Composer Hannah Kendall has developed new work around her piece 'Middlegame', which originally debuted at Gallery Libby Sellers as part of the exhibition 'Games'. 'Middlegame' was a chess-themed musical score specially written by Hannah and performed by Andrew Matthews-Owen with the support of the Richard Thomas Foundation. The new piece, titled 'On the Chequer'd Field Array'd', expands 'Middlegame' into a 3 movement piece. This world premiere will be performed on the evening of May 15, 2013 at the Southbank Centre's as part of its Classical Season.
As Hannah has remarked, artist and chess fanatic Marcel Duchamp "often contemplated and referred to the visual possibilities which arise within the duration of any given game of chess, but mostly discounted its aesthetic value. However, 'Middlegame' explores the flourishing visual transitions and potential patterns which occur as the chess pieces become dispersed about the board, seemingly scattered, and gradually deplete in numbers, standing as isolated figures".
For more information and to obtain tickets, please visit the Southbank Center's website below.
April 2, 2013