Iconoclastic composer who crossed musical boundaries to create a distinctive, edgy sound
Steve Martland, who has died of a heart attack aged 53, was one of the most vibrant, unconventional and dynamic forces in British music. He first came to prominence in 1983 with Babi Yar, for large orchestra in three groups, championed by the Society for the Promotion of New Music (Spnm) and premiered separately on the same day by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Cleobury, and the St Louis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. It was later recorded to critical acclaim.
After that, though, he avoided the orchestra, preferring, from American Invention and Re-Mix (1985) onwards, to compose for smaller ensembles, not usually exceeding 13 players, such as those scored for his Steve Martland Band (formed 1992), which toured internationally like a rock group; string quartets, as with his Patrol (1992) or arrangement of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D...
Steve Martland, who has died of a heart attack aged 53, was one of the most vibrant, unconventional and dynamic forces in British music. He first came to prominence in 1983 with Babi Yar, for large orchestra in three groups, championed by the Society for the Promotion of New Music (Spnm) and premiered separately on the same day by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Cleobury, and the St Louis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. It was later recorded to critical acclaim.
After that, though, he avoided the orchestra, preferring, from American Invention and Re-Mix (1985) onwards, to compose for smaller ensembles, not usually exceeding 13 players, such as those scored for his Steve Martland Band (formed 1992), which toured internationally like a rock group; string quartets, as with his Patrol (1992) or arrangement of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D...
- 5/8/2013
- by Guy Rickards
- The Guardian - Film News
Our critics' picks of this week's openings, plus your last chance to see and what to book now
• Which cultural events are in your diary this week? Tell us in the comments below
Opening this weekTheatre
The Master and Margarita
Bulgakov's poetic maelstrom is transferred from page to stage by Simon McBurney and Complicite. The devil is abroad in a godless Ussr. Barbican, London EC2 (0845 120 7550), to 7 April.
Anne Boleyn
The Globe goes out on tour with Howard Brenton's delightful and intelligent look at English Protestantism and the woman who furthered its cause. New Alexandra, Birmingham (0844 871 3011), 20-24 March, then touring.
Filumena
Samantha Spiro stars as the canny Neapolitan woman who has been a mistress for 25 years but is determined to be a wife. Michael Attenborough directs this new version of Eduardo de Filippo's lively comedy. Almeida, London N1 (012 7359 4404), to 12 May.
Film
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan...
• Which cultural events are in your diary this week? Tell us in the comments below
Opening this weekTheatre
The Master and Margarita
Bulgakov's poetic maelstrom is transferred from page to stage by Simon McBurney and Complicite. The devil is abroad in a godless Ussr. Barbican, London EC2 (0845 120 7550), to 7 April.
Anne Boleyn
The Globe goes out on tour with Howard Brenton's delightful and intelligent look at English Protestantism and the woman who furthered its cause. New Alexandra, Birmingham (0844 871 3011), 20-24 March, then touring.
Filumena
Samantha Spiro stars as the canny Neapolitan woman who has been a mistress for 25 years but is determined to be a wife. Michael Attenborough directs this new version of Eduardo de Filippo's lively comedy. Almeida, London N1 (012 7359 4404), to 12 May.
Film
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan...
- 3/18/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
There were supposedly over a thousand performances scheduled for the Make Music New York festival on June 21. A daunting prospect, but I knew which one I had to attend. Listening to Dutch composer Louis Andriessen's Hoketus on my stereo could never convey the full flavor of this spatially designed piece, so I headed to the New York Stock Exchange for a 1 Pm show (also part of the ongoing River to River Festival) for which the Exchange was allowing half of the ten performers (the oddly named ensemble Yarn/Wire and friends) to play from its balconies, which the other five players faced on the sidewalk across the street.
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- 6/23/2011
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
The travel chaos caused by the volcanic ash has had an affect on concerts and the arts worldwide, stranding performers, rerouting celebs and wrecking some concert plans. There are multiple articles detailing the variety. In Europe, John Cleese was in Norway, and ended up paying a cab $4,000 to drive him to Belgium so he could catch a Eurostar train back to London. Whitney Houston and all the people associated with her European concert tour took a three-hour ferry ride from England to Ireland to make her date in Dublin. The Daily Mail has those two stories and more, like the BBC personality who drove through the night from Madrid to Paris to catch a train, here. The New York Times writes of the effect on opera, jazz and philharmonic concerts. Carnegie Hall suffered an immediate casualty. The work of Louis Andriessen,...
- 4/17/2010
- by Katherine Thomson
- Huffington Post
Getty Andriessen
Last night marked the New York concert premiere of Louis Andriessen’s La Commedia, the Dutch composer’s 2008 “film opera” of five sections based on Dante’s epic poem, at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. The Asko | Schoenberg ensemble, conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw, powered through Andriessen’s kinetic, textured score — injected with long stretches of jazz and big-band rhythms and even some driving “hard rock” riffs. Synergy Vocals and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus provided a strong choral foundation, engaging with the characters of “The Divine Comedy” as they journeyed from the City of Dis to Paradiso, covering a libretto in four different languages (English, Dutch, Latin, Italian) along the way.
Cristina Zavalloni sang the role of Dante, whipping her long, thin body about the stage. Also trained as a jazz singer, Zavalloni was singing a part composed especially for her; she’ll next star in Andriessen’s opera about Anais Nin,...
Last night marked the New York concert premiere of Louis Andriessen’s La Commedia, the Dutch composer’s 2008 “film opera” of five sections based on Dante’s epic poem, at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. The Asko | Schoenberg ensemble, conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw, powered through Andriessen’s kinetic, textured score — injected with long stretches of jazz and big-band rhythms and even some driving “hard rock” riffs. Synergy Vocals and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus provided a strong choral foundation, engaging with the characters of “The Divine Comedy” as they journeyed from the City of Dis to Paradiso, covering a libretto in four different languages (English, Dutch, Latin, Italian) along the way.
Cristina Zavalloni sang the role of Dante, whipping her long, thin body about the stage. Also trained as a jazz singer, Zavalloni was singing a part composed especially for her; she’ll next star in Andriessen’s opera about Anais Nin,...
- 4/16/2010
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Penka Kouneva was born in Bulgaria, but she's been living in the United States since 1990. During this time, she estabilished herself as one of the most reliable orchestrators in the business. She worked extensively with Patrick Williams and now she's one of the regular orchestrators of Cliff Eidelman, Alfons Conde and Steve Jablonsky. Apart from orchestrating, Penka also started a film scoring career which currently includes titles like Chupacabra Terror, The Third Nail and most recently Midnight Movie.
What could you tell us about your musical education?
My mother was a professor of music theory and analysis at the Bulgarian Conservatory of music. I went to a High School of Music, then to the Bulgarian Conservatory (with a degree in Theory). In 1990, I received Mary Duke Biddle Fellowship for Master's degree in composition at Duke.
I got Masters and Doctorate at Duke University where my teacher Stephen Jaffe was exceptonally supportive and encouraging.
What could you tell us about your musical education?
My mother was a professor of music theory and analysis at the Bulgarian Conservatory of music. I went to a High School of Music, then to the Bulgarian Conservatory (with a degree in Theory). In 1990, I received Mary Duke Biddle Fellowship for Master's degree in composition at Duke.
I got Masters and Doctorate at Duke University where my teacher Stephen Jaffe was exceptonally supportive and encouraging.
- 4/1/2009
- Daily Film Music Blog
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