Carter - Feature for BR

Giuseppe Verdi was 78 when he wrote his last opera "Falstaff." One of the most famous composers in the United States has just finished his first opera, and he recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Elliott Carter's one act opera entitled "What Next" will be premiered in the fall of 1999 at the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, with Daniel Barenboim conducting. Carter's productivity is increasing as his age advances. Over the past 15 years alone, he has written about 15 works, most of them being chamber music pieces. Carter was born on December 11, 1908, in New York, which is still his residence. However, his career has been followed at least as attentively in Europe. This may be due to the fact that Carter, unlike many of his American fellow composers, does not cater to a wide audience. Instead, his music appeals to those who love a style that stands out for its uniqueness, often puzzling the listener. Georg Hirsch spoke with Elliott Carter in New York and attended a world premiere of one of his works in Washington, D.C.

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