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Andy D
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« on: 16:06:08, 19-01-2008 » |
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Where is everyone posting about the Weir weekend? I'm sure there are lots of posts but I can't find them, other than myself and HtoHe moaning about no DAB during last night's concert. So I'm starting this having just heard quite a bit of the wonderful Schubert Ensemble's concert this afternoon. Kept missing bits as I've been doing other things but I've hopefully got 3 recordings of it so one of them should be complete for me to catch up later on  |
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John W
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« Reply #1 on: 18:09:02, 19-01-2008 » |
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Andy,
I'm not a great fan of much new music but when I was driving around last night I did here Weir's Winter Song and, well, it was listeneable. Whereas today while driving to the footie I turned off her Music For 247 Strings. Not understanding the genre I can't say much more.
There, Andy, we have an active Weir thread!
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BobbyZ
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« Reply #2 on: 18:58:34, 19-01-2008 » |
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Andy I suspect some potential postees on this subject may be busy attending the actual events. I listened to the Schubert Ensemble broadcast this afternoon in part to hear the Martin Butler piece since I am woefully unfamiliar with his work and believe him to be a very nice man ?  Anyway, I enjoyed all of the programme and hope to catch some more of the weekend broadcasts, probably on Monday if that makes sense in the context of a weekend ! What a pity that BBC4 doesn't broadcast anything from these composer weekends any longer, I remember seeing coverage of the Adams, Turnage, Carter and Cage weekends but they gave Guibadulina a swerve last year and nothing again this time. |
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Dreams, schemes and themes
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trained-pianist
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« Reply #3 on: 21:38:30, 19-01-2008 » |
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After finding this thread I decided to listen to Judith Weir and Schubert ensemble.
It started good for me, I liked it. Also Butler piece was very nice. It put me in a good positive mood. I even listened to it twice.
After that Quartet by Weir did not catch much of attention. But that was the only piece in a program that I did not understand (may be I was tired by then, I will give it enoghter go).
Thank you to Andy for your post. I was curious enough to listen and now know two new (for me) composers.
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« Last Edit: 22:43:56, 19-01-2008 by trained-pianist »
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Andy D
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« Reply #4 on: 23:03:29, 19-01-2008 » |
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Glad you've found something new that you like t-p. I've listened to the Butler piece twice as well. I made three recordings of the concert, one from the internet on the computer and two from DAB onto MD and hard disc - I wanted to make sure I had at least one successful recording. The Schubert Ensemble are one of my favourite chamber groups and they do such a lot for contemporary music as well - don't be fooled by their name, they've commissioned a lot of new works.  |
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Sydney Grew
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« Reply #5 on: 00:11:17, 20-01-2008 » |
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The Schubert Ensemble are one of my favourite chamber groups and they do such a lot for contemporary music as well - don't be fooled by their name, they've commissioned a lot of new works. We do find somewhat disturbing the lack of formality in their attire and pose; if that sort of lamentable slip-shod attitude is encouraged there is a danger that it might consciously or subconsciously spill over into their performances. Is there not some more suitable photograph which depicts them lined up in playing position? We - attracted not at all by contemporary music of the British school (Adès Finnissy of Tulse Hill Harvey Guy Davies Turnage) nor even much by that of ladies (Oostvolscaya Tailleferre Goobyedoolina Vrhunc Holst Holmès Smyth of Footscray) - have never heard a note of Madame Weir's production; what do Members think is her most delightful melody? Has she written any deep full and clear thing that might resonate down the ages? Do her works have sensible or silly names? She must be "in" at present if she is played on Radio Three but that does not tell us a great deal . . . |
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #6 on: 00:50:49, 20-01-2008 » |
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Andy: FM continued uninterrupted during Friday night's concert, but very uncharacteristically I managed to miss this afternoon's broadcast altogther, and the new Ronald Stevenson premiere on Radio Scotland also Hear and Now to boot: it's just been one of those days....
I'll PM you later...
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John W
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« Reply #7 on: 01:12:25, 20-01-2008 » |
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nor even much by that of ladies (Oostvolscaya Tailleferre Goobyedoolina Vrhunc Holst Holmès Smyth of Footscray)
Grew, please explain this outburst of knowledge of female composers on another thread, please, we need to know! or am I so ignorant to not know..... |
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Baz
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« Reply #8 on: 02:36:46, 20-01-2008 » |
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We ... have never heard a note of Madame Weir's production... Do her works have sensible or silly names? She must be "in" at present if she is played on Radio Three but that does not tell us a great deal . . .
Why don't you judge for yourself... HEREand there are some sound files to listen to... HERE(though they do not seem to work on my browser at present) Baz |
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martle
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« Reply #9 on: 10:03:32, 20-01-2008 » |
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The highlight of the Schuberts concert for me was Weir's 'The Art of Touching the Keyboard' for solo piano which, apart from deserving to win some sort of award for its title, is rather an astonishing piece I think. Quite an early work (1981), but balancing all the best traits of her music (wit, terseness, concision, expressive ambiguity) to perfection.
The Schuberts really did sound fantastic. If there is currently a better piano and strings ensemble out there, I'd like to hear it. The viola player, Douglas Patterson, is a cattle farmer and doesn't really play other than with the SE. And he plays like an angel and never fails to move me,
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« Last Edit: 10:28:23, 20-01-2008 by martle »
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Green. Always green.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #10 on: 10:27:21, 20-01-2008 » |
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We (...are...)- attracted not at all by contemporary music of the British school (Adès Finnissy of Tulse Hill Harvey Guy Davies Turnage) nor even much by that of ladies....
Well, Sydney, that's scarcely a comprehensive list of the British contemporary school (if school it be: there is a far wider range of styles encompassed than by your rather unrepresentative selection there), and your list of ladies omits possibly the most promising of all; Lili, the younger of the sisters Boulanger, who died of Crohn's disease at the tragically early age of 24. (But then again, she is not only a composer from the distaff side but of French nationality also, which presumably constitutes a double hurdle for your appreciation.) |
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HtoHe
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« Reply #11 on: 01:11:05, 21-01-2008 » |
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I've really enjoyed the songs in the two concerts today. I thought the JW songs sat well with the older ones and the Ständchen was particularly lovely. Andrew Kennedy & Susan Bickley seemed to enjoy singing them immensely. I contrived to miss the Piano Concerto tonight but I got most of the Jessye Norman commission 'woman;life;song'. Once again, very impressive. Sounded to me like something that will stay in the repertoire. I must try and catch up with the stuff I missed through Listen Again before it lapses. Could be a bit of a task, though, as I'm away for a couple of days later in the week.
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George Garnett
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« Reply #12 on: 18:15:04, 21-01-2008 » |
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What a pity that BBC4 doesn't broadcast anything from these composer weekends any longer, I remember seeing coverage of the Adams, Turnage, Carter and Cage weekends but they gave Guibadulina a swerve last year and nothing again this time.
Indeed, Andy. An even bigger blow today, the BBC has announced that the Judith Weir weekend is going to be the last of these Composer Weekends. Now I know everything has a natural lifespan and we always have to move on and all that, but I find that very disappointing news. There are plenty of composers who haven't been 'done' yet, and no doubt plenty more who I haven't even heard of, who deserve and would greatly benefit from this sort of exposure. Bother. |
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #13 on: 18:17:46, 21-01-2008 » |
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time_is_now
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« Reply #14 on: 18:33:09, 21-01-2008 » |
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An even bigger blow today, the BBC has announced that the Judith Weir weekend is going to be the last of these Composer Weekends. That was announced a few weeks ago, George, but it's strange how everyone's concentrated on the bad news. The replacement, for next year at least (and I understand the long-term plan is to do something similar every year) is a day each, spread throughout the spring, devoted to - next year - Xenakis, Stockhausen and either Grisey or Murail (the BBC SO management seem to be confused about this last, as I've been given conflicting information by two different people there! but Paul Hughes at the post-concert reception last night definitely said Murail). Is this what Ron's link is about? Sorry, I haven't followed it yet ... |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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