theartsdesk Q&A: Composer George Crumb | reviews, news & interviews
theartsdesk Q&A: Composer George Crumb
theartsdesk Q&A: Composer George Crumb
Avant-gardist American talks about his love for Bartok, Bach and the violated piano
Sunday, 29 November 2009
George Crumb: 'a lot of music that pretends to be uncompromising is really avoiding the central plank of trying to communicate to another human being'
George Crumb (b.1929) is one of the great American experimental composers of the 20th century. His delicate scores are characterised by a child-like sense of wonder and an array of instrumentation that appears to have hitched a ride from outer space. Crumb first came to the fore in the 1960s with Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death (1968), Night of the Four Moons (1969), inspired by and composed during the Apollo 11 space flight, the savage string quartet Black Angels (1970) and Ancient Voices of Children (1970). In 1968 he won a Pulitzer for Echoes of Time and the River (1967). On the eve of a BBC Symphony Orchestra survey of his life and work at the Barbican of his life and work on 5 December, George Crumb lets us in on the secrets of his musical world.
George Crumb (b.1929) is one of the great American experimental composers of the 20th century. His delicate scores are characterised by a child-like sense of wonder and an array of instrumentation that appears to have hitched a ride from outer space. Crumb first came to the fore in the 1960s with Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death (1968), Night of the Four Moons (1969), inspired by and composed during the Apollo 11 space flight, the savage string quartet Black Angels (1970) and Ancient Voices of Children (1970). In 1968 he won a Pulitzer for Echoes of Time and the River (1967). On the eve of a BBC Symphony Orchestra survey of his life and work at the Barbican of his life and work on 5 December, George Crumb lets us in on the secrets of his musical world.
In the early days there was a lot of resistance to me on the part of piano tuners. They thought you were out to destroy the instrument
Share this article
Add comment
more Classical music
Schubert Piano Sonatas 4, Paul Lewis, Wigmore Hall review - feverish and sometimes violent
Explosive new insights in the pianist's latest interpretations of the last three masterpieces
Bach St John Passion, Dublin Bach Singers, Marlborough Baroque Orchestra, Murphy, St Ann's Church, Dublin - choral fire
Passion and precision from a very engaging ensemble, soloists more variable
Bach Passions, Dunedin Consort, Mulroy/Jeannin, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral/Queen's Hall, Edinburgh review - twin peaks
Scaling the heights of Saints Matthew and John within a week
Our Mother, Stone Nest review - musical drama in a mother's grief
Touching staged version of Pergolesi’s 'Stabat Mater' features brilliant singing
Gillam, Hallé, Poska, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - an experience of colour and fun
Sensitive shaping from a consummate Estonian
Ensemble Augelletti, London Handel Festival, Charterhouse review - dynamic framing of the honorary Englishman
Delightfully inventive repertoire performed with wit and energy
St Mary's Music School, RSNO, Søndergård, Usher Hall, Edinburgh review - a shining role for young choristers
A youthful evening promises more than it delivers
Bevan, Williams, BBCSO, MacMillan, Barbican review - inspirational journey from darkness to light
UK premiere of 'Fiat Lux' alongside other works evoking transcendence and revelation
First Person: conductor Peter Whelan on coming full circle with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra
From watching Handel's 'Israel in Egypt' on TV to conducting it
Hughes, SCO, Kuusisto, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh review - Clyne shines, Grime fragments
Playing and programming admirable, but this concert bulged at the seam
Classical CDs: Cigars, cognac and tarantulas
Concertante works for cello and orchestra, plus music for pianos, winds and solo strings
Winterreise, Clayton, Aurora Orchestra, Collon, QEH review - new maps for the great journey
A mighty tenor surmounts obstacles on stage and in score
Comments
Interesting interview. It's