In Portrait: Sir Harrison Birtwistle with the London Sinfonietta

By Paul Kilbey, 25 May 2012

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Reviewed at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 24 May 2012

Birtwistle, Cortege, for ensemble

Birtwistle, Carmen arcadiae mechanicae perpetuum

Birtwistle, Five Distances for Five Instruments

Birtwistle, In Broken Images after the antiphonal music of Gabrieli, for ensemble

London Sinfonietta

David Atherton, Conductor

Tom Service, Presenter

Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Spoken word

London Sinfonietta explodes fixed views of Boulez

Roy Westbrook, 5th October

Pierre Boulez died in 2016, but on this evidence of this exploration into …explosante-fixe…, his music will live on.

*****

Patterns in motion: Sasha Waltz & Guests dance Riley’s In C

Marat Ingeldeev, 29th April

An evening of thrilling choreography and seamless synergy between dance and music, as Sasha Waltz & Guests and the London Sinfonietta bring Terry Riley’s legendary In C to life.

****1

London Sinfonietta's ‘Hidden Voices’ lack a narrative strand

Susannah Moody, 3rd April

The London Sinfonietta blends premieres and poetry in a confusing evening at the Southbank Centre.

**111

London Sinfonietta’s spectacular exploration of Cage and Boulez

Marat Ingeldeev, 9th March

Musical cross-pollination came to life in London Sinfonietta’s electrifying performance, in a seamless blend of theatre, history and virtuosic playing.

*****

London Sinfonietta weave Love Lines with passion and drama

Christopher Woodley, 6th December

Engaging performances, including two world premieres, are served up by one of Kings Place's partners in the ‘Scotland Unwrapped’ season.

****1

Failing better, sounding again: Beckett and Feldman at the Southbank

Marat Ingeldeev, 29th November

Beckett’s theatrical precision and Feldman’s fragile soundscapes cross paths at the Southbank Centre, creating a fleeting beauty in a profound artistic dialogue.

****1

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Paul Kilbey

Paul was Reviews Editor at Bachtrack from 2012 to February 2014. He has written on music and culture for publications including Culture Wars, the Huffington Post, the Independent and the Guardian. He holds BA and MPhil degrees in music from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and is particularly passionate about contemporary music of all types. His website is here.