Pulse Shadows

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
At over an hour, Pulse Shadows is one of Birtwistle's most important works. It was back in 1989 when the composer first became interested in the poems of the Romanian-Jewish poet Paul Celan and began setting them as songs. Coupled with the Nine Movements for String Quartet, they form an 18-movement cycle. The fragmentary style of the music is reminiscent of Webern, yet Birtwistle goes much further. Freed of self-imposed musical restrictions, he constructs an emotionally taut, highly integrated piece. This is perhaps surprising if we know that in the composer's directions the piece could be played in any order. Part of its integration is achieved in the subject matter, but also the instrumentation--the viola plays as part of the quartet as well as the ensemble. The other reason for its structural success is that even though each movement is self-generating and self-contained, ideas are merely exposed and are not necessarily developed in other movements while simultaneously sharing the same stylistic nuances. Indeed, this is the whole purpose of the piece: are the resulting movements initial ideas--a pulse--or responses to an initial idea--a shadow? Brilliantly performed. --Dominic Sewell

Pulse Shadows, Music, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic

Average customer rating:

Interesting Concept

Brilliant

Pulse Shadows
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000050KFO
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Tracks:

Fantasia 1
Thread suns Fadensonnen
Frieze 1
White and Light
Fantasia 2
Psalm
Fantasia 3
With Letter and Clock
Frieze 2
An Eye, open
Fantasia
Todtnauberg
frieze 3
Tenebrae
Fantasia 5
Night
Todesfuge-Frieze 4
Give the Word

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Concept.......2003-02-02

If you are looking for something different, This is the cd to get. Birtwistle idea of combining songs and quartet movements it's an interesting concept indeed. These Songs and quartet-movements can be performed as separate cycles, either complete or in part. All or some of the songs and quartets can also be interleaved. And both strands of music are sharing something in common at the same time. Which is the shadow? Which is the image?. I think his style is somewhere between John Dowland and Anton Webern. Anyway, you find out where?

Brilliant.......2002-11-19

A wonderful CD and well recorded. This is the first recording of Birtwistle's that I've heard and I am well pleased with it. It ranks up there with the best of Ligetti, Carter, et alia. No wonder it won the Gramophone mag. "contemporary" award last year. I've already played it many times and it improves with every listen. It will not disappoint.