New England Philharmonic & Boston Athenaeum celebrate the digitization of nearly 500 year-old Primus Liber 5/25

The New England Philharmonic family tapped to compose and perform two world premieres to celebrate the Boston Athenæum’s digitization of the ‘Primus liber’

Boston Athenæum│May 25, 2016 at 6 p.m.

Boston — The New England Philharmonic Chamber Players will perform two world premieres of music celebrating the Boston Athenæum’s recent digitization of “Primus liber [septum librorum] viginti missarum,” a collection of 20 masses published by Pierre Attaingnant in Paris in 1532.

For this collaborative celebration, Music for the Masses: Contemporary Reimaginings of Masses from Pierre Attaingnant’s “Primus liber,” the Boston Athenæum has commissioned two new pieces of music from long-time NEP collaborator, composer Bernard Hoffer, and Emily Koh, NEP’s principal bassist, based on source material from Attaingnant’s collection of masses.

Principal players of the NEP will perform Hoffer’s “Musica Sacra” and Koh’s “-logos-,” along with Hoffer’s new transcriptions for chamber octet of selections from Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” arranged especially for this performance.

The “Primus liber” represents Attaingnant’s work in advancing music printing technology. He developed an efficient single-impression printing system that became the standard in Europe for more than 200 years. The “Primus liber” has been part of the Athenæum's historic collection since 1809, and now, thanks to the Athenæum’s digital archiving of the work, this collection of French masses may be browsed, viewed, performed and enjoyed by all.

Tickets go on sale May 11: members $30 and non-members $40. https://www.bostonathenaeum.org/

The New England Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, Richard Pittman, Conductor
Danielle Maddon, Violin
John Lyneis, Violin
Jamie Doyle, Viola
Jason Coleman, Cello
Emily Koh, Double Bass
Tammy Avery-Gibson, Clarinet
George Muller, Bassoon
Jeff Stewart, Horn