Josefowicz, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Knussen, Royal Albert Hall | reviews, news & interviews
Josefowicz, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Knussen, Royal Albert Hall
Josefowicz, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Knussen, Royal Albert Hall
Matthews' concerto bores, Birtwistle ejaculates prematurely and Stockhausen goes mad
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Leila Josefowicz: 'who gave the piece her all - and almost generated some fire from these wet twigs'
"Stockhausen's festive overture from 1977 opens the programme," declared the Proms website cheerily. Come again? Festive? Stockhausen? From my limited but largely enthusiastic knowledge of the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen - much of which is about as festive as Auschwitz - I assumed that this must either be a big misunderstanding or a lively, perhaps German, joke. It was both.
"Stockhausen's festive overture from 1977 opens the programme," declared the Proms website cheerily. Come again? Festive? Stockhausen? From my limited but largely enthusiastic knowledge of the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen - much of which is about as festive as Auschwitz - I assumed that this must either be a big misunderstanding or a lively, perhaps German, joke. It was both.
Labelling Jubilee as "festive" is but a minor bit of madness in an ocean of mental instability.
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