YOUR SAY
BACH Vs HANDEL
It does seem strange, at first, to hear Bach described as visionary - it was Handel, and Bach's own children, who were harbingers of new tastes in music, that would eventually lead to Mozart and Beethoven. But Bach. Bach transcends time. When we hear Bach today, we hear him in a way that his contemporaries never did, through ears and brains that have delighted in Beethoven and Mozart, and find ourselves always, returning to Bach, finding his music surpassingly beautiful. Time magazine once called him the fifth Evangelist, and I'd call that a pretty fair description. John Eliot Gardiner once pointed out, that there is not a single indication that has come down to us, that anyone in Bach's congregations ever thought that their cantor was something special. A mediocrity, they thought, and said as much, not a stitch on their first choice, Telemann.
SHOSTAKOVICH Vs TAKEMITSU
TAKEMITSU
Tōru Takemitsu (October 8, 1930 – February 20, 1996) was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Though largely self-taught, Takemitsu is recognised for his skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre, drawing from a wide range of influences, including jazz, popular music, avant-garde procedures and traditional Japanese music, in a harmonic idiom largely derived from the music of Claude DebussyOlivier Messiaen. In 1958, the international attention he drew with his Requiem for strings (1957) resulted in several commissions from across the world, and settled his reputation as the leading Japanese composer of the 20th century. He was the recipient of numerous awards, commissions and honours; he composed over one hundred film scores and about one hundred and thirty concert works for ensembles of various sizes and combinations. He also found time to write a detective novel, and appeared frequently on Japanese television as a celebrity chef.
In the foreword to a selection of Takemitsu's writings in English, conductor Seiji Ozawa commented: "I am very proud of my friend Tōru Takemitsu. He is the first Japanese composer to write for a world audience and achieve international recognition."
Advocate
Noriko Ogawa
Noriko Ogawa is a world renowned pianist after winning third place at the Leeds Piano Competition in 1987. A national celebrity in her native Japan, Noriko has collaborated with several international stars of classical music such as Steven Isserlis and Dame Evelyn Glennie. Noriko was a friend of Takemitsu and his family so was able to bring personal insight into this Visionary composer
SHOSTAKOVICH
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (September 25 [O.S. September 12] 1906 – August 9, 1975) was a Russian composer of the Soviet period.
After a period influenced by Prokofiev and Stravinsky (Symphony No. 1), Shostakovich embraced the modernist aesthetic (Symphony No. 2 and The Nose) before developing a hybrid of styles with Lady Macbeth and the withdrawn Fourth Symphony. Shostakovich's hybrid style juxtaposed a wide variety of trends within a single work, such as the neo-classical style (showing the influence of Stravinsky) and a form of post-romantic style (after Mahler). His unique approach to tonality involved the use of modal scales and some astringent neo-classical harmonies à la Hindemith and Prokofiev. His music frequently includes sharp contrasts and elements of the grotesque.
Shostakovich prided himself on his orchestration, which is clear, economical, and well-projected. This aspect of Shostakovich's technique owes more to Gustav Mahler than Rimsky-Korsakov. His most popular works are his 15 symphonies and 15 string quartets. His works for piano include 2 piano sonatas, an early set of preludes, and a later set of 24 preludes and fugues. Other works include two operas, six concertos, and a substantial quantity of film music.
Shostakovich had a complex and difficult relationship with the Soviet government, suffering two official denunciations of his music, in 1936 and 1948, and the periodic banning of his work. At the same time, he received a number of accolades and state awards and served in the Supreme Soviet. Despite the official controversy, his works were popular and well liked; he is now held to be, as Grove's judges him, the most talented Soviet composer of his generation.
David Fanning concludes in Grove that, "Amid the conflicting pressures of official requirements, the mass suffering of his fellow countrymen, and his personal ideals of humanitarian and public service, he succeeded in forging a musical language of colossal emotional power." Shostakovich is now regarded as "the most popular composer of serious art music of the middle years of the 20th century".
Advocate
Joan Wasser
Joan Wasser is best known by her stage name, Joan as Police Woman. A singer songwriter, Joan’s collaborations include working with Lou Reed, Elton John, Antony and the Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright. Joan began playing the piano at 6 and the violin aged 8 and soon fell in love with both Beethoven and Shostakovich. This love of music and composition makes Joan the perfect advocate for the Visionaries series.
VIGNETTES
