I haven’t written off anyone in particular (well, virtually no-one); Payne’s someone who’s work i haven’t really listened to in quite a while, so i’ll be interested to hear what he comes up with.
My comment wasn’t meant to be accusatory; it was more my roundabout way of saying “please keep up the good work with your Proms reviews!” – I’m sure far more people rely on them than ever make themselves known to you.
Leo
9 years ago
As far as I can see, the longest piece is Reinbert de Leeuw’s. Do you know anything about it? I’m intrigued, especially given Knussen is conducting it and therefore I assume chose it.
At this stage, Leo, i know nothing about it – but the long duration certainly grabbed my attention (it’s just one of many disappointments that there isn’t another contemporary piece of this sort of duration).
jack
9 years ago
from a a longtime reader of your blog::
this blog is a valuable resource to introduce contemporary music;looking fwd to your bbc prom reviews;
Thanks Jack, i appreciate that; for the time being, i’m sticking with “we’ll see”.
Daniel Childers
9 years ago
Lera Auerbach is unknown to you? That’s… surprising. Different strokes for different folks I guess, but as an admitted semi-worshiper of Schnittke, I find her cello and violin preludes unbelievably fantastic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54hkRNJN5yg , They’re so delightfully witty, so breathtakingly insane. “The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie”… July 31 can’t come soon enough!
Matthew Whittall
9 years ago
I had the good fortune to hear de Leeuw’s “Der Nachtliche Wanderer” at the Helsinki Musica nova festival last year. Along with Abrahamsen’s “let me tell you”, it was a highlight of the week. It’s epic and intimate simultaneously, and deeply moving. I couldn’t describe it stylistically if I tried, except to say that it’s hard to pin down, very pluralist, yet completely coherent. Hear it live if you can. The percussion effects are very subtle and quiet, and way he moves sound through the orchestral space really has to be experienced in situ.
[…] so that it sounds and looks bigger than it is. And this summer’s Proms have been widely derided for being one of the worst for new music in years. (And if the last two or three years are any […]
Much as I like his music, you can’t really count Dutilleux as a contemporary composer – he’s been dead for three years. And I don’t see a particular problem with the Peckham car park gig, or the popular programmes.
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Personally, I wouldn’t be too hasty in writing off Payne – his last Proms piece (Time’s Arrow, way back in 1990) was mighty impressive.
I haven’t written off anyone in particular (well, virtually no-one); Payne’s someone who’s work i haven’t really listened to in quite a while, so i’ll be interested to hear what he comes up with.
My comment wasn’t meant to be accusatory; it was more my roundabout way of saying “please keep up the good work with your Proms reviews!” – I’m sure far more people rely on them than ever make themselves known to you.
As far as I can see, the longest piece is Reinbert de Leeuw’s. Do you know anything about it? I’m intrigued, especially given Knussen is conducting it and therefore I assume chose it.
At this stage, Leo, i know nothing about it – but the long duration certainly grabbed my attention (it’s just one of many disappointments that there isn’t another contemporary piece of this sort of duration).
from a a longtime reader of your blog::
this blog is a valuable resource to introduce contemporary music;looking fwd to your bbc prom reviews;
Thanks Jack, i appreciate that; for the time being, i’m sticking with “we’ll see”.
Lera Auerbach is unknown to you? That’s… surprising. Different strokes for different folks I guess, but as an admitted semi-worshiper of Schnittke, I find her cello and violin preludes unbelievably fantastic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54hkRNJN5yg , They’re so delightfully witty, so breathtakingly insane. “The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie”… July 31 can’t come soon enough!
I had the good fortune to hear de Leeuw’s “Der Nachtliche Wanderer” at the Helsinki Musica nova festival last year. Along with Abrahamsen’s “let me tell you”, it was a highlight of the week. It’s epic and intimate simultaneously, and deeply moving. I couldn’t describe it stylistically if I tried, except to say that it’s hard to pin down, very pluralist, yet completely coherent. Hear it live if you can. The percussion effects are very subtle and quiet, and way he moves sound through the orchestral space really has to be experienced in situ.
[…] so that it sounds and looks bigger than it is. And this summer’s Proms have been widely derided for being one of the worst for new music in years. (And if the last two or three years are any […]
Found a live recording of the De Leeuw piece on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxjecPnc3T8
Thanks Leo – very useful and much appreciated!
Much as I like his music, you can’t really count Dutilleux as a contemporary composer – he’s been dead for three years. And I don’t see a particular problem with the Peckham car park gig, or the popular programmes.