Ferneyhough at 70

[Quarky]

Good interview of BF by Worby on the whole I thought - having approached it with a trepidation which in the event proved unwarranted. How difficult was and is it for the composer to reconcile the pre-determined and spontaneous aspects he spoke of, one might have liked to know? And whereabouts, if anywhere, does he situate his own development in music in this period? I seem to have got the "hang" of Ferneyhough's music at last: the early quartet we heard seemed to hark back to Schoenberg's late string trio, which seems more and more as time passes to signal new directions.

Great H&N programme last night in my view. I'm glad Brian Ferneyhough explained his approach to music at length, not that I understood much more than a word of it. I can imagine if Brian had been a scientist, he might have rewritten Einstein's theories of the universe.

But the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and harking back to some previous threads, the listener is not obliged to understand the compositional process. The sonata for string quartet did not present me with any great difficulties in enjoyment- Webern going into Schoenberg, perhaps with some Bartok creeping in. Just love this plink plonk scratch scratch stuff. But as regards Finis Terrae, not exactly my cup of tea - will have to listen again, but perhaps not immediately.

[edashtav]

Try this miniature (a 80th birthday tribute to Tippett) for string quartet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFBrOEtCCg

You might like to read the youTube notes;

or it may be helpful to think of Act Three of La Boheme (where Marcello and Musetta have a right barney whilst Mimi and Rudolfo split up sorrowfully);

[...]

A really good "entry" grade piece ferney, and your analogy is brilliant ... perhaps For3 boarders should lobby for you to be made Controller of Programme Notes, Radio 3.

Seriously, such analogies, that "hook onto" listeners' prior knowledge, are worth buckets of extravagance from Tom Service & Co.

Or, if the Beeb don't want you, how about a little book: "Ferney's Guide to 21st Century Music in 1000 Tweets."

[Quarky]

Lemma-Icon-Epigram played last night on H&N. I wish I could say I appreciated all the subtleties in the piece!

[Serial_Apologist]

Lemma-Icon-Epigram played last night on H&N. I wish I could say I appreciated all the subtleties in the piece!

One of this composer's more easily accessible pieces, imo.

[ardcarp]

In Saturday's Hear and Now (Dec14th) in which Ferneyhough featured, there was some stunning work by the vocal group Exaudi which was not credited by name in RT or on the website. So I've started a new thread....EXAUDI ON HEAR AND NOW

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?10101-EXAUDI-ON-HEAR-AND-NOW-Sat-14th-Dec