Nov. 17-19

The Boston Conservatory has a five-concert New Music Festival before Thanksgiving at Scully Hall. The first, on Thursday Nov. 16 at 8 is called "Neo-Pointillism, Neo-Compressionism, Neo-Miniaturism." So, we had to ask, "What?" of conductor Michael Galante and the Argento Chamber Ensemble. Galante e-mails: They "perform recent works by contemporary composers who all grappled with the musical influence of Anton Webern. ... Pointillism refers to a musical effect first seen in Webern's music, in which the notes are heard as individual dots or sounds rather than as a consecutive, linear progression. Miniaturism refers to an attempt to encompass a vast musical experience in a short work (the average duration of a movement of Webern is under 2 minutes). Compression is a musical technique in which music is stripped down to its barest essentials, usually meaning the barest contrapuntal essentials... the 'neo' prefix added to these three characteristics is not to be taken to seriously; it's Argento's way of creating a context for the event alone, and to draw attention to the musical connnections between pieces on the program." Whew. There are four other concerts, including to by White Rabbit, the in-residence avant-garde ensemble at Harvard University. Check the Conservatory's website below for more details. Al concerts are free.

8 The Fenway, 617-912-9240 bostonconservatory.edu