It is not meant to be denigrating, but Harrison Birtwistle is among the former modernists that we can gradually consider old-fashioned. His post-war generation had the ideal of building up their music 'from scratch', free of traditions and recognizability. At the same time, that modernism also had something primitive about it, just as an abstract sculpture in a rural setting takes on something of
… an ominous totem pole. This dualism also reflects Birtwistle's background, coming as he does from Accrington, a rural and industrial town. For those looking for recognizable melodies and harmonies, this chamber music is as closed as a rock. Yet this world of sound gradually opens up. Often the sounds circle around a central tone or a rhythmic movement, like bees chasing the queen in a bridal swarm. Most accessible are the hushed, lyrical final stages. As in the final movement of the Oboe quartet. (HJ)more
