A Little Summer Suite (2015)

Commissioned by Stiftung Berlin Philharmoniker, A little summer suite is dedicated to Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra who will premiere it on June 16 2016.

Commissioned to celebrate her 90th birthday, A Little Summer Suite is a vibrant exploration of what Betsy Jolas calls "wandering music." The work is structured as a continuous sequence of seven short movements, directly inspired by the "promenade" concept of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Jolas invites the listener on a "journey for the ear," where the music seems to drift aimlessly, landing unexpectedly in different sonic landscapes.

The suite is anchored by four "strolls"—designated as away, about, under, and home—which act as a mysterious, sinuous thread connecting three vivid, stable tableaux. These stationary moments showcase Jolas’s playful mastery of orchestral color: the rhythmic precision of Knocks and clocks, the shimmering energy of Shakes and quakes, and the celebratory spirit of Chants and cheers. Written specifically with the virtuosity of the Berlin musicians in mind, the score is filled with delicately carved solos and inventive percussion. It is a work of whimsical freshness and "smiling" intimacy, reflecting a composer who views the orchestra as a theater of perpetual discovery.

"I've been toying lately, in much of my work, with the notion of "wandering music"; in other words, music which seems aimless and could land anywhere at any time. This concept, obviously inherited from Moussorgsky's justly famous Pictures at an exhibition, is at the root of the seven movement structure of my little Summer suite : a walking stroll in four sections, designated « away, about, under and home », leading to three clearly identified , and fairly stable moments, labeled: « knocks and clocks, Shakes and quakes, chants and cheers"

Betsy Jolas (2016)