大象传媒

Donald Macleod talks to composer Mark-Anthony Turnage about his upbringing in 1980s Britain: a time of football, Thatcher, jazz鈥�and one of the most talked-about operas of the late 20th century.

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a man with a reputation for shaking up the world of British classical music - a composer with a distinctive and rebellious creative voice. His work vividly fuses influences of jazz, soul and contemporary pop with music that remains boldly and defiantly avant-garde. It's music that packs a punch, yet whose visceral impact accompanies a deep lyricism and emotion. Over four decades, Turnage鈥檚 work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he鈥檚 also a composer with a subversive streak, with an opera exploring the life of former Playboy model Anna-Nicole Smith, and orchestral pieces inspired by his beloved Arsenal football club and pop superstar Beyonc茅.

Turnage exploded onto the British music scene in his twenties with a series of works that both enthralled and scandalised the critics; most notably, his opera 鈥淕reek鈥�, a reimagining of the Oedipus myth amongst the social inequality, football hooliganism and profanity of 1980s British life. He talks to Donald Macleod about its genesis, his deep love of soul music, and how a deeply personal loss led to the creation of his jazz-infused suite 鈥淏lood on the Floor鈥�.

Greek (excerpt)
Act 1: Breakfast Quartet
Quentin Hayes, baritone (Eddy)
Fiona Kimm, mezzo (Wife)
Helen Charnock, soprano (Mum)
Richard Suart, baritone (Dad)
The Greek Ensemble
Richard Bernas, conductor

On Opened Ground (1st mvt)
Lawrence Power, viola
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor

Night Dances (3rd mvt, Nocturne)
Gareth Hulse, oboe & cor anglais; John Wallace, trumpet; Helen Tunstall, harp; John Constable, celesta
London Sinfonietta
Oliver Knussen, conductor

Greek (excerpts)
Act 1: Prologue and Wine Bar Music
Act 2: Journey to the Sphinx鈥�
Quentin Hayes, baritone (Eddy)
Fiona Kimm, mezzo (Wife, Doreen, Waitress 1, Sphinx 2)
Helen Charnock, soprano (Mum, Waitress 2, Sphinx 1)
Richard Suart, baritone (Dad, Caf茅 Manager, Chief of Police)
The Greek Ensemble
Richard Bernas, conductor

Three Farewells (All Will Be Well)
The Nash Ensemble

Blood on the Floor
Martin Robertson, bass clarinet
Peter Erskine, drums
Frank Ollu, horn
John Scofield, guitar
Dietmar Wiesner, flute
Uwe Dierksen, trombone
Bruce Nockles, trumpet
William Forman, trumpet
Martin Robertson, saxophones
Ensemble Modern
Peter Rundel, conductor