Things Wagnerian and Edinburghesque have led to my neglecting recent editions of Hear & Now - much belatedly, but still with at least ten days left to listen, the i-Player has highlights from the recent Techtonics Festival held at the beginning of May in Glasgow. One of the few orchestral events to feature new Music, the first episode combines orchestral Music by Richard Emsley (his Strange Attractor), the Piano Concerto by Howard Skempton (with John Tilbury the soloist - Bryn mentioned this a couple of weeks ago) and David Fennessy's Hirta Rounds - all with the superb BBCSSO conducted by the magnifi9cent Ilan Volkov - interspersed with Annea Lockwood's Jitterbug for five Live performers and sampled recordings. (As an 80th birthday salute-lette to Tilbury, there's an excerpt from his - damn-near "definitive" - recording of Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano.
The second programme consists of three works - Rockaby for voice and orchestra by (the much-missed from broadcasting) Alwynne Pritchard; a collaboration by the composer/performers Eyvind Kang (viola) and Jessika Kenney (singer) Concealed Unity for soloists, chamber choir, and orchestra In both works, the BBCSSO is again conducted by Volkov); and a forty minute work for ensemble and electronics by Michael Pisaro, Lucretius Melody:
The third programme also features Music by Michael Pisaro; a 30minute work for Piano (John Tilbury the soloist again) and orchestra called fields have ears; Alvin Curran's Musique sans Frontieres for chamber choir, and orchestra (including extra brass, saxophones and bagpipes); and Laurence Crane's twenty-minute orchestral piece, Cobbled Section after Cobbled Section. Glasgow Chamber Choir/BBCSSO/Volkov. And an improvization for solo violin by Jon Rose, Palinpolim.
Much to greatly enjoy, tease and provoke. A pity none of it is being included in the Proms.
The second programme consists of three works - Rockaby for voice and orchestra by (the much-missed from broadcasting) Alwynne Pritchard; a collaboration by the composer/performers Eyvind Kang (viola) and Jessika Kenney (singer) Concealed Unity for soloists, chamber choir, and orchestra In both works, the BBCSSO is again conducted by Volkov); and a forty minute work for ensemble and electronics by Michael Pisaro, Lucretius Melody:
The third programme also features Music by Michael Pisaro; a 30minute work for Piano (John Tilbury the soloist again) and orchestra called fields have ears; Alvin Curran's Musique sans Frontieres for chamber choir, and orchestra (including extra brass, saxophones and bagpipes); and Laurence Crane's twenty-minute orchestral piece, Cobbled Section after Cobbled Section. Glasgow Chamber Choir/BBCSSO/Volkov. And an improvization for solo violin by Jon Rose, Palinpolim.
Much to greatly enjoy, tease and provoke. A pity none of it is being included in the Proms.
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