On Tuesday 18 January 2011 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London Sinfonietta presents the world premiere of Naomi Pinnock’s Words as part of the ensemble’s first concert of 2011, In Portrait: Beat Furrer.
Furrer mentored Pinnock on the London Sinfonietta’s Blue Touch Paper scheme for emerging composers, and Words is the resulting piece – an enigmatic score for ensemble and baritone, with cimbalom and harp echoing each other amid a buzz of strings. Like Furrer’s Nuun (also performed at the concert), there is a shadowlike feel to the music. It’s a spare but intensely crafted piece, and Pinnock has clearly been inspired by the older composer’s striking use of voice and text, and is influenced by a similar range of non-musical artforms, from fine art to poetry.
On a cold day in November 2010, Naomi met with the London Sinfonietta musicians to further develop a piece which had its roots in the idea of memory, poetry and language. With clear ideas about the sounds she wanted to create, this was not a rehearsal. Instead, Naomi worked with the players to experiment, toying with different playing techniques and stretching the instruments (and the musicians!) to create new sounds and effects. The ensemble filmed the workshop – a piece of music in the making – and the finished video is now available to view on the London Sinfonietta website.
Filed under: Upcoming Gigs | Tagged: Beat Furrer, contemporary classical, gigs, London Sinfonietta, music, Naomi Pinnock, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre | 1 Comment »