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5:4
Announcements

Fermata Ultima

by 5:4 September 21, 2023 • 06:00 0 comment

Proms 2023: the premières (Part 4)

by 5:4 September 15, 2023 • 13:37 1 comment

Iceland Symphony Orchestra – Atmospheriques Vol. I

by 5:4 September 9, 2023 • 06:00 0 comment
CD/Digital releases

Natasha Barrett – Reconfiguring the Landscape

by 5:4 September 6, 2023 • 11:09 0 comment

Proms 2023: the premières (Part 3)

by 5:4 August 30, 2023 • 16:20 0 comment

Gloria Coates, 1933-2023

by 5:4 August 19, 2023 • 09:55 0 comment
Premières

Proms 2023: the premières (Part 2)

by 5:4 August 15, 2023 • 12:45 1 comment

Proms 2023: the premières (Part 1)

by 5:4 July 29, 2023 • 13:07 4 comments

Salzburg Festival 2023 / SWR Symphony Orchestra, Ingo Metzmacher: Messiaen – Éclairs...

by 5:4 July 26, 2023 • 12:42 4 comments
Announcements

Fermata Austria

by 5:4 July 15, 2023 • 08:10 0 comment

Joan Magrané – Madrigal

by 5:4 July 12, 2023 • 15:00 1 comment

Killing My Darlings: Extra Abbatia (2009)

by 5:4 July 7, 2023 • 15:12 0 comment

more articles

  • Announcements

    Fermata Ultima

    by 5:4 September 21, 2023 • 06:00
    September 21, 2023 • 06:00

    First thing this morning i’m setting off for Oslo to catch the last few days of this year’s Ultima Festival. Words galore to follow in due course.

    Read more
  • Premières

    Proms 2023: the premières (Part 4)

    by 5:4 September 15, 2023 • 13:37
    September 15, 2023 • 13:37

    Some years ago I was at the Royal Opera House, watching and listening with a growing sense of disbelief and horror as a contemporary opera entirely failed to understand or meaningfully capture the source material upon which it was based. That was Thomas Adès’ wretched The Exterminating Angel, an embarrassingly…

    Read more
  • CD/Digital releases

    Iceland Symphony Orchestra – Atmospheriques Vol. I

    by 5:4 September 9, 2023 • 06:00
    September 9, 2023 • 06:00

    Two years have passed since the Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s previous series of albums, Recurrence, Concurrence, Occurrence, and their latest release, Atmospheriques Vol. I, is the start of a new series. As before, the orchestra is conducted by Daníel Bjarnasson, and the emphasis is again on Icelandic composers, though here they’re…

    Read more
  • CD/Digital releases

    Natasha Barrett – Reconfiguring the Landscape

    by 5:4 September 6, 2023 • 11:09
    September 6, 2023 • 11:09

    Reconfiguring the Landscape is the title of a new album of acousmatic works by Natasha Barrett, though in some respects, as presented here, it could just as well be titled Reconfiguring the Room. The five works on the album originate in site-specific projects, all of which sought in some way…

    Read more
  • Premières

    Proms 2023: the premières (Part 3)

    by 5:4 August 30, 2023 • 16:20
    August 30, 2023 • 16:20

    Staunch conservatives don’t merely hold sway over our current government but also, it seems, our concert halls, judging by the latest desolation of premières at this year’s Proms. In the case of the Prelude and Fugue in G major by Rachel Laurin, posthumously premièred in Isabelle Demers’ organ recital, i…

    Read more
  • Announcements

    Gloria Coates, 1933-2023

    by 5:4 August 19, 2023 • 09:55
    August 19, 2023 • 09:55

    i was deeply saddened to receive a message around an hour ago, with the news that composer Gloria Coates has died. i only began to spend significant time with Gloria’s work last year, when it finally dawned on me just how fascinating and remarkable it is. This led to my…

    Read more
  • Premières

    Proms 2023: the premières (Part 2)

    by 5:4 August 15, 2023 • 12:45
    August 15, 2023 • 12:45

    It’s been a disappointing, demoralising experience spending time with the most recent batch of premières at the Proms. Derrick Skye‘s Nova Plexus, premièred by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the end of last month, was easily the most egregious of them, being yet another example of the cinematised…

    Read more
  • Premières

    Proms 2023: the premières (Part 1)

    by 5:4 July 29, 2023 • 13:07
    July 29, 2023 • 13:07

    Back in April, when i summarised the new music featured at this year’s Proms, i mentioned that the time might have come for me to finally give up trying to find some enthusiasm for its safe, unimaginative offerings. The 2023 season has been up and running for a couple of…

    Read more
  • Concerts

    Salzburg Festival 2023 / SWR Symphony Orchestra, Ingo Metzmacher: Messiaen – Éclairs sur l’Au-delà…

    by 5:4 July 26, 2023 • 12:42
    July 26, 2023 • 12:42

    During my recent time in Salzburg, i explored many of the city’s large number of churches. All of them were Catholic, and while they were undeniably impressive – none more so than the absurdly massive cathedral – it was striking to see the extent to which they were almost infeasibly…

    Read more
  • Announcements

    Fermata Austria

    by 5:4 July 15, 2023 • 08:10
    July 15, 2023 • 08:10

    i’m heading off today to Salzburg for a week’s vacation. For once, the trip will be essentially work-free, though i will be catching the performance of Messiaen’s Éclairs sur l’Au-Delà… at the Salzburg Festival while i’m there; words to follow once i’m back.

    Read more
  • CD/Digital releases

    Joan Magrané – Madrigal

    by 5:4 July 12, 2023 • 15:00
    July 12, 2023 • 15:00

    Even as i start to write this opening sentence i feel uncertain about exactly where this is going to lead. This is, i suppose, a provisional response to the latest release on the Neu label, Madrigal, featuring music by Catalan composer Joan Magrané. i’ve previously encountered Magrané’s work on just…

    Read more
  • Killing My Darlings

    Killing My Darlings: Extra Abbatia (2009)

    by 5:4 July 7, 2023 • 15:12
    July 7, 2023 • 15:12

    Extra Abbatia for piano quartet was completed on 26 January 2009. It was composed during my doctoral studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire, following a request from the Schubert Ensemble (during a residency) for works lasting around one minute.

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  • CD/Digital releases

    Grażyna Bacewicz – Complete Symphonic Works Vol. 1; Piano Concertos

    by 5:4 July 5, 2023 • 11:59
    July 5, 2023 • 11:59

    A composer i’ve been trying to get the measure of lately is Grażyna Bacewicz. Bacewicz died in 1969, but her output seems to be going through something of a rediscovery of late, with concert performances and new recordings now emerging with increasing regularity. It’s a generalisation, i know, but over…

    Read more
  • CD/Digital releases

    Alvin Lucier – Swing Bridge / Sizzles; Bára Gísladóttir – SILVA; Kali Malone – Does Spring Hide Its Joy

    by 5:4 June 29, 2023 • 11:23
    June 29, 2023 • 11:23

    It’s been interesting to compare and contrast three recent releases all of which feature drone at the core of their musical language. (The music is long, so i’m going to keep this quite short.) Drone music tends to operate in one of two ways: either by establishing a literal fundamental,…

    Read more
  • CD/Digital releases

    Gérard Grisey – Mégalithes

    by 5:4 June 20, 2023 • 12:23
    June 20, 2023 • 12:23

    For much of its life, Gérard Grisey‘s Mégalithes has languished in obscurity. A work for 15 brass instruments composed in 1969 when Grisey was 23, the work was essentially forgotten, perhaps due to a lack of interest on Grisey’s part (due to his subsequent focus on spectralism) and short memories…

    Read more
  • Premières

    Kaija Saariaho – Vista

    by 5:4 June 13, 2023 • 11:03
    June 13, 2023 • 11:03

    i was deeply saddened recently to hear about the death, on 2 June, of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. In the days since then, i’ve been reflecting on my relationship with her music, which i’ve come to realise is similar to my relationship with Takemitsu’s music. Every time i encounter her…

    Read more
  • CD/Digital releases

    Valentin Silvestrov – Requiem für Larissa

    by 5:4 June 9, 2023 • 15:23
    June 9, 2023 • 15:23

    i want to say a few words about Valentin Silvestrov‘s Requiem für Larissa, which was actually released last autumn, but has only recently found its way into my ears. Perhaps there’s never been a more apposite time for a Ukrainian Requiem. Composed in 1999, the piece is as deeply personal…

    Read more
  • FestivalsPremières

    Estonian Music Days 2023 (Part 4)

    by 5:4 June 3, 2023 • 05:00
    June 3, 2023 • 05:00

    The most overwhelming event at this year’s Estonian Music Days festival was a concert at the Arvo Pärt Centre given by soprano Iris Oja, percussionists Vambola Krigul and Lauri Metsvahi, and Tammo Sumera on electronics. In some respects it feels difficult to write about this concert, as the scope, depth…

    Read more
  • FestivalsPremières

    Estonian Music Days 2023 (Part 3)

    by 5:4 May 30, 2023 • 09:27
    May 30, 2023 • 09:27

    Despite the quantity of abstract music featured at this year’s Estonian Music Days, it wasn’t surprising – with the theme “soul” looming over the Tallinn part of the festival – that many composers avoided abstraction and sought to create more tangible, referential and / or emotionally-charged music. Indeed, this was…

    Read more
  • 20th CenturyAnniversariesCD/Digital releases

    Ligeti at 100

    by 5:4 May 28, 2023 • 05:00
    May 28, 2023 • 05:00

    Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of György Ligeti, one of the 20th century’s most significant and consistently engaging composers. i’ve been spending time lately with three new releases that together present an excellent overview of Ligeti’s output, from the perspectives of his music for piano, choir and…

    Read more
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5:4
  • About
    • Other writings
  • Patrons
  • The Lists
    • Listening History
    • Complete List of Ratings
    • Compositions explored on 5:4
    • Composer Map
    • Albums and EPs reviewed on 5:4
    • Festivals reviewed on 5:4
    • Best Albums of the Years
    • The Proms premières – Poll results
  • The Dialogues
  • Mixtapes
    • Mixtapes
    • The Isolation Mixtapes
    • Mystery Mixtapes
    • Podcasts
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Submission Contact Form