Search - Sir Harrison Birtwistle :: The British Music Collection: Harrison Birtwistle

2-disc set of the British serialist

R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 07/08/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This 2-disc collection of Birtwistle is now available in the U.S. 3 years after it was originally released in the U.K. (My copy was obtained through amazon.co.uk in 2002.) The first disc contains 4 pieces conducted by Boulez and performed by his Ensemble Intercontemporain. (This disc is still available from DG, under the title "Secret Theatre.") The best of these is "Trageodia" from 1965, which established Birtwistle's characteristic sound and reputation. The other 3, from the mid-'80s to early-'90s, sound like products of a Serialist Assembly line, and are painfully dull.



The second disc is much better. "Panic" with saxophone was apparently a scandal at the Proms a few years back, though you'd think the scandal would be playing the same 19th century stuff over and over and over again! The highlight is the 37-minute "Earth Dances," written in 1986 and performed by Cleveland with Christoph von Dohnanyi conducting. It is powerful, dissonant and forbidding.



A new recording of "Earth Dances" was released in 2004 in the DG 20/21 series, with Boulez conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain, but for some reason it hasn't been released in the U.S., which is hard to understand since all the rest of the DG 20/21 series has been distributed here. You can order it from amazon.co.uk, but with the exchange rate, it'll cost you double the price. Maybe it'll be released in three years...



Based on this disc, I'm not overly impressed with Birtwistle. However, his reputation in the U.K. is largely based on operatic works, and I have yet to hear any of these. The electro-acoustic "Mask of Orpheus" is at the top of my list for further listening."

The Phenomenal Birtwistle.

Herma R. Woodward | Boston, MA | 04/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music of Harrison Birtwistle is suprisingly hard to get on record in America. As one of the most important British composers of the 20th century after Britten it would seem that access to his music would be easy and yet it is incredibly difficult. I am not sure if this is a problem of American distribution/interest or if he is just a rarely recorded artist.
Either way this amazing recording makes amends. Six large, crucial works are represented here performed by world class artists producing what can only be considered definative performances. Especially nice about this collection is that works from the composer's entire (and long) career are presented, offering the listener a chanceto hear where the composer came fromand where he's going.
Names like Ligeti, Maxwell-Davies and Feldman come to mind. The music is huge in scope and emotional power and leaves the listener drained. "Birtwistle's music sounds like planets colliding, even if he's only using five instruments."
If you enjoy this CD listen to AGM which can be found on a wonderful collection of works conducted by Boulez."