SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Birtwistle, Grime, Goehr, Maxwell Davies, Bedford: Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Claire Booth (soprano), Hilary Summers (alto), Christopher Gillett (tenor) Oliver Knussen (conductor), Wigmore Hall, London 24.1.2010 (CR)


This was a fascinating and varied programme, celebrating the start of Luke Bedford’s tenure as Composer in Residence at the Wigmore Hall with a programme of British new music.

The repertoire fell into two groups; early works by the Manchester School composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr and Peter Maxwell Davies, and new works by young composers Helen Grime and Luke Bedford. This provided an interesting contrast in style which is perhaps indicative of the general direction new music is travelling in at the moment. The earlier works were much more complex and ascerbic than the new works, which seemed to have more emotional impact and a less atonal harmonic language.

Birtwistle’s The World is Discovered was composed in 1960-1, and is written in an alternating verse-chorus form. There are strong resonances of both Boulez, particularly through the work’s angular melodic lines and alternating orchestrations from small groups to the whole ensemble, which bring to mind Le Marteau Sans Maitre, and Stravinsky, in terms of some of the rhythmic writing and orchestrations. The opening flute and guitar movement gave the piece a convincing start, and the ensemble sections that followed were edgy and well balanced with some fascinating detail coming through. The lines become more legato towards the centre and the opening mood returns towards the end, taking the listener through a captivating journey. There was some wonderful playing from all members of the ensemble, and I particularly enjoyed Melinda Maxwell’s oboe playing.

Goehr and Davies both use voices in their ensembles, with soprano and alto parts given a stunning performance this evening by Claire Booth and Hilary Summers. Maxwell Davies’ Leopardi Fragments was written in 1961 after a period of study in Italy, and follows a similar structural form to Birtwistle’s piece, with duets and solos interspersed by instrumental interludes. Even within the context of this relatively early work, Maxwell Davies’ imaginative use of instrumental timbres come through his orchestration, for example by passing unisons between unexpected instruments, such as harp, bassoon and trombone, highlighting the similarities and differences of each sound. Short motivic ideas are passed around the ensemble and I was struck by the beauty of some of the phrasing. This is complex writing, combining elements of the Italian renaissance (in terms of the Monteverdi-inspired structure and the setting of Leopardi’s text) but within a fresh, daring and modernist harmonic language.

Goehr’s The Deluge was composed in 1957-8 following studies in Paris with Messiaen. Although the form is less sectional than the works by Maxwell Davies and Birtwistle, there is still a clear sense of alternating material for small groups against the full ensemble. Boulez’s influence can be heard in the harmonies and melodies, and there is a wonderful sense of drama in the vocal writing. Using a text by Eisenstein, based on Da Vinci, there is some wonderful poetry in both the words and their musical setting, and the end of the work is particularly poignant.

It is curious to think that these works, which still sound fresh and full of imagination, were composed half a century ago. There is much of interest in this music by the Manchester School; it is complex but has a sense of unity, with its elements carefully interlinked into a whole, and there is a sense of youthful vigour, as if here were three people who were going to change the world.

Two more composers whose voices might make an important contribution to the future of British music are Helen Grime and Luke Bedford. Grime’s A Cold Spring features ebullient, bright colours, with sparkling clarinets, sonorous cor anglais and strong rhythmic ideas. This is a concise and well structured piece with challenges for the ensemble members (not least the dazzling horn part, which was performed wonderfully by Mark Phillips). Fragments pass around the ensemble with building intensity and an enjoyable sense of drama. This was one of the major highlights of the concert and Grime has demonstrated that she is a composer to watch.

Luke Bedford’s work, Good Dream She Has sets a text based on Milton, dealing with the story of Adam and Eve. Scored for three singers with ensemble, this has a very different harmonic approach to the earlier works in the programme, with a conflicting major/minor tonality based around a pulsating G which continues throughout the work. These almost imperceptibly irregular pulsations create a fascinating rhythmic effect, feeling like a heartbeat going through the piece, passed around from instrument to instrument. This is music which has a strong emotional impact and a gradually building sense of drama.

This was an exceptional concert, with a well thought-out programme and some top-class playing. Oliver Knussen ensured a perfect balance from the BCMG and the wonderful voices of the three singers were highly memorable. The works were perfectly suited to the Wigmore Hall’s wonderful acoustic and this was an enjoyable and succesful celebration of British music.

Carla Rees