James MacMillan

Started by Maciek, February 06, 2009, 08:48:47 AM

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Mirror Image

I haven't watched the full interview yet, but he seems like such a well-spoken, warm individual:

https://www.youtube.com/v/raN8anjgsTM

Karl Henning

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 20, 2021, 06:30:50 AM
I haven't watched the full interview yet, but he seems like such a well-spoken, warm individual:

https://www.youtube.com/v/raN8anjgsTM

He came to Symphony Hall for the performance of his St Jn Passion. Nice chap.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mirror Image

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on October 20, 2021, 06:37:06 AM
He came to Symphony Hall for the performance of his St Jn Passion. Nice chap.

Cool, Karl. Did you get to meet him?

Karl Henning

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 20, 2021, 06:54:02 AM
Cool, Karl. Did you get to meet him?

Aye, momentarily, I was one in a line.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mirror Image

This is the work that put MacMillan on the map, The Confession of Isobel Gowdie:

https://www.youtube.com/v/pvczSLC0vqk


Mirror Image


vandermolen

He's composing a 5 minute work (5 mins) for the (Catholic) school where I work. He seems like a very nice person.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on October 20, 2021, 12:59:04 PM
He's composing a 5 minute work (5 mins) for the (Catholic) school where I work. He seems like a very nice person.

Very good, Jeffrey. I wonder if you'll have a chance to meet him? That would be awesome. 8) I've been enjoying his music quite a bit today --- it has an uncompromising emotional power to it that resonates with me.

vandermolen

#89
Quote from: Mirror Image on October 20, 2021, 01:02:51 PM
Very good, Jeffrey. I wonder if you'll have a chance to meet him? That would be awesome. 8) I've been enjoying his music quite a bit today --- it has an uncompromising emotional power to it that resonates with me.
He's quite friendly with the Head of Music at my school, who commissioned the work. He (the Head of Music, not Sir James M.!) also invited me to the London premiere of the 5th Symphony at which he had a long chat with Sir James. I was there but didn't speak to him directly, although I gather that my colleague told him that I would be dashing out to buy the CD (which I have done) as I enjoyed it so much. I'm sure that Sir James would have been thrilled by this news  ;D
I especially like symphonies 4 and 5.
If he comes to the school when the work is performed I'll try to ingratiate myself into his company.  8)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on October 20, 2021, 01:14:08 PM
He's quite friendly with the Head of Music at my school, who commissioned the work. He also invited me to the London premiere of the 5th Symphony at which he had a long chat with Sir James. I was there but didn't speak to him directly, although I gather that my colleague told him that I would be dashing out to buy the CD (which I have done) as I enjoyed it so much. I'm sure that Sir James would have been thrilled by this news  ;D
I especially like symphonies 4 and 5.
If he comes to the school when the work is performed I'll try to ingratiate myself into his company.  8)

So cool, Jeffrey. 8) Have you heard the other symphonies? Symphony Vigil, Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 3, "Silence"? I believe you've heard the concerti for violin and viola, right? I absolute dig The Berserking (his 1st PC).

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 20, 2021, 01:22:56 PM
So cool, Jeffrey. 8) Have you heard the other symphonies? Symphony Vigil, Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 3, "Silence"? I believe you've heard the concerti for violin and viola, right? I absolute dig The Berserking (his 1st PC).
Thanks John.
I've heard a few works John but, to be quite honest, nothing impressed me as much as Symphony No.4. I'm quite friendly with the Head of Music at my school (tragically his young wife aged 28 died, completely unexpectedly, a few months ago (overnight) leaving him with three very young children). I think that Sir James (who tragically lost a grandchild) was very supportive to my colleague. Anyway, I'd been lending loads of obscure CDs to my colleague (Miaskovsky, Klaus Egge etc - the usual suspects) and he insisted that I listen to MacMillan's 4th symphony and lent me his CD, which was a revelation to me.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

#92
Quote from: vandermolen on October 20, 2021, 01:30:01 PM
Thanks John.
I've heard a few works John but, to be quite honest, nothing impressed me as much as Symphony No.4. I'm quite friendly with the Head of Music at my school (tragically his young wife aged 28 died, completely unexpectedly, a few months ago (overnight) leaving him with three very young children). I think that Sir James (who tragically lost a grandchild) was very supportive to my colleague. Anyway, I'd been lending loads of obscure CDs to my colleague (Miaskovsky, Klaus Egge etc - the usual suspects) and he insisted that I listen to MacMillan's 4th symphony and lent me his CD, which was a revelation to me.

Music is certainly a healing force for sure. Sorry to hear this of your colleague and I wasn't aware that MacMillan lost a grandchild. You've got to give a listen to The Berserking. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did. The Chandos recording with the composer conducting and Martin Roscoe is off-the-chain good. With a composer like MacMillan where you feel that there's much going on underneath the surface, it does seem like a listener will benefit greatly from multiple listens or, at least, this is my own experience with his music of which I'm reacquainting myself with after a long break from it.

Give this a listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/v/7nDNgH9WgxY

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on October 20, 2021, 01:39:03 PM
Music is certainly a healing force for sure. Sorry to hear this of your colleague and I wasn't aware that MacMillan lost a grandchild. You've got to give a listen to The Berserking. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did. The Chandos recording with the composer conducting and Martin Roscoe is off-the-chain good. With a composer like MacMillan where you feel that there's much going on underneath the surface, it does seem like a listener will benefit greatly from multiple listens or, at least, this is my own experience with his music of which I'm reacquainting myself with after a long break from it.

Give this a listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/v/7nDNgH9WgxY
Will do John - Thank you  :)
This short book might be of interest to you:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on October 20, 2021, 01:47:37 PM
Will do John - Thank you  :)
This short book might be of interest to you:


Thanks, Jeffrey. I just bought it.

I'm also considering this more in-depth book about his music:


bhodges


vandermolen

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Maestro267

#97
Behind a god damn paywall

Here's one that isn't: https://theartsdesk.com/classical-music/macmillan-christmas-oratorio-lpo-elder-rfh-review-%E2%80%93-new-star-season

I hope this gets recorded one day. A major work from one of our great living composers.

vandermolen

Quote from: Maestro267 on December 06, 2021, 03:38:32 AM
Behind a god damn paywall

Here's one that isn't: https://theartsdesk.com/classical-music/macmillan-christmas-oratorio-lpo-elder-rfh-review-%E2%80%93-new-star-season

I hope this gets recorded one day. A major work from one of our great living composers.
OK sorry about that. I have a free trial with the newspaper at the moment so was able to download it.
Anyway, I came across this rather nice short intro from Sir James to the Christmas Oratorio online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_DIiOpvUqY
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Maestro267

I can't help but note comparisons in the overall structure to Messiaen's La Transfiguration. Two parts of seven movements each, although the Messiaen runs gospel-2 meditations-gospel-2 meditations-chorale for each of its two Septenaries so it's not the symmetry of the MacMillan.