Monday, December 06, 2004

[263.1] MAX AND HARRY GO MAD IN BOSTON?

This from the Boston Globe, as a prelim to an article introducing forthcoming composer highlights. Check it out here.

“With the death of Sir Michael Tippett in 1998, Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies became Britain's senior knights of music.

“It's a little early to hail Birtwistle and Maxwell Davies as old masters; each is only 70 and still highly active. From the beginning each was a vigorously antiestablishment figure -- a shocked Benjamin Britten walked out of the premiere of Birtwistle's opera 'Punch and Judy' in 1968 -- and neither has exactly been domesticated yet.

“Maxwell Davies has been a frequent visitor to Boston, and his music is often performed here. Birtwistle's music remains relatively unfamiliar to local audiences despite intermittent efforts by Collage New Music, Boston Musica Viva, and the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music.”

But plans are afoot to change that, it seems.

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