An orchestra named for Oliver Knussen

An orchestra named for Oliver Knussen

main

norman lebrecht

June 16, 2019

Fiona Maddocks reports its debut performance in ‘a breathtaking piece – unquestionably one of the outstanding events in a crowded summer season.’

Any guesses?

All is revealed here.

 

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    “…… Those opening sighs are made by wind and brass players blowing into their instruments without making notes. The in-out squeeze of an accordion adds melancholy resonance. A wordless chorus – the vocal ensemble Exaudi – adds atmosphere. A spectral rat-a-tat was achieved (I later discovered) by a drum roll played on a piece of A3 paper suspended from the back of a music stand….. A sonic equivalent of feathers, velvet, net, silk, brushed steel, burlap, lace…….”

    The usual 20C convention of noise effects.

    But an interesting sound artist who discovered triads during a bad night in 2017 which made him very nervous:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTFyxbVqpQs

    Triads seem to bother him more often:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTNdotr0aLE

    Probably they seem to remind him of something but can’t think of anything. So, he treats them as ‘objets trouvés’.

    • Ned Keene says:

      [[ Those opening sighs are made by wind and brass players blowing into their instruments without making notes. The in-out squeeze of an accordion ]]

      The same weary and worn-out crap we’ve been hearing as ‘innovation’ from ‘composers’ for the past 30 years…

  • Tod Brody says:

    More brainless comments from the Slipped Disc troglodytes. In fact, Knussen was a wonderful composer, whose works will outlive him and provide value for a very long time. The criticism that it’s just “noise” has been said of pretty much every great composer for the last 200+ years. You demean yourselves, but not Oliver Knussen. He was an influential and accomplished conductor, too — altogether an excellent legacy and worthy of honor.

  • MOST READ TODAY: