Your metronome can star in three upcoming concerts with the chamber music collective Chatter in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. It won’t be lonely, because Chatter actually needs 100 of the mechanical tick-tockers for the New Mexico premiere of György Ligeti’s Symphonic Poem, a 1963 piece that is one of the most famous and least frequently performed avant-garde works of the 20th century.
Since metronomes don’t play themselves, it requires 10 human “performers,” as well as a conductor, because the instruments have to be wound and started as close to simultaneously as possible. (The world premiere of Symphonic Poem took place in Hilversum, Netherlands, in November 1963 and was so controversial that Dutch Television scrubbed a planned broadcast of the piece two days later, running a soccer game telecast in its place.)
In addition to getting your metronome back after the final concert, you’ll receive a free ticket to any Chatter performance of your choice.
The Santa Fe performance is on April 8; the Albuquerque performances are on April 7 and May 21. To lend your metronome to this history-making event, label the bottom of the metronome with your name, address, and contact information. Then deliver it between 10 and 10:30 a.m. to one of the following Chatter Saturday performances in Santa Fe: Saturday, March 11, at the Center for Contemporary Arts (1050 Old Pecos Trail) or March 25 at Site Santa Fe (1606 Paseo de Peralta in the Railyard).
Metronomes must be in good working condition, but no prior stage experience is necessary. For more information on lending your metronome, go to chatterabq.org/contact to send the group a message.
