Harrison Birtwistle: Secret Theater / Tragoedia / Five Distances / Three Settings of Celan - Pierre Boulez / Ensemble InterContemporain
List Price:
Our Price: $12.99
You Save: $3.99 (23%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $9.95 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Orchestra: Sir Harrison BirtwistleEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1996-03-12
Music Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Soundtracks:
- TRAGOEDIA: Tragoedia; I. Prologue
- TRAGOEDIA: II. Parados
- TRAGOEDIA: III. Episodion: Strophe I -- Anapaest I
- TRAGOEDIA: IV. Antistrophe I
- TRAGOEDIA: V. Stasimon
- TRAGOEDIA: VI. Episodion: Strophe II -- Anapaest II
- TRAGOEDIA: VII. Antistrophe II
- TRAGOEDIA: VIII. Exodos
- FIVE DISTANCES: Five Distances for Five Instruments
- THREE SETTINGS OF CELAN: Three Settings of Celan for Soprano and Five Instruments; I. White and Light
- THREE SETTINGS OF CELAN: II. Night
- THREE SETTINGS OF CELAN: III. Tenebrae
- SECRET THEATER: Secret Theatre
Music reviews of Harrison Birtwistle: Secret Theater / Tragoedia / Five Distances / Three Settings of Celan - Pierre Boulez / Ensemble InterContemporain
Music Review: A mixed bag, but worth hearing for "Tragoedia"
Rating: 3 Stars
I first heard this set in 2002 as part of Decca's 2-disc Birtwistle entry in the series profiling British composers called The British Music Collection (see my review). I was decidedly underwhelmed. It took me several years to realize that the problem was in the Ensemble InterContemporain's performance, not the compositions.
Included are four pieces recorded in 1993, with Pierre Boulez leading his Ensemble InterContemporain. The best of these is "Tragoedia" (1965 -- 20'33), which established Birtwistle's characteristic sound and reputation -- a tragic work in the form of a ritual, reflecting the influence of both Stravinsky and of drama. "Five Distances for Five Instruments" (1993 -- 13'52) features one of Birtwistle's most characteristic types of instrumentation -- woodwinds (clarinet, oboe, flute, horn and bass clarinet). Birtwistle began as a clarinettist. "Three Settings of Celan" (1989-1996 -- 13'32) continues the lugubrious tone with Christine Whittlesey singing soprano. By 1996 Birtwistle would complete nine settings, and they would be combined with nine string quartet pieces in Pulse Shadows, which was recorded by Claron McFadden with the Nash Ensemble and the Arditti Quartet.
Finally comes "Secret Theatre" (1984 -- 27'48) which is painfully dull. I first thought it was the composition, but I recently heard the 1987 recording by the London Sinfonietta, and it is absolutely splendid! This performance drains all the vitality out of the piece. It plods grimly along while the London Sinfonietta dances. This one takes place in an airless vault while the other is outdoors in a glade with the wind blowing through the ensemble. Boulez and the Ensemble InterContemporain utterly fail to capture the work's rhythmic dynamism and liveliness, while the London Sinfonietta, led by Birtwistle's old friend Elgar Howarth, reveals its immense appeal.
In 2002 I was under the false impression that Birtwistle was a serialist, based, I suppose, on the Boulez connection -- a dull generic serialist. But now I have heard many more of his compositions, I have come to realize that his major influence is Stravinsky, not Schoenberg, and I have come to consider him one of THE 15 BEST COMPOSERS OF THE LATE 20TH CENTURY (see my list). Far from being dull or generic, Birtwistle has a powerfully distinctive voice unique in all of music!
This disc is flawed, but still worth hearing, especially for "Tragoedia." The 2-disc Decca set of course may be preferable if it is still available. But I would recommend the London Sinfonietta disc mentioned above as a better introduction, or the excellent 1974 Lyrita disc that was recently reissued (see my review), with two superb vocal works bookending one of Birtwistle's masterpieces, "Verses for Ensembles."
More Harrison Birtwistle: Secret Theater / Tragoedia / Five Distances / Three Settings of Celan - Pierre Boulez / Ensemble InterContemporain free music reviews:
1
1
Classical CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapesby London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebeeby Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops:
Classical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs CdrRelease date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.98
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
![Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] Image](/images/Jose-Carreras-Jubileum-Concert-VHS-1584481471-X.jpg){kind=small}
Jose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops:
![Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-The-Nutcracker-Nureyev-Park-Royal-Ballet-VHS-156127092X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.89
Price in other shops:
![Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] Image](/images/Lonely-Town-Lonley-Street-Sergeant-Early-Dream-VHS-1561270857-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
Winter Music: Composing the Northby John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.88
Price in other shops:
![Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Puccini-La-Fanciulla-del-West-Santi-Domingo-Neblett-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720382-X.jpg){kind=small}
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops:
![Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Verdi-Falstaff-Giulini-Bruson-Ricciarelli-Nucci-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720358-X.jpg){kind=small}
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
Similar CDs
Birtwistle: The MinotaurNaxos OF America INC; Release date: 2008-11-18; Published: 2008-10-30; DVD
Best price: $27.66
Price in other shops:
Elliott Carter: A Symphony of Three Orchestras; Varèse: Deserts; Ecuatorial; HyperprismRelease date: 1995-12-05; Music CD
Best price: $4.34
Price in other shops:
Harrison Birtwistle: The Triumph of Time; Ritual Fragment; Gawain's JourneyRelease date: 2009-06-30; Music CD
Best price: $8.43
Price in other shops:
Birtwistle: Night's Black BirdRelease date: 2011-09-27; Music CD
Best price: $12.78
Price in other shops:
Sir Harrison Birtwistle - Pulse ShadowsRelease date: 2001-11-13; Music CD
Best price: $10.86
Price in other shops: