poster for performances of Parsifal studies, edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist .silkscreen on paper (archival Somerset Velvet) 153 x 92 cm

Recital

Rodney Graham

Rodney Graham’s Parsifal silkscreen print was produced in conjunction with his exhibition at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery in 1995.

Parsifal is a work of conceptual music based on bars of music from Wagner’s opera that were inserted into the score at its premiere in order to synchronize the music to a difficult scene change.

By deconstructing and permeating the orchestration to a simple mathematical formula Graham has conceived a piece of music that began in 1882—the premiere of the Wagner’s opera—and will come to a conclusion when the orchestration resynchronizes—sometime 39 billion years from now. It is possible using a computer program to determine the score for any section of time in the 39 billion year continuum.

The poster/print was included in the exhibition and announces live performances of the piece.

The poster/print approximates the look of avant-garde serious music performances of middle-European composer/performers form the 1930’s.

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For further information please contact: Jana Tyner at jana.tyner@ubc.ca,
tel: (604) 822-1389, or fax: (604) 822-6689