Sir Simon Rattle - LEAVING HOME: Orchestral Music in the 20th Century - Episode 7/7 - Threads (English)

About this event
Written and presented by Sir Simon Rattle, the foremost British conductor of our day, this series forms a fascinating introduction to, and overview of, the music of the twentieth century. Sir Simon Rattle leads viewers on an exhilarating journey through the music of our time, explaining the chief musical developments from Mahler to the present day.
Each programme is illustrated with evocative imagery, archive film and photographs and the featured music is set within the broader context of artistic and social change.
Why “Leaving Home”? The story of twentieth-century music is one of leave-taking in many ways. As a wealth of talented composers searched for new creative responses to the world around them, many made departures from the solid ‘home’ foundations of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century music – tonal harmony, melody, regular rhythm and metre. Many had to literally leave home, displaced by political upheavals. A remarkable diversity of expression developed – not all of the difficult or discordant variety commonly associated with modern music. The range is wide and this series samples the work of over thirty composers, discovering new and challenging sounds as well as some unexpectedly familiar music. It presents an extraordinary kaleidoscope of orchestral images, full of contrasts and surprises.
Episode 7/7 - Threads
In Threads Sir Simon Rattle presents an eclectic, and very personal selection of works by 20th century composers like Berio, Henze, Kurtág, Gubaidulina and Birtwistle to illustrate the rich variety of new musical trends he believes pave the way to the future.
With excerpts from:
Luciano Berio: Laborintus II
Hans Werner Henze: Symphony No. 8 (1993)
György Kurtág: Grabstein für Stephan, for Guitar and Orchestra op. 15c (1978-1979, rev. 1989)
Harrison Birtwistle: Ritual Fragment (1990)
Mark-Anthony Turnage: Drowned Out
Oliver Knussen: Flourish with Fireworks op. 22 (1988, rev. 1993)
Sofia Gubaidulina: Figures of Time (Zeitgestalten)
Duration: approx. 51 minutes.
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