Since then Turnage has been Composer in Association at
English National Opera and the first Associate Composer for the BBC Symphony
Orchestra.
Turnage’s music, which is often forthright and
confrontational, has absorbed jazz elements into a contemporary classical
style, a style which, nevertheless, is capable of expressing deep tenderness,
especially emotions associated with loss.
In 2002, Sir Simon Rattle conducted Blood on the Floor at one of his first concerts as Chief Conductor
of the Berlin Philharmonic, his trumpet concerto From the Wreckage was written for soloist Hakan Hardenberger, who
brought it to the 2005 Proms after its Helsinki premiere and his first violin
concerto, Mambo, Blues and Tarantella
written for Christian Teztlaff and the LPO with Vladimir Jurowski and premiered
at the South Bank Centre in September 2008, with subsequent performances in
Stockholm and Toronto from the co-commissioning partners, while his viola
concerto, On Opened Ground was
commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra for Yuri Bashmet.
Turnage was also appointed Mead Composer in Residence with
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2006 until 2010 for whom he wrote two new
works, From All Sides and Chicago Remains.
A new cello concerto for Paul Watkins received its premiere
in 2012 while, in spring 2013, Turnage was featured composer with the London
Symphony Orchestra, for whom he wrote a new work Speranza.
It is the substantial orchestral work, Speranza, that is featured on a new SACD release from LSO Live http://lso.co.uk/lso-live coupled with From the Wreckage and performed by
Daniel Harding www.danielharding.com
and the London Symphony Orchestra with trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger www.kdschmid.de/artistdetail/items/hakan-hardenberger.html
SACD LSO 0744 |
From the Wreckage
(2005) was written for Håkan Hardenberger and is in a single movement that
reveals a journey, through inner struggle, from a state of darkness into one of
light. It is percussion that opens the piece before a trumpet enters in a motif
that moves around rapidly. Soon the full
orchestra joins in a sonorous theme that has a weight in the lower sounds of
the orchestra, underpinned by the lower strings and timpani. When the solo
trumpet re-joins, it takes up the melody before leading to a passage with
hovering strings and trumpet playing a
freely moving theme. The percussion again appear, adding a slow rhythmic
momentum –with woodwind adding to the texture. As the music develops and
becomes more animated, the trumpet attains an even more jazz like fee,l such
that it often sounds improvised.
Eventually a violent peak arrives with percussion and a frantic
motif for the solo trumpet. The music eventually falls back as the trumpet
continues its way, weaving around, until another peak arrives where the soloist
is merged with other brass and woodwind, until the music truly quietens and
broadens out. The trumpet retains an anguished feel as it moves to a section
for trumpet over the quiet hum of the orchestra. Delicate percussion harmonies
underlie the soloist before a last burst of drums and the music fades.
The performance is superb with Håkan Hardenberger showing
such freedom, virtuosity and sheer musicality.
This new disc features a live recording of the World
Premiere of Speranza (2012) made at
the Barbican, London on 7th February 2013. Commissioned by the LSO, it explores the concept of hope with
each of the four movements given the name of ‘Hope’ in a different language.
In Amal, the
Arabic word for hope, the orchestra opens with a five note motif that seems to
act as a call to attention before the music proceeds, full of drama, before falling
to a woodwind passage with a gently plucked harp. Other woodwind enter to take
up the theme and occasionally a drum stroke points up the drama. Turnage weaves
a wonderful tapestry of orchestral sounds that renew the drama as the theme is
moved along. Crying strings call out as though gently pleading, before brass
join the woodwind in a more passionate cry as the five note motif is heard. Eventually
the orchestra is led by insistent drumming as if to push it forward. It reaches
a final climax before reducing to a hushed passage for woodwind and harp. The
music doesn’t seem to arrive at a conclusion – more a resigned gentle hope.
Dramatic drum bursts point up the orchestra as Hoffen, the German word for hope, opens. The plaintive sound of the duduk (a traditional
Armenian double reeded woodwind instrument) enters before drum rolls intervene
again but the duduk re-enters with its plaintive melody. The orchestra then
steps slowly forward as the music tries to tentatively grow. Brass and
woodwind, in a gloriously written harmony, plead and drum strokes sound as the
music hovers for a moment. There is a gentle, soothing orchestral melody that
follows with lovely little woodwind sounds. Turnage’s writing for wind is superb. The
music reaches a small climax before trumpets intone a theme and the orchestra
continues its way with a somewhat laden, melancholy air. Occasionally there are
menacing drum strokes before, as the coda is reached, the plaintive duduk
returns.
Dóchas, Gaelic for
hope, opens with the sound of expectant brass before the lower orchestra,
complete with piano, join in a fast moving syncopated rhythm. The way Turnage
uses clarinets to add to the texture is lovely. The music continues in this
intense, confident manner before drums and brass increase the drama. The music
eventually quietens to a more ruminative section before taking off again with
wild drums, raucous brass and woodwind. As the music drops to a quiet brass
passage, still with the syncopated rhythm, it is taken over by woodwind. As it starts
building to a fast dancing motif, as though leading to a whirlwind of a dance,
the music suddenly ends.
The final message of hope is in Hebrew, Tikvah and opens quietly with percussion and a little string
ensemble in this still passage. A soprano saxophone then plays a lovely theme,
surely echoing the sadness and hope of centuries. The opening theme returns
before the woodwind take up the plaintive melody. The orchestra weaves a beautiful
tapestry of individual instrumental sounds as this wonderful melody moves
forward, often with a slightly eastern inflection. Eventually the cimbalon
joins the texture in a slightly more pleading moment. These little outbursts
re-occur throughout the gentle melody and are very moving. A swirling orchestra
leads to a climax with a heavily laden orchestra giving a powerful lament or
cry before dropping to the little string ensemble, before the music gently
continues its way to the hushed coda.
This is an immensely impressive work that I would not like
to be without. Guy Dammann, in his
excellent booklet note, refers to Speranza
being Turnage’s most ambitious and symphonic composition for orchestra to date.
I believe it to be one of his finest.
Daniel Harding and the marvellous London Symphony Orchestra give
an impressively sensitive performance of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s fine orchestral
work
The recording is first rate.
.
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