Output details

Restless Feeling for large ensemble. Boosey and Hawkes.

This composition seeks to synthesise the sound world of The Velvet Underground with the aesthetic of a contemporary classical ensemble. The commissioners wanted a work reflecting the ethos of the band without actually quoting its material; I worked to explore the friction between his own interests in timbre and practical virtuosity as vital stimuli, and the musical language of a band I knew but had never considered any possible influence. The pre-compositional investigation was unusually extensive, involving close aural analysis of the band’s work, particularly The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967). Through intensive study of the recordings I tried to absorb their musical language – characterised by unorthodox sound worlds and frequently dissonant harmonies. However, I attempted to discard the memory of this during his own composition in order to avoid mimicking particular musical ideas, avoiding listening to their recordings while writing the piece. The ‘sinfonietta’-sized Ensemble Remix, for whom it was commissioned, differs significantly from a rock group. But surprisingly, the available timbres lent themselves comfortably towards emulation of the band. Duplicating the sounds themselves was not the primary concern but, rather, to draw on them as a means of reconsidering the classical ensemble’s sound palette. The resulting music has a textural and timbral leanness that departs from works I have written for similar ensembles in the preceding decade. Timbral concerns are nevertheless primary, as is rhythmic momentum, with the majority of the work employing fast-paced propulsive elements.

Commissioned by Remix Ensemble. Première: March 1 2008. Porto, Casa di Musica, Remix Ensemble, Peter Rundel. Subsequent performances: March 2 2008, Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; 8 March 2008, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin; 29 September 2008, Palais de Fêtes Strasbourg (broadcast: France Musique). UK performances: 20 June 2009 and 18 April 2012, Cornerstone, Liverpool. Ensemble 10/10, Clark Rundell , conductor.