Hcmf 2014

[Guest]

My first thread!

Any thoughts from people who were there at the concerts?

Comments on broadcasts on Here and Now (Three down two to go)?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Highlights for me:

Sciarrino's Lohengrin on the first evening of the Festival
Feldman: Music for multiple pianos on the Tuesday
The Dillon S4tet cycle given to close the Festival
Plus/Minus Weeks, Lang and Schubert (the last a composer I'd never heard before - excellent new work, thinking of the Art in ways refreshingly new to me.) on the second Friday.


But (and this is why I've been reluctant to start a discussion) this year seemed a rather "thin" Festival, demonstrating (it seemed to me) funding problems. One or two lacklustre performances (even Ferneyhough's Renvoi/Shards was underwhelming - and with balance problems; the first time I've had difficulty hearing an electric guitar over a vibraphone! - by asamisisimasa) and a greater number of pieces that I (personally) found rather dull (I can't remember ever being so unimpressed by a Festival event as by the Crossing Lines concert on the first Saturday, and even Chris Fox's Widerstehen - a gorgeous "finale" for Oboe d'Amore and ensemble aside - sounded "worthy" rather than possessing the punch that the I felt the subject matter demanded. The pre- and post-concert talks the composer gave [the latter a discussion handled superbly by Sara Mohr-Pietsche] were much more engaging.)

This is, of course, all very subjective, and may have greater bearing on my own "baggage" than on the works/events themselves - and I'm kicking myself that I couldn't get to the Evan Parker Music for 12 event on the Sunday (his concert in the 2013 Festival was one of the highlights) - but objectively, there were fewer actual events this year, no complementary exhibitions in the town Art Gallery (the first time, this) no public advertisements of the Festival (in past years, there have been banners posted around the town centre) fewer art display around the venues, and (a real blow this) no representation this year from Forsythe's Music shop selling CDs, scores, books and DVDs - the Festival requesting a donation from them that Forsythe's believed made the efforts involved greater than the financial returns.

In all, although I came away elated from the last three days, looking back my main feeling is one of a general sense ofoverall disappointment and no small sorrow.

Oh - and there's been only two broadcasts so far, 'djoggers (22nd & 19th Nov): four to go (13th, 20th & 27th Dec and 24th Jan).

[Richard Barrett]

I only attended one concert at hcmf (Evan Parker's Twelve for Twelve Musicians), in which I was a participant - often the people taking part in such a festival, despite having a strong interest in much of the music being presented, have the least opportunity actually to hear it! - but looking at the rest of the programme I had the feeling it was overall one of the more impressive of recent years. Maybe that was just because there were many things I would like to have heard, which might not have fulfilled my hopes if I had heard them.

[Quarky]

Certainly Twelve for Twelve Musicians has been the highlight for me so far, of the music broadcast on Hear and Now. And I felt the electronics section gave nothing away to Evan's wind section.

hcmf is too far away from my home to warrant an in person visit, but I am encouraged to visit the Vortex - I believe Evan is playing 19th December.

[hedgehog]

Oh - and there's been only two broadcasts so far, 'djoggers (22nd & 19th Nov): four to go (13th, 20th & 27th Dec and 24th Jan).

Ah so that’s why i-player wouldn’t work on Episode 3!
(I’m on a pretty poor and very expensive internet connection at the moment, so things don’t often work that should and I’m never really sure of what is actually retrievable or not.)

I only have what is available on i-player at the moment, so any sense of what a particular concert may have been is pretty well lost. Episode 1, I enjoyed the pieces of Anna Thorvaldsdottir and Jan Erik Mikalsen the most, in particular the latter.

Episode 2 I liked all of, I felt Lisa Lim’s piece meandered a bit pointlessly (or wasn’t successful enough at ‘meandering pointlessly’) at the beginning but got stronger as it continued - elegant music.

I had rather the same feeling with the music for 12 musicians with Evan Parker at the beginning too, but I think I may have been missing quite a bit of detail over the internet “radio”. Live at the concert itself, I’m sure it would have been much more engaging as a whole – as it certainly became for me in the latter half - but certainly the highlight of the offerings on radio thus far.

Looking forward to hearing the rest of what has been recorded for broadcast.

[Bryn]

I do hope we are to get some of the Philip Thomas, John Tilbury et al Feldman multi-piano concert. Listening to their double CD album did make me yearn somewhat for a little hint of concert ambiance. The Another Timbre album strongly recommended, nonetheless.

[Beef Oven!]

Can't it be moved to London from next year?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I do hope we are to get some of the Philip Thomas, John Tilbury et al Feldman multi-piano concert.

Piece for Four Pianos and Wolff's Sonata for Three Pianos are scheduled for the 20th December broadcast

Listening to their double CD album did make me yearn somewhat for a little hint of concert ambiance. The Another Timbre album strongly recommended, nonetheless.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Can't it be moved to London from next year?

Well, as two of this year's best events occurred in Wakefield, if anything it's creeping towards Edinburgh. (Always suspected Graham McKenzie's motives!)

[MrGongGong]

Well, as one of this year's best events occurred in Wakefield, if anything it's creeping towards Edinburgh. (Always suspected Graham McKenzie's motives!)

I think that included a piece by Bryn?

Apart from the things I was involved in, I only got to see the Ardittis on the final Saturday night.
Some extraordinary playing (as always) but a bit of a mixed programme, I guess I wasn't in the right mood for it, though Liza Lim's The Weaver's Knot and Hilda Paredes Bitacora capilar were stand out pieces in that gig for me.
I sadly missed the Wakefield gig which was one of the things folks were talking about as well as Monty Adkins's hardanger fiddle and electronics piece which seems to have got lots of folks excited.

[MrGongGong]

Well, as one of this year's best events occurred in Wakefield, if anything it's creeping towards Edinburgh. (Always suspected Graham McKenzie's motives!)

Make sure you don't miss this

http://www.experiencewakefield.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=3&feature=1002&venue=2190090

[Richard Barrett]

(Always suspected Graham McKenzie's motives!)

He's a Glaswegian though. I think he'd rather the festival moved to Chalfont St Giles than Edinburgh... it's certainly striking that nothing similar in London has seriously been tried, but I guess that would be hugely more expensive and complex to put on, besides which it has to be good that important international cultural events take place outside the capital, like they do in every other European country. (I should say "almost" because Luxembourg for example doesn't really have any "provinces")

[Bryn]

I think that included a piece by Bryn?


I sadly missed the Wakefield gig which was one of the things folks were talking about as well as Monty Adkins's hard anger fiddle and electronics piece which seems to have got lots of folks excited.

Indeed, Symphony, a cross between a composition and an improvisation rite qv. Unfortunately I could not make it up to Huddersfield, let alone Wakefield, but I know the piece gets used as teaching material. It dates from my participation in Cardew's Morley College Experimental Music class. An extreme minimalist (though not in the Nyman usage) text piece, highly influenced by Christan Wolff's Prose Collection.

[Richard Barrett]

Unfortunately I could not make it up to Huddersfield, let alone Wakefield, but I know the piece gets used as teaching material. It dates from my participation in Cardew's Morley College Experimental Music class.

I didn't have much of a chance to take in the SO-related event at the Hepworth museum (which is in itself well worth a visit though) because of preparations for Evan's concert in another space across the way, but it seemed quite well-attended, with performances of various pieces taking place simultaneously in different rooms.

[MrGongGong]

I didn't have much of a chance to take in the SO-related event at the Hepworth museum (which is in itself well worth a visit though) because of preparations for Evan's concert in another space across the way, but it seemed quite well-attended, with performances of various pieces taking place simultaneously in different rooms.

That's the problem with festivals.
I also missed the late night gig in the Bates Mill installation as I was setting up for another event.