Sounds like a fascinating concert. I agree that Birtwistle’s music deserves to be celebrated “loudly and regularly” – personally I have become more and more fascinated by his work over the past couple of years (thanks in no small part to this blog). And I find that his smaller-scale music can be more engaging on first listen than some of those mammoth orchestral works.
I wonder if you’ve read his book of conversations with Fiona Maddocks? There were plenty of fascinating insights into his creative process. The quote at the start seemed particularly apt – he said he wanted to write music that would “retain its mysteries and never become familiar”, which seems like a perfect description of his work.
Sounds like a fascinating concert. I agree that Birtwistle’s music deserves to be celebrated “loudly and regularly” – personally I have become more and more fascinated by his work over the past couple of years (thanks in no small part to this blog). And I find that his smaller-scale music can be more engaging on first listen than some of those mammoth orchestral works.
I wonder if you’ve read his book of conversations with Fiona Maddocks? There were plenty of fascinating insights into his creative process. The quote at the start seemed particularly apt – he said he wanted to write music that would “retain its mysteries and never become familiar”, which seems like a perfect description of his work.