Video Games Live

By Richard Brewer 

A useless fact that you may or may not want to know about me is that I always read the Metro on my way to work in the morning. The majority of this paper is fairly useless information that will make no difference to the way I live my life. Sometimes, however, there a couple of little gems. 

On Wednesday, in the section called Scene (Music, Film, TV and Comedy), there was an article titled “Video games set to thrill harmonic”. Despite the rather cheesy title, the article actually describes a new event which fuses video gaming and a live orchestra. As a fan of both entities, this is an extremely exciting venture. A great deal of music written for video games is fantastic, and even warrants CD releases as its own entity (the LSO actually recently recorded the soundtrack to The Final Fantasy series for symphony orchestra). 

 

Video Games Live will hit the UK this week before headlining none other than the Royal Albert Hall next year. It is labelled as an “immersive concert of scores from classic games, performed by a live orchestra”. The orchestra will simply play one big medley of soundtracks from a variety of different games, satisfying all types of gamers. It won't just be a standard concert, though; Video Games Live will use a huge LED display snowing sections of the games as the medley moves through the different soundtracks. The show even boasts the opportunity for one lucky participant to play a game live on stage, whilst the orchestra will follow their movements in real time. For a gaming enthusiast, this will be an absolutely exhilarating experience; logistically, it could be slightly challenging for the orchestra and conductor. But that's not for us to worry about anyway.

In my opinion, the most important aspect of this scheme is the attraction it will hold towards the younger generation. Music education is, as ever, a huge problem; initiatives such as the BBC's “Ten Pieces” are attacking this problem, with the majority of their efforts concentrated on primary school education. An area that is perhaps slightly neglected though is 14-19 year olds. A project such as Video Games Live is arguably a perfect solution for a great number of those in this age bracket. The vast majority of teenagers use video games, spending hours playing them, and in turn listening to the music. Without them knowing, they have become fans of the music; with Video Games Live, perhaps they will see classical music in a better light than before! 

 

With the ongoing battle with music education, initiatives such as Video Games Live will no doubt make a difference. Granted, it isn't Mozart and Beethoven, but it's a start; it's within the classical music genre and could even inspire audience members to pick up the Violin. We must continue to challenge the limits of classical concerts, without challenge, who knows what could happen. 

To find out more about Southern Sinfonia please visit our website, Facebook or Twitter page.

Drawing Together Disparate Threads - A Look at the Life and Work of Purcell

By Chris Billingham 

Today marks 319 years since the death of Henry Purcell, one of the most renowned English composers this world has seen. With undeniable influence on not just classical but rock music, it seemed right to dedicate this week’s blog to his story and body of work.

As the son of a musician (a gentleman of the Chapel Royal) Purcell grew up with music and lived only a few hundred yards from Westminster Abbey. However when his father died at 5 years old, his mother Elizabeth had to move the family to more modest accommodation. Purcell did however return to Westminster Abbey in later life when he became organist. Purcell took the position over from Dr. John Blow who is said to have stepped aside from the post after he recognised how talented Purcell was. After Purcell died he returned to the role and wrote An Ode, on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell (Mark how the lark and linnet sing) in tribute to his former pupil. It’s pieces like this that give listeners an insight into what Purcell was like as a person, historians have to turn to these pieces because not much is known about who he was a person. 

Whilst we know the basic facts listed above a number of other details are debated and not much is known about his personality and attributes. It is said for example that he began composing at 9 years old, however the earliest work that can be certainly identified as his is an ode for the King's birthday, which was written in 1670 when he was 21. However his music (and the music created in his memory) tells us a lot. Purcell clearly had a lust for life. This can be seen in his instrumental music that contains upbeat melodic inspirations that make the listener picture summer and other vibrant scenes.  

Not every piece created these images however, when discussing the influence that folk music had on Purcell, British conductor and broadcaster Charles Hazlewood states that he took phrases and ideas from folk music at the time and created “a quiet sense of melancholy”. When presented with the more vibrant scenes its easy to see why Purcell’s music has stood the test of time, as Hazlewood goes on to state “he was amazingly successful at drawing together disparate threads”. 

In the same way that Purcell took the sounds and themes of folk music and turned them into something different, modern rock and pop acts have used Purcell’s music as an influence for themselves. The Who in particular were influenced by Purcell’s harmonies, his influence can be seen in some of their most renowned work including ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and ‘Pinball Wizard’. Sections of Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary were also adapted to be used as the theme music for the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.  

When people think of English composer and Baroque music, Purcell is at the forefront of their mind because of a short but incredibly compelling body of work. Whilst we don’t know much about the man himself, the fact that he is so regarded and still influences so many artists confirms how much he achieved by composing beautiful pieces that listeners including the team at Southern Sinfonia still put on to relax and lift spirits. 

This lunchtime we will be putting on our final cafe concert of the autumn season. A continuation of the popular 'Secrets of the Orchestra' series, the concert will focus on the convivial yet complex brass section. 

If you would like to find out more about Southern Sinfonia, please click here for our website. You can also view images and find out the latest news by visiting our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. 

Not to be missed - a look at autumn's Café Concerts

By Julia Hudson 

This week on the blog, I am delighted to announce the first events of our 25^th anniversary season – the Café Concerts. We have programmed a varied and fascinating selection of events, and I wanted to take the opportunity of having a little more space than in the various brochures to talk you through them!

As usual, all the Café Concerts take place in the auditorium of the Corn Exchange, Newbury on a Friday lunchtime at 1pm. First, on 26^th September, the winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2014, Martin James Bartlett, joins us for an hour of piano music. Currently just 17 years old, the Royal College of Music calls him “one of the greatest up and coming young piano talents in the music world”, as he moves to take up his place there in September. On winning the competition, Martin said "It's such an amazing feeling. It's not just the highlight of my musical career, it's the highlight of my life." He was a worthy winner; reviews of his playing in the final mentioned “crisp articulation and playing of superb strength...a particularly individual performance of great character” (Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer) and we are very much looking forward to welcoming him to our series.

The second concert, on 17^th October, is the explosive and dynamic Villiers Quartet and their programme ‘Celebrating England’. The Quartet has established itself as one of the most charismatic and adventurous quartets of the British chamber music scene, and as such are bringing a this theme to their Corn Exchange recital. Their programme ranges from the evocative work of Delius, Britten and Bridge to a multimedia performance of Chris Roe’s ‘Jetez!’, and also features Britten contemporary and lesser-known composer Robert Still, who lived for 22 years and died in local Bucklebury, near Newbury. Hailed as "one of the best young quartets around today" (Jerry Horner), their concert, complete with projector and animation, promises to be a revolutionary approach to traditional string quartet performance.

Finally, on 21^st November, we welcome our second ‘Secrets of the Orchestra’ concert. Having had a wonderful hour with the winds, it is now the turn of the brass section, in ‘Brass Unwrapped’. Some of Southern Sinfonia’s most well-loved and prestigious brass players, curated by trumpeter Howard Rowntree, give an insight into the dynamics of playing trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba in the orchestra. An educational session in part, this concert will inform and entertain children from 10 upwards, while still being fascinating and beautiful for adults like you and I: the beauty being that, however knowledgeable we are about music, we have not spent years as professional brass players! The group will perform stunning music, written or arranged for brass quintet, and give an insightful and often amusing account of orchestral performance. A concert not to be missed.

As Southern Sinfonia’s season finishes, we say goodbye to our Administrator, Anita Forsyth-Forrest, as she retires this week. We will all miss her and we thank her for eleven years with the orchestra. In September, we welcome our new Intern, Richard Brewer, as he joins us upon his graduation from the University of Sheffield. He will be a regular contributor to this blog and we look forward to hearing his erudite thoughts and opinions!

As we continue to prepare for next season and take a well-earned summer holiday, our blog posts will become fortnightly. We promise, though, that we will be Promming and Glyndebourne-ing to the very best of our ability – and we hope you have a wonderful summer.

To find out more about Southern Sinfonia; click here to visit our website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

An orchestra from the comfort of your garden chair - did you know plants make music?

By James Chater 

Photograph: © TFL from the London Transport Museum Collection

If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise… No, not bears picnicking, but something perhaps as equally far-fetched. Plants that make music.

To me, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show means one thing; being subjected to an hour-long programme every evening for a week about gardens. Unfortunately, I can’t get much more excited about it than that, despite my mother’s consistently enthused accounts of the many wonderful gardens she has seen during the day. However, this time she returned with an anecdote that didn’t cause me to reach hurriedly for my noise-cancelling headphones. The anecdote was about a stall she had seen where an array of plants were, thanks to a complicated looking contraption, creating music. Music is an art that has associations with many other arts, social sciences and general hobbies but, I must admit, I had never seen horticulture as one of them. Sceptically, I began to investigate and was pleasantly surprised by the large quantity of information on a field of research I had never encountered.

The research has been centred in the Italian ‘eco-village’ of Damanhur. In 1979, 11 ‘Damanhurians’ founded the self-titled ‘Federation of Damanhur’, in an Italian mountain range 30 miles from Turin in 1979. Today, the site is known as the location of the ‘Temples of Humankind’, an enormous temple made up of several halls some 100ft beneath the mountain. It was constructed in complete secrecy from the Italian government, and without heavy construction machinery. It has to be seen to be believed. Since 1979, a team of scientists has been working to ascertain whether it is possible to communicate with plants, and whether the communication can be through the medium of music. One fascinating experiment has given real traction to the idea that plants can in fact communicate with each other. 

Capiscum Annuum

Until now it has been thought that the ways in which plants communicate was through chemical or magnetic means, but the team at Damanhur have shown that they may be able to through sound as well, just at a frequency inaudible to humans. 

“In the experiment, Capsicum annuum (chili pepper) seeds isolated in a black box that blocked all possible chemical and magnetic communication, germinated slowly when there were no other plants nearby; they did so at a normal speed if they were near other Capsicums, and did so rapidly if they were near basil plants, known to be their natural ally. Growth was even faster if there were fennel plants nearby, since fennel is antagonistic to Capsicum plants, releasing chemicals that would slow their growth. Fennel seemed to signal its presence with a kind of acoustic communication. If it was put in a plastic box that blocked all forms of chemical communication, nearby Capsicum plants were spurred into growing much faster than normal.”

How then are these sounds made audible? Electrodes are attached to the roots and the leaves, through which vibrations are sent as a MIDI signal to a synthesiser, which then plays the notes. Differences in electric potential within the roots and leaves cause changes in pitch and rhythm. The result is quite extraordinary.

However, the question that arises is whether, even if the plant creates these sounds, it necessarily becomes music. If they are sounds that are the result of a biological change in the plant’s surroundings, there isn’t much that differentiates it from human speech; it is functional. Not many people would label a conversation as music, apart from maybe John Cage. In a sense, to be called music, there needs to be evidence that the plant makes these sounds spontaneously, ‘for fun’, if you will.

Photograph: © NOTCOT

Damanhur has the answer… “Countless tests and re-workings of the basic technology have refined this device [the device which changes the signals into sound]. These forty years of experimentation seem to tell us that plants realise that it is they who are determining the sequence of notes emitted by the device, and therefore they modulate it intentionally. They do not just react to stimuli from their surroundings but can be ‘trained’ to use the device increasingly well, to respond to the human voice or to someone playing an instrument. Plants ‘remember’ their training, and over time learn to interact in an ever more sophisticated way with their audience.”

So there you have it, a brief introduction to the musical world of plants. I have only scratched the surface here, and if you would like to find out more there is a whole website dedicated to this field of research, an album compiled by Damanhur of different plants’ ‘songs’, and even the opportunity to go and see the ‘plant concerts’ first-hand. The device that creates the sounds is even on sale to the general public. So forget Beethoven, you could soon be conducting your very own orchestra from the comfort of your garden chair.

Southern Sinfonia is very excited about the final of our Newbury Young Musician of the Year Competition; click here to find out more and purchase tickets. 

To find out about other upcoming events, click here to visit our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

‘That way lies the death of opera’ - does this medium depend on more than voice?

By Julia Hudson 

There’s really only one topic I can choose to blog about this week, and it’s one that has been reverberating through the classical music world and implicating critic and performer alike.  Glyndebourne mezzo soprano Tara Erraught was criticised in a series of reviews of Der Rosenkavalier, in which she made her debut this weekend. Not for her singing, however, but for her appearance. Criticisms included the attestation by Andrew Clark of the Financial Times that she is “a chubby bundle of puppy-fat”, while Richard Morrison of the Times called her "unbelievable, unsightly and unappealing".

Many singers have responded; noting that all these critics were male, Jennifer Johnston suggested that “clearly overt sexism is rife” while mezzo soprano Alice Coote wrote an open letter to opera critics, in which she said that "we cannot people our operatic stages with singers that above all are believable visually or sexually attractive to our critics. That way lies the death of opera. It is not about lights, it is not about costumes, it's not about sets, it's not even about sex or stature. It is ALL about the human voice. Critics, I beg you: Be kind to young singers - you may change the trajectory of their lives and career if you wound them with your words."

It goes without saying that, as a member of the fairer sex just a year younger than Miss Erraught, I find any suggestion of casual sexism appalling. I recognize the value of the movement against it, entitled “Everyday Sexism”, and I feel saddened that such occasions are still present in the modern day. However, I cannot go so far as to agree with Alice Coote wholeheartedly.

"Have we arrived at a point where opera is no longer about singing but about the physiques and looks of the singers, specifically the female singers?" Jennifer Johnston wrote in an opinion column for the Guardian. This would be a tragedy; the notion of image and ‘the way things appear’ permeate every aspect of the media increasingly, and all art forms are affected. Some for the better; the cinema transmission of opera and the flexibility of technology are opening up the world of classical music to new audiences, but some, as here, for the worse. However, does Alice Coote go too far, when she suggests that opera is “ALL about the human voice”? Given the substantial budget of Glyndebourne and comparable companies, and the wonderful effects the sets, lights and costumes have on the audience, I would suggest that the effectiveness of opera as a medium goes beyond merely the sound of the voice. Even concert performance, a field with which we at Southern Sinfonia are even more familiar, is subject to this; our rehearsals sound lovely, but there’s a reason we wear white tie and long black dresses for most of our bookings, and that some of our most stunning performances take place in the most beautiful cathedrals in the world.

I visit Glyndebourne every year (they do a wonderful under 30’s £30 ticket offer) and year before last I was bowled over by a production of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges. An opera I knew well thanks to a university production, I was transported into a magical world where everything was scaled up to emphasise the small, overwhelmed nature of the little boy (another mezzo in a ‘male’ role). It goes without saying that the singing was wonderful, but the enormous chair and the oversized squirrels undoubtedly contributed tremendously to the overall spectacle. Without the production, I could have listened to the music in the comfort of my own home.

There is a huge disparity between ‘believability’ and ‘sexual attractiveness’, and it could be said that Coote is unfair to suggest that critics are starting to look before they hear. Believability is relevant to any performer, and most from the acting profession would agree that it is crucial to the success of a production. However, for me it is an expressive face, a sense that the performer has immersed themselves into the role, and an emotional connection – in opera, these come from a wonderful voice, yes, but also a commitment to acting the role, both visually and orally. Most would agree that, today, it is not enough to stand on a stage and sing the notes, and I applaud this development, particularly as opera is arguably the most multidimensional art form, involving singing, acting, dancing, poetry and staging.

Credit: Christian Kaufmann

Retuning to this week, however, perhaps by being more specific Rupert Christiansen’s comment in the Telegraph is slightly more helpful. "There is no doubt of the talent of this young Irish mezzo, but she is dumpy of stature and... her costuming makes her resemble something between Heidi and Just William." It already asks a certain amount of a modern audience, used to the best CGI and computer-aided transformations, to remember that a woman with long hair and a skirt is actually meant to be a man in period dress. A woman diminutive in height (and I speak from experience, although I would prefer not to be termed ‘dumpy’) probably doesn’t make a very convincing man. Surely, then, a more suitable critique would be of the production, and the costuming, as Rupert Christiansen has (almost) done, rather than the singer? It appears to me that Tara Erraught has merely arrived in Sussex and delivered an “outstanding” performance. Above all, this is what must be applauded – as it undoubtedly was, and will be for the rest of the season. 

If you would like to learn more about Southern Sinfonia please visit our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Competitions: for Horse or for Artist?

By Chris Billingham 

Hungarian composer and pianist Béla Bartók (1881-1945) once stated that “Competitions are for horses, not artists”. We rather like competitions, and believe that they have a great deal to give musicians in terms of professional development, and can even be enjoyable, for both performers and audience. However, as Bartók says, a competition has a different role to play to a concert or recital. What Bartók couldn’t predict, however, was the advent of technology. Has technology changed the way artists view competitions? Southern Sinfonia will soon be holding the final of our Newbury Young Musician of the Year competition and our new Quartet in Association, the Villiers Quartet, is currently assessing a record number of entrants for their VQ New Works Competition. Between our own and national competitions such as the BBC Young Musician of the Year currently taking place, as well as the Royal Over-Seas League competition and the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, it’s the perfect time to try and work out for whom competitions are of benefit.

Bartók’s comment is undoubtedly rooted in a question many musicians have had in their lifetime; how can you judge one form of art against another? Matthew Forbes discussed this here just a couple of weeks ago, and former Newbury Young Musician of the Year winner Drew Steanson explained in these pages that “Music is for people; in competitions one is often compared to fellow musicians, whereas in a concert the audience is there just to hear how you play and hear your enjoyment of the playing, not what you can do, not what you can’t do.” This, therefore, makes an artist vulnerable. For young musicians this can have a lasting impact, and it is thus crucial to make this a positive experience for all participants. However, is it not also fair to say that competitions can serve an additional purpose, in the modern world? 

Live stream of the VQ New Works Competition 2012 in action

As the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition revs up to the final on 18^th May, reviews and thoughts on all the performers are appearing in digital newspapers, blog articles and throughout social media. Digital technology allows people to talk about every musician, assessing their value and promoting them to a wider audience. This is potentially the biggest counterargument to Bartók’s statement; the promotional opportunities and artistic experiences that competitions in the 21^st century can offer musicians propel them away from being a platform just for “horses”, as they may have been in the 20^th century. 

Additionally, modern technology has allowed for the nature of competition to evolve. The VQ New Works Competition gives composers the opportunity to submit compositions, narrowed down to six and premiered by the quartet online. These are then narrowed down to three pieces via an online vote, which are then performed in the Final, at Kings Place, and the winner decided from an international live stream of the concert and a second online vote. In 2014, new and emerging talents that would have found it difficult to break through in the past can enter innovative competitions like this one. Additionally, by putting the first set of finalists online, the audience become the judges, allowing for a wider set of opinion and tastes to be considered.

Newbury Young Musician of the Year 2012
Drew Steanson in concert with Southern Sinfonia

There are many reasons Southern Sinfonia are proud of our competitions. Our contestants are valued; everyone has a platform and a stage to display their talents and the judging criteria takes into account a range of factors. Perhaps the most important aspect to us is that entrants get the valuable experience of playing in this context. Drew points out that he doesn’t think “many students around the world get an opportunity to play with an orchestra as fine as Southern Sinfonia”, referring to his NYMY prize; a concerto with the orchestra, conducted by David Hill. 

Our Newbury Young Musician of the Year final will take place on 15^th June; you can find out more by clicking here. The Villiers Quartet will be announcing the finalists of the VQ New Works Competition soon; find out more about this by visiting their website. 

If you would like to learn more about Southern Sinfonia please visit our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! 

Another supercalifragilisticexpialidocious year - BBC Proms launch 2014

By Julia Hudson 

As I’m sure our readership is aware by now, we are fond of the Proms here at the Southern Sinfonia offices. Once we discovered we could make it from Berkshire desk (via Paddington, and that deceptively long walk from South Kensington tube) to take our seats in time for a 7.30pm kick off, there was no stopping us. We are pleased and proud to see our beloved Patron Sir Roger Norrington will be at the helm of two Proms this summer; on 26^th July he will conduct his Zurich Chamber Orchestra in a St John Passion, with a cast of singers led by legendary James Gilchrist, and 3^rd September finds him as Honorary Conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing, Beethoven, Dvořák and Berlioz. As if this wasn’t enough, our wonderful Musical Director David Hill will be conducting his BBC Singers on 13^th August in a late-night Steve Reich Prom with Endymion. Intriguingly, all three concerts have been featured in the Proms’ ‘handpicked list’ of Classical for Starters; concerts to choose if you are new to classical music. 

In contrast to these varied yet comforting choices, there are of course the attention-grabbers; much to our surprise we loved the Urban Classic Prom last year, but this year Laura Mvula is joined by Paloma Faith, Rufus Wainwright and the Pet Shop Boys. The Pet Shop Boys are premiering their homage to Alan Turing, the pioneering computer scientist and World War II codebreaker prosecuted for homosexuality who received a posthumous royal pardon this year. Neil Tennant describes the work as “very different from anything else we’ve ever done”, and this 40-minute work ‘A Man From the Future’ will combine orchestra, electronic instruments, a chorus and narrator. Other notably ‘different’ Proms include a BBC Sport Prom, hosted by Gabby Logan, a CBeebies Prom, which prompted Roger Wright at the launch to describe the season (his last) as ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’, and a War Horse Prom involving Gareth Malone and his Military Wives Choir.

© John Wright

So far, so accessible, different, and novel. However, as Tom Service excellently put it in the Guardian, “it’s the genuine novelties I’m looking forward to, the 32 premieres of one stripe or another, including music by Simon Holt (27 July), Gabriel Prokofiev (29 July), Helen Grime (9 August), and Jörg Widmann (two pieces played by the Cleveland Orchestra on 7 and 8 September). Most intriguing of all is Benedict Mason’s Meld on 16 August, a piece whose mechanics are remaining as secret as possible beforehand, but which promises to confound "what we think of as an orchestra, of a concert, and even of music itself", as the brochure has it.” The season is also studded with performances marking the 80th birthdays of our greatest composers, Peter Maxwell Davies and Harrison Birtwistle, as well as many other anniversaries. As Roger Wright says, “Sir Roger (80 this year) will, like Sir Andrew Davis (70), Donald Runnicles (60) and

Edward Gardner (40), conduct two Proms and it is a thrill to welcome back Sir Neville Marriner in his 90th-birthday year, with the orchestra he founded, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, alongside its new Music Director, Joshua Bell.”

However, in my view, one of the most important developments this year has rather gone unnoticed. As one tiny part of Roger Wright’s legacy, this year all the Proms will be on iPlayer, there is a dedicated Proms button on the BBC iPlayer Radio app, six interactive BBC iWonder guides, and the addition of BBC Playlister, where music lovers can build playlists of their favourite presenters’ recommended works from the season. Already used as part of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage, this illustrates the unique ability of the Proms, to solidify listeners’ relationship with music beyond a single night’s acquaintance. As an appropriate nod to the commemoration of Alan Turing, this demonstrates that, without shouting about it or losing its heart, the Proms is consistently remaining at the forefront of the year’s musical calendar for a contemporary generation.

So, what implications does this launch have for Southern Sinfonia? It is undeniable that interaction is key to solidify support for large-scale projects and events; we are fortunate to have platforms such as this blog and our website and social media feeds. We also enjoy working with a huge number of artistic organisations, from choral societies to universities, all with their own supporters, so we are constantly meeting new friends. Secondly, it is clear from the 2014 Proms series that diversity and variety allows the joy of the festival to spread across generations; we support this ethos through our education work and Young and Older Musician of the Year competitions.  With our own anniversary next season, and a host of projects across musical spheres and ages in the planning, we look forward to sharing our own launch with you.

Before then we have a number of other exciting concerts on the horizon, including Café Concert with harpist Olivia Jageurs and actor Alex Knox (both pictured above) on Friday 20th June; click here to find out more about this event. 

The heats for our Newbury Young Musician of the Year Competition are currently being held so keep checking our website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates!

Szymanowski - a shining light from the shadow of Chopin

By James Chater 

This weekend, as well as a performance of Bach’s St John Passion with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus in the wonderful Bath Abbey, Southern Sinfonia are extremely excited to be performing Rossini and Syzmanowski’s settings of the ‘Stabat Mater’ with the Exeter Festival Chorus in Exeter Cathedral. Szymanowski is one of a few shining lights of Polish composers from the late 19^th and 20^th centuries. The other is Lutoslawski, whose centenary was celebrated last year, albeit slightly overshadowed by Verdi, Wagner and Britten. What is it about Szymanowski that made him stand out from the preceding 60 years of Polish music and composers?

If you were put on the spot and asked to name the first Polish composer you could think of, I bet that name would be Chopin. A pianistic giant of the early 19^th century (and so celebrated in his home country today that Warsaw’s International Airport is named after him), he became prolific for, well…being different to Beethoven. He wrote almost exclusively for the piano, and it is by comparing the piano works of Chopin and Beethoven that one sees clearly the polarity in compositional style.  Take the final, apocalyptic piano sonatas by Beethoven and then the serenely melodic Nocturnes by Chopin, the first of which was written only 3 years after Beethoven’s death; they are both Romantic in essence, yet of unquestionable difference. On top of this, Chopin was the first major proponent of the Polish-originating forms of the Mazurka and Polonaise. So why is it that Chopin didn’t ignite a rich heritage of Polish composers that reached the same level of recognition as him?

Well, it isn’t that he didn’t. It’s just that many of his Polish contemporaries held strictly conservative musical tastes, and in the socially and artistically progressive climate of the Romantic era being musically conservative was not the way to ensure European fame. It is wryly ironic then, that Chopin, famed for escaping the “shadow of Beethoven”, as Brahms once put it, created a type of shadow of his own for his compatriots to battle with. The latter half of the 19^th century is a relatively barren time in Polish musical culture, perhaps in part due to the political circumstances in which Poland found itself. It was not an independent state until 1918, and composers had to battle with this, as well as the might of Chopin, in their search for a truly contemporary Polish identity within their music.

Karol Szymanowski was born in 1882 in what is now Ukraine, but was educated at the Warsaw Conservatory. His early works are very much rooted in the Late Romantic tradition, influenced by the likes of Wagner and Scriabin. In fact, it is his early works that are some of his most enduringly popular, the Op.1 Preludes and the Op.4 Etudes, to be exact. Think the expanse of Rachmaninoff crossed with the harmonic experimentation of Scriabin; a wonderful concoction. However, it is the more mature works of Szymanowski which really dust the shadow of Chopin from his shoulders, as he develops a truly individual Polish style. It was in 1918 that Poland finally gained independent sovereignty, and perhaps it is that sense of his nation’s unity that spurred him to produce more nationalistic works. These were nationalistic in the celebratory sense, not the imposing one, and his Stabat Mater, written between 1925-26, is very much of this ilk. 

The most immediate characteristic of this work is the use of the Polish language throughout. Combined with the use of Polish folk melodies and rhythms, it is hugely effective, and that only emphasises its individuality. In terms of chronology, this piece was written when Szymanowski had begun to move more towards atonal harmony, and therefore the music has an unnerving quality to it – apt, when one considers the nature of the text. However, do not be mistaken into thinking this is esoteric music; it is challenging yet immediately beautiful. The opening epitomises this, being ethereal, unpredictable and achingly beautiful all at once.

Szymanowski, although now recognised as one of the greatest Polish composers, is still very much neglected in the concert hall. His name is a rarity on an orchestral programme despite his four symphonies and two violin concertos, and although his piano works are more popular, are still by no means canonical. Perhaps that is part of his appeal, though: it is always a welcome surprise to find great music from the lesser-known composers. If you have never heard Szymanowski before, I would strongly recommend making a trip down to Exeter this weekend.

The rather better-known Bach’s St John Passion in Bath will also be performed with The Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, a wonderful alternative for those that can't make it to Exeter!

To find out about further Southern Sinfonia concerts click here to visit our website. You can also find out more through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Clean Bandit – Shaping a new landscape with violins and synth blips

Photo: http://cleanbandit.co.uk/

By Chris Billingham 

“Op 132, the Beethoven string quartet, has the biggest drop on any song I've ever heard” 

…What? 

The above sentence is definitely one that you have to allow your eyes to adjust to for a second. I just haven’t heard classical music talked about in this way before. But is it an exciting, modern fusion or a clash of artistic genres?

Phrases and words such as “drop” are part of modern musical language: the quotation comes from a Guardian interview with Clean Bandit, a classical/dance crossover act founded at the University of Cambridge and about to release their first album next month. The album will feature the songs ‘Mozart’s House’, “Dust Clears’ and ‘Rather Be’, the single that gave the band mainstream success when it entered the UK singles chart at number one in January. How has the classical music world reacted to this crossover act? According to band member Grace Chatto, “in general, they've been positive. We were invited to collaborate with the OAE who are top-notch string players. We've also been asked to perform at the Lewes Chamber Music Festival - they want us to form a quartet and gradually bring drums in to make it a dance thing”. However, the band also admits that a small number of people have taken offence, claiming that sampling classical music is “wrong”. 

Photo: @cleanbandit

Are they correct? If creating music and art is about experimenting, using new technology and techniques to interpret things in a new way, then in many ways the work of Clean Bandit can be compared to placing a piano in St Pancras Station or blindfolding audiences and creating multisensory performance, as they present audiences with classical music in a unique and innovative way. The band doesn’t dress it up, however: the songs are catchy dance records that arguably suit a nightclub more than a Wigmore chamber audience. Perhaps this is the reason some members of the classical community object; instead of just showcasing classical music in a new way, they have edited its genre, so it becomes a                                                                        classical/dance crossover. 

Another element of Clean Bandit’s work that makes them one of the most important upcoming acts we have in the country is their ability to introduce new audiences to classical music, albeit in an altered form. Educating people about music is one of the most important aspects of the work we undertake at Southern Sinfonia and we’ve discussed ways to introduce younger audiences to music in the blog. However, adapting stories into music and the Doctor Who prom won’t have the same reach as number one singles and airtime on mainstream radio stations. Mozart’s String Quartet No.21 isn’t hidden within the single ‘Mozart’s House’; it is presented proudly and beautifully, a bespoke move for electronic music, potentially inspiring new audiences to listen to the full, original piece. As well as this, the instrumentation of ‘Rather Be’ combines a violin and piano with video game style synth blips – surely this is a truly exciting use of instrumentation?

Will Clean Bandit change the classical music landscape? Probably not, but they don’t give the impression that they particularly want to change it, after all “the biggest drop on any song I've ever heard” shows their sympathy for, and awareness of, classical music, which they then reflect in every song. The key thing is this awareness is put forward in a unique, modern way – whilst this won’t change the landscape, it could enhance it and create a whole new audience. Ultimately, whatever the genre, we’ve argued before that being aware of, and educated in, the origins and ‘nuts and bolts’ of music can only help to inform a songwriter or performer; Clean Bandit are a group which has this in abundance.

To find out more about Southern Sinfonia, our work and other upcoming concerts, please visit our website, Facebook or Instagram. 

Is music a language?

By James Chater 

Stravinsky suggests music is not a language

“Music is powerless to express anything at all. Do we not, in truth, ask the impossible of music when we expect it to express feelings, to translate dramatic situations?”

This rather disconcerting comment gives Stravinsky’s opinion on a question that has been the subject of debate throughout the history of music; is music a language? Whilst a rather poetic little statement, is it actually true? Opposing Stravinsky is Deryck Cooke, a British musicologist, who argues, “Music is a strictly codified language…each scale degree signifies a certain emotion and permits only a single specific reading.” This is an ambiguous argument, and difficult to agree with completely.

One thing advocates of both parties are able to agree on is music’s ability to express emotion. Yet even this unearths a plethora of contradictions. What emotion is it? Is that emotion universal? If the emotion we feel is then described using language, does that not simultaneously dispel the idea that music is an independent, “universal” language? To avoid a slightly circular argument, I propose we take things back to basics.

In language, in its most basic form, words are used to correspond to a single object or idea. Grammar (words positioned in a particular order, subject to rules) can generate additional meaning. Does music have the power to perform any of these functions? The essential “building blocks” of music are notes, perhaps the equivalent of words (or maybe letters; the convolution sets in); can we say a simple middle C has a meaning that can be interpreted in the same way a word can? No. It soon becomes clear that attempting to put music in terms of language is a fairly futile exercise.

If there were an example that came close to putting music in terms of a language perhaps Wagner’s leitmotif would be it. A leitmotif is an ordered section of notes and/or harmony, a musical motif, which corresponds to a single object or abstract idea. Of course, this was Wagner’s wish, unifying his libretti and music, and shows his brilliance as a composer of drama.  However, once again, the argument that this shows music as being a universal language is flawed. If a language at all, this is only Wagner’s musical language, and given the complexity of Wagner, probably just one composer’s language for one opera. Despite Wagner’s genius, I daresay music would become rather boring if, any time a composer wished to express love, they were required to use the love motif from Wagner’s Die Walkure; just so the audience understood what emotion the composer was trying to convey.

And yet, surely, that is one of the greatest things about music; that we do not always fully understand the effect it has, and why it happens. To assign music objective meaning, as a language attempts to do (and arguably fails to do, but that subject is for another day), is to wholly detract from the purpose of music itself. Or as Charles Dobrian said, “if all meanings could be adequately described using words, then the arts of painting and music wouldn’t exist.”

Personally, whether you believe music is a language or not depends on what you want to gain from music, and so a degree of self-questioning is required if you are to reach your own conclusion. If you feel searching for an objective meaning in music, an idea which you can parallel directly with everyday life, is your sole purpose, then this is surely restricting music’s ability to transcend habitual emotion, to stretch your intellectual capacity. Conversely, to say that music occupies an exclusively transcendental part of human experience is to ignore music’s inherent connection with life. For me, a balance of the two maximizes music’s potential to affect me. Perhaps Aaron Copland sums up this opinion more eloquently: “The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, “Is there a meaning to music?” My answer to that would be, “Yes”. And, “Can you state in so many words what that meaning might be?” To which my answer would be, “No.” Therein lies the difficulty.”

What are your thoughts? Comment below or join in the discussion on Facebook or Twitter! 

To learn more about Southern Sinfonia please see our website and Instagram.