Lachenmann Weekend, Southbank Centre

Lachenmann Weekend, Southbank Centre | reviews, news & interviews

Lachenmann Weekend, Southbank Centre

Forbidding German composer supplies a weekend of manna from heaven

by Igor ToronyilalicMonday, 25 October 2010

'Helmut Lachenmann's music is as much therapy as art, reacquainting musicians with their instruments, audiences with their ears. And it delivers this therapy through discovery.'

Helmut Lachenmann is to instrumental technique what The Joy of Sex was to suburban nookie. A conduit to a whole new carnal world. Even those of us supposedly well versed in what a stringed instrument can do watched the Arditti Quartet perform the Lachenmann string quartets at the Queen Elizabeth Hall mouths agape. You can do that? With that! And you're going to stick that where?! We were an audience of gawpers and grimacers, smilers and starers.

But ultimately no instrument takes the plunge and returns to earth. And how happy we all were for that

Buy

Helmut Lachenmann on Amazon

Ruthless Jabiru, King's College London / Arditti Quartet, Wigmore Hall review - delicate, dedicated modernism

Explore topics

Share this article

The future of Arts Journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more Classical music

Gilliver, Liverman, Rangwanasha, LSO, Pappano, Barbican review - a rainbow of British music Poetic Maconchy and Walton, surging Vaughan Williams bursting its confines

Braimah Kanneh-Mason, Fernandes, Gent, 229 review - a beguiling trip around the world Engagingly humble and empathetic work from three talented musicians

Manchester Collective, RNCM review - something special in new music Performers of extraordinary versatility fulfil their brief

Classical CDs: Elephants, bells and warm blankets Two great conductors celebrated, plus medieval choral music and an eclectic vocal recital

Widmann, LSO, Pappano, Barbican review - razor-sharp attack in adrenalin charges A great conductor continues his scorching survey of British symphonies with a hard-hitter

Nakariakov, SCO, Emelyanychev, Queen's Hall, Edinburgh review - a frenzied feast of contemporary classics 'New Dimensions' concerts continue to flourish

Biss, BBCSO, Hrůša, Barbican review - electrifying Shostakovich at a crucial time The Royal Opera's next music director achieves blazing results in a rich programme

BBC Singers, Aurora Orchestra, Collon, Kings Place review - on the way to heaven via King's Cross Intimate settings for a musical journey towards bliss

Classical CDs: Mandolins, trumpets and hot soup French chamber music, Viennese waltzes and a disc of viola duets

RAM Song Circle, Wigmore Hall review - excellent young musicians lift the spirits Royal Academy singers revel in merry monks, mourning mothers and morose musings

Gigashvili, Hallé, Cox, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - beauty and style from a winning pianist Music and ‘noise’ come together as new music meets Mozart and Tchaikovsky

Giltburg, Pavel Haas Quartet, Wigmore Hall review - into the labyrinth of a Martinů masterpiece Fierce Czech first half followed by more storm but also balm in Brahms

Follow @theartsdesk