total duration of the concert is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Additional information: Matti Leisma, matti.leisma@uniarts.fi