Birtwistle and Maxwell Davies at QEH, London - 16.06.11

[hackneyvi]

'Eight Songs For A Mad King' is a powerful and disturbing piece. I've never heard it live, but I have a recording on LP (Unicorn UNS 261) dating from 1971. Julius Eastman (soloist) and the Fires of London, conducted by the composer. I dont know if it ever made it to CD: there are no versions of the piece listed in either the 2005/6 or the 2010 Penguin Guides. The record sleeve says "A Ken Russell Production" but it doesnt say what he did.

I believe you're right about the piece not being in the catalogue at present. There was a lad from London Sinfonietta, I think, selling CDs of other works but when I asked he said Eight Songs was unavailable.

I talked to a lady after the concert who was as exhilarated as I was. She had, I think, the same recording as you and it was clearly an important piece for her. Having seen it performed on stage, it really was performed, the singer acted out the role - addressing his singspiel to the audience and the orchestral players.

The lady I spoke spoke with remarked that she had not seen the most startling moment of the performance acted out before, though she had seen it 4 times in the past.

A few minutes from the end, the actor actually wrestled the violinist for his instrument, snatched it away and then began to mime playing it like a guitar. The violin player was left in his seat with nothing to do, looking a little shocked. I'm sure the whole audience felt the same anxiety I did because from the way the character treated the violin, it looked as though it might easily be damaged. Orchestral players' instruments may not be priceless, but they must cost a significant sum to replace. This was evidently a planned effect on the audience because the singer then very deliberately, violently and in a single stroke smashed the violin into pieces that burst across the floor of the stage. It was stunning!

It was a really special performance. The audience was a very sincere one, very open with their feelings. I really hope that LS might think at least about giving a further performance in the not too distant future.

[hackneyvi]

Message 7
The Birtwistle Virelai sounds like an interesting idea of working. Was it non- vocal?

I have Secret Theatre and it’s been played quite a few times- but I still can’t hum any of it. The end of the piece is supposed to be a reference to that song “What the world needs now” but I can only take HB’s word for it at the moment until it’s played again!

P.S. Ray Davies also wrote music for the Channel 4 testcard!

3VS

Dear 3VS,

I apologise but I was being facetious. That was rather my impression of it and I was taking the mickey out of Sir Birtwistle!

Having said that, it also brought to mind the Berio (?) piece which orchestrates a famous Boccherini quartet as if it's being played by a marching band but the band is in competition with another and the two bands start overlapping, or something. Virelai did sound like 2 pieces played at the same time but with some of their more prominent dischords removed so that they sort of fitted together. A bit like using pieces from 2 different jigsaws to make one disconcerting image.

I found the Birtwistle experience a very neutral one at the time but there were some very good, if short, guide notes for listening (instructions, really). Maybe one of these days I'll have another go at it. At the moment, though, I'm discovering so much new music that I don't feel I'll have the opportunity for Secret Theatre again in this lifetime!

[hackneyvi]

Off-topic (sorry!) but if you like the Maxwell Davies do try to hear David Lumsdaine's very different but inwardly theatrical Aria for Edward John Eyre, which is truly amazing (great composer, IMO). http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//NMCD007.htm

Thanks for the recommendation, arcades. The Aria is available on Spotify. At the moment, even catching up with the Radio 3 programmes I like (late night on 3 consecutive evenings) is making listening to extra music a challenge.

I'm due out shortly but am just listening to the opening and it is beautiful. Almost cello-like humming over a string drone, a flute or organ coming in now ...

Very strange and startling change in sound quality between the first and second tracks. Is that a Spotify thing?

[arcades]

Very strange and startling change in sound quality between the first and second tracks. Is that a Spotify thing?

Probably not - the spoken part at times blends with the instruments & the soprano & at others stands 'dryly' apart from them. The end beautifully enacts those shifting relationships. Hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to listen - Lumsdaine is well worth seeking out :).

[3rd Viennese School]

“I apologise but I was being facetious. That was rather my impression of it and I was taking the mickey out of Sir Birtwistle!”


You may have given a few people here new ideas for compositions!

Max 8 songs

Forgot that the violin is taken and then is smashed up! The bit I can remember the most at the moment is where then King tries to teach the cage birds to sing.

I don’t know why they don’t televise this work maybe during the Proms (on terestial). Now that would be a lot more interesting than the usual Rachmaninov Paganini Variations, Doctor Who proms etc.

Heard this on Discovering Music a while back with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies guesting! Haven’t played it for a bit. As always it’s just on a recorded cassette, along with St.Thomas’s Wake.

3VS