Minimal
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Miranda Heggie
Five Stars
Now in its 5th year, Minimal, a weekend long celebration of minimalist music, saw the works of major forces of new music displayed in three main 'minimal blockbusters' alongside a busy programme of pop up performances.
Friday's main event - an intoxicating performance of Philip Glass's Music in Twelve Parts, performed by Philip Glass and the Philip Glass ensemble - was an immersive, hypnotic journey through a vibrant musical labyrinth. The coalescence between players was quite remarkable, producing a raw, visceral sound which lived and breathed as though a single, organic organism, exploring every nuance and potentiality of tiny pockets of tonality. The intricacies of such minute musical detail were dextrously woven through subtle harmonic shifts and oscillating chromaticism, the roots of the sound underpinned by one electric organ, with tendrils and off-shoots springing up from the flutes and saxophones. Employing the sound of the female voice in an instrumental capacity, Soprano Lisa Bielawa maintained an impeccably clear and even tone with a crisp, bell-like resonance throughout the performance as she sang in solfege syllables.
Part of the pop-up programme, a 'cushion concert' of Terry Riley's In C, where audience members are invited to bring pillows, blankets etc and relax on the floor saw a diverse group of players from National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Merchan Sinfonia come together to perform what is often regarded as the first minimal composition. Written for an indefinite number of musicians, the equality of instrumentation was evident in this exploration of Riley's music, as the ensemble shapeshifted between moments of tender tranquility and fortified intensity, while upholding the complex ecosystem of the piece.
Saturday's blockbuster, a Celebration of Steve Martland, was a varied showcase of Martland's own works and those of his friends, collaborators and influences. Saxophone Quartet Sax Ecosse kicked off proceedings with Martland's transcription of Purcell's Fantasia no 6, before moving on to Michael Nyman's 'Chasing Sheep is Best Left to the Shepherds', which takes the ground bass from Purcell's opera King Arthur as the steady, driving force behind the music.
'Cellist Oliver Coates gave an intense and unnerving performance of Michael Gordon's 'Industry' - opening with the compelling vulnerability of solo 'cello, the use of electronics in the piece could be quite alarming, and at times terrifying, as though revealing a gruesome but unavoidable truth. Martland's 'Starry Night' was given an almost dance like jubilance, while 'Horses of Instruction' was executed with a zealous audacity by Aurora Orchestra and Colin Currie, evoking a bold, rich musical landscape, captivating the audience.
To conclude the festival, Sunday's performance of Reich's Music for 18 Musicians saw the Colin Currie group, with Synergy vocals, produced a shimmering wash of sound in this mesmerising performance.The detailed layers of the piece breathed seamlessly into one another, with the rumbling murmurs of the bass clarinet in combination with the transcendent female vocals producing an other-worldly effect. Set against a dynamic percussive background, the ensemble drew the listener in completely to Reich's exquisitely ethereal soundscape.
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