Imaginary Landscapes
Donald Macleod explores Sir Harrison Birtwistle's non-musical inspirations, from the paintings of Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso to the poetry of Robin Blaser and Lorine Niedecker.
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
Péter Eötvös, cond.
Harrison’s Clocks (Clock 2; Clock 5)
Nicolas Hodges, piano
Panic
John Harle, saxophone
Paul Clarvis, drum kit
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Davis, cond.
Producer: Iain Chambers
Last on
Music Played
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Harrison Birtwistle
Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker (excerpts)
Performer: Adrian Brendel. Singer: Amy Freston.- ECM 4765050.
- ECM 4765050.
- 18.
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Harrison Birtwistle
Earth Dances (excerpt)
Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Péter Eötvös.- COLLINS CLASSICS 20012.
- COLLINS CLASSICS 20012.
- 1.
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Harrison Birtwistle
Clock 2 and Clock 5 from Harrison's Clocks
Performer: Nicolas Hodges.- Metronome : METCD1074.
- Metronome.
- 11.
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Harrison Birtwistle
Panic
Performer: John Harle. Performer: Paul Clarvis. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.- ARGO : 4521042.
- ARGO.
- 1.
Broadcast
- Thu 31 Oct 2019 12:00BBC Radio 3
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