Harrison Birtwistle

Donald Macleod talks to Sir Harrison Birtwistle about his life,
inspiration and music.


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.


To begin, we’ll hear about, Birtwistle’s daily working life, and
about his early years among what became known as the Manchester
school of composers. The premiere of his first opera Punch and
Judy at Aldeburgh was infamous - much of the audience – including
its commissioner Benjamin Britten – walked out at the interval.
Next, we’ll hear about Birtwistle’s time in America and his
friendship with Morton Feldman. They discuss some of his
non-musical inspirations too: the power of mythology, the
paintings of Paul Klee and the films of Quentin Tarantino.
Birtwistle reveals how time, and the instruments for measuring
time, have inspired many of his compositions, and how a lifelong
fascination with moths inspired a new work meditating on loss.


Music featured: Oockooing Bird Refrains and Choruses Punch and
Judy (The Resolve; Passion Aria; Adding Song) Tragoedia Dinah and
Nick’s Love Song Trio Chronometer The Triumph of Time Duets for
Storab (Urlar; Stark Pastoral; Crunluath) Carmen Arcadiae
Mechanicae Perpetuum The Mask of Orpheus (13th, 14th 15th Arch
from Act 2, Scene 2) Silbury Air Nine Settings of Lorine
Niedecker (There’s A Better Shine; How The White Gulls; My Life;
Sleep’s Dream) Earth Dances Harrison’s Clocks (Clock 2; Clock 5)
Panic Virelai (Sus une fontayne) The Minotaur (Part Two) The Moth
Requiem In Broken Images Duet for Eight Strings


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Iain Chambers for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Harrison Birtwistle
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009r3h


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z