Harrison Birtwistle (b 1934)

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2019

Developing A Voice

20191028

This week Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle, described as `the most forceful and uncompromisingly original composer of his generation`. We hear his major compositions, broadly in chronological order, and reveal the preoccupations and processes behind a singular music imagination.

In this episode, Birtwistle talks about his daily working life, and about his early years at what was then the Royal Manchester College of Music.

He tells Donald about how his problems with formal education didn't stop him becoming a voracious reader. Beginning as a clarinettist, he found himself developing a creative inner life beyond being an instrumentalist, and wanting to create a music that didn't exist. We also hear about the infamous premiere of his first opera Punch and Judy at Aldeburgh, where much of the audience - including its commissioner Benjamin Britten - walked out at the interval.

Oockooing Bird

Stephen Pruslin, piano

Refrains and Choruses

The Galliard Ensemble

Punch and Judy (The Resolve; Passion Aria; Adding Song)

Stephen Roberts, baritone (Punch)

Jan Degaetani, mezzo-soprano (Judy)

David Wilson-Johnson, baritone (Choregos)

The London Sinfonietta

David Atherton, cond.

Tragoedia

Ensemble InterContemporain

Pierre Boulez, cond.

Producer: Iain Chambers

Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle to discuss his early compositional life.

2019

Harry In America

20191029

In this episode, Donald Macleod explores Birtwistle's time in America, after an invitation to teach there by his great friend Morton Feldman. We hear about his collaboration with the electronic music pioneer Peter Zinovieff on the tape piece Chronometer, and about how Breughel's engraving The Triumph of Time foreshadows the structure of Birtwistle's massive orchestral work of the same name.

Dinah and Nick's Love Song

Helen Tunstall, harp

John Harle, saxophone

Simon Haram, saxophone

David Roach, saxophone

Trio

Lisa Batiashvili, violin

Adrian Brendel, cello

Till Fellner, piano

Peter Zinovieff, tape

Philharmonia Orchestra

Elgar Howarth, cond.

Producer: Iain Chambers

Donald Macleod speaks to Sir Harrison Birtwistle about his friendship with Morton Feldman.

2019

The Mask Of Birtwistle

20191030

In this episode, Donald Macleod looks at the powerful inspiration Birtwistle gets from mythology and how it drives so much of his music, not just in his many stage works, but permeating his entire output. They also discuss the music he made whilst living on the Hebridean island of Raasay, and what role landscape plays in his work

Birtwistle has described his music as mechanical pastoral'. This style is heard most clearly in the composer's favourite piece in his whole output, Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum.

Duets for Storab (Urlar; Stark Pastoral; Crunluath)

The Galliard Ensemble: Kathryn Thomas, Robert Manasse, flutes

The London Sinfonietta

Elgar Howarth, cond.

The Mask of Orpheus (13th, 14th 15th Arch from Act 2, Scene 2)

Anne-Marie Owens, mezzo-soprano (Persephone)

Jean Rigby, mezzo-soprano (Euridice)

Jon Garrison, tenor (Orpheus)

Omar Ebrahim, baritone (Charon)

BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers

Andrew Davis, Martyn Brabbins, conductors

Silbury Air

Producer: Iain Chambers

Donald Macleod explores some of Sir Harrison Birtwistle's most striking music.

2019

Imaginary Landscapes

20191031

In this episode, Birtwistle talks about some of his non-musical inspirations, from the paintings of Paul Klee to the films of Quentin Tarantino or the written words of Lorine Niedecker. He reveals how time, and the instruments for measuring time, have inspired many of his compositions, most notably in the fiendish piano work, Harrison's Clocks, and he talks about why he enjoyed the furore over Panic, his notorious orchestral work performed at the 1995 Last Night of the Proms.

Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker (There's A Better Shine; How The White Gulls; My Life; Sleep's Dream)

Amy Freston, soprano

Adrian Brendel, cello

Earth Dances

BBC Symphony Orchestra

P退ter E怀tv怀s, cond.

Harrison's Clocks (Clock 2; Clock 5)

Nicolas Hodges, piano

John Harle, saxophone

Paul Clarvis, drum kit

Andrew Davis, cond.

Producer: Iain Chambers

Donald Macleod explores Sir Harrison Birtwistle's non-musical inspirations.

2019

05 LAST

Deep Time

20191101

In this episode, Birtwistle talks to Donald about his compulsion to compose, and how the music of the past continues to inspire and fascinate him. We hear how the Greek myth of the minotaur was an irresistible subject for an opera, and how a lifelong fascination with moths inspired a new work meditating on loss.

Virelai (Sus une fontayne)

London Sinfonietta

David Atherton, cond.

The Minotaur (Part Two)

John Tomlinson, bass (the Minotaur)

Christine Rice, mezzo-soprano (Ariadne)

Johan Reuter, baritone (Theseus)

The Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Antonio Pappano, cond.

The Moth Requiem

Philippa Davies, alto flute

Lucy Wakefield, Helen Tunstall, Hugh Webb, harps

BBC Singers

Nicholas Kok, cond.

In Broken Images

Duet for Eight Strings

The Nash Ensemble:

Laurence Power, viola

Adrian Brendel, cello

Producer: Iain Chambers

Donald Macleod talks to Sir Harrison Birtwistle about his current work.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2019	01	Developing A Voice	20191028	This week Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle, described as `the most forceful and uncompromisingly original composer of his generation`. We hear his major compositions, broadly in chronological order, and reveal the preoccupations and processes behind a singular music imagination. In this episode, Birtwistle talks about his daily working life, and about his early years at what was then the Royal Manchester College of Music. He tells Donald about how his problems with formal education didn't stop him becoming a voracious reader. Beginning as a clarinettist, he found himself developing a creative inner life beyond being an instrumentalist, and wanting to create a music that didn't exist. We also hear about the infamous premiere of his first opera Punch and Judy at Aldeburgh, where much of the audience - including its commissioner Benjamin Britten - walked out at the interval. Oockooing Bird Stephen Pruslin, piano Refrains and Choruses The Galliard Ensemble Punch and Judy (The Resolve; Passion Aria; Adding Song) Stephen Roberts, baritone (Punch) Jan Degaetani, mezzo-soprano (Judy) David Wilson-Johnson, baritone (Choregos) The London Sinfonietta David Atherton, cond. Tragoedia Ensemble InterContemporain Pierre Boulez, cond. Producer: Iain Chambers Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle to discuss his early compositional life.
2019	02	Harry In America	20191029	This week Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle, described as `the most forceful and uncompromisingly original composer of his generation`. We hear his major compositions, broadly in chronological order, and reveal the preoccupations and processes behind a singular music imagination. In this episode, Donald Macleod explores Birtwistle's time in America, after an invitation to teach there by his great friend Morton Feldman. We hear about his collaboration with the electronic music pioneer Peter Zinovieff on the tape piece Chronometer, and about how Breughel's engraving The Triumph of Time foreshadows the structure of Birtwistle's massive orchestral work of the same name. Dinah and Nick's Love Song Helen Tunstall, harp John Harle, saxophone Simon Haram, saxophone David Roach, saxophone Trio Lisa Batiashvili, violin Adrian Brendel, cello Till Fellner, piano Peter Zinovieff, tape Philharmonia Orchestra Elgar Howarth, cond. Producer: Iain Chambers Donald Macleod speaks to Sir Harrison Birtwistle about his friendship with Morton Feldman.
2019	03	The Mask Of Birtwistle	20191030	This week Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle, described as `the most forceful and uncompromisingly original composer of his generation`. We hear his major compositions, broadly in chronological order, and reveal the preoccupations and processes behind a singular music imagination. In this episode, Donald Macleod looks at the powerful inspiration Birtwistle gets from mythology and how it drives so much of his music, not just in his many stage works, but permeating his entire output. They also discuss the music he made whilst living on the Hebridean island of Raasay, and what role landscape plays in his work Birtwistle has described his music as mechanical pastoral'. This style is heard most clearly in the composer's favourite piece in his whole output, Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum. Duets for Storab (Urlar; Stark Pastoral; Crunluath) The Galliard Ensemble: Kathryn Thomas, Robert Manasse, flutes The London Sinfonietta Elgar Howarth, cond. The Mask of Orpheus (13th, 14th 15th Arch from Act 2, Scene 2) Anne-Marie Owens, mezzo-soprano (Persephone) Jean Rigby, mezzo-soprano (Euridice) Jon Garrison, tenor (Orpheus) Omar Ebrahim, baritone (Charon) BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers Andrew Davis, Martyn Brabbins, conductors Silbury Air Producer: Iain Chambers Donald Macleod explores some of Sir Harrison Birtwistle's most striking music.
2019	04	Imaginary Landscapes	20191031	This week Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle, described as `the most forceful and uncompromisingly original composer of his generation`. We hear his major compositions, broadly in chronological order, and reveal the preoccupations and processes behind a singular music imagination. In this episode, Birtwistle talks about some of his non-musical inspirations, from the paintings of Paul Klee to the films of Quentin Tarantino or the written words of Lorine Niedecker. He reveals how time, and the instruments for measuring time, have inspired many of his compositions, most notably in the fiendish piano work, Harrison's Clocks, and he talks about why he enjoyed the furore over Panic, his notorious orchestral work performed at the 1995 Last Night of the Proms. Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker (There's A Better Shine; How The White Gulls; My Life; Sleep's Dream) Amy Freston, soprano Adrian Brendel, cello Earth Dances BBC Symphony Orchestra P退ter E怀tv怀s, cond. Harrison's Clocks (Clock 2; Clock 5) Nicolas Hodges, piano John Harle, saxophone Paul Clarvis, drum kit Andrew Davis, cond. Producer: Iain Chambers Donald Macleod explores Sir Harrison Birtwistle's non-musical inspirations.
2019	05 LAST	Deep Time	20191101	This week Donald Macleod meets Sir Harrison Birtwistle, described as `the most forceful and uncompromisingly original composer of his generation`. We hear his major compositions, broadly in chronological order, and reveal the preoccupations and processes behind a singular music imagination In this episode, Birtwistle talks to Donald about his compulsion to compose, and how the music of the past continues to inspire and fascinate him. We hear how the Greek myth of the minotaur was an irresistible subject for an opera, and how a lifelong fascination with moths inspired a new work meditating on loss. Virelai (Sus une fontayne) London Sinfonietta David Atherton, cond. The Minotaur (Part Two) John Tomlinson, bass (the Minotaur) Christine Rice, mezzo-soprano (Ariadne) Johan Reuter, baritone (Theseus) The Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Antonio Pappano, cond. The Moth Requiem Philippa Davies, alto flute Lucy Wakefield, Helen Tunstall, Hugh Webb, harps BBC Singers Nicholas Kok, cond. In Broken Images Duet for Eight Strings The Nash Ensemble: Laurence Power, viola Adrian Brendel, cello Producer: Iain Chambers Donald Macleod talks to Sir Harrison Birtwistle about his current work.