Thanks, Gary. Now we have our panel of experts putting in a few hours before the World Cup begins. Alan, what did you make of the first piece, My Life in Ventriloquism?
Not the strongest of starts, Ron: a bit like watching one of those Brazilian flair players doing keepy-uppies for eleven minutes. Just one man (Yann Ghiro) and his clarinet: for a big lad, he's good with his fingers. But, at the end of the day, Butler's score never looked like putting one in the onion bag. But I think Gary might disagree...
Ghiro's got a cultured set of lips and this is deliberately composed to show him off at his best - or any other clarinet player. Butler out a good shift in, testing the range of the instrument. The clarinet has all the possession and I'd say Butler's score has a good engine.
Not so much squeaky bum time as squeaky instrument time.
Well, thank you Ron, and I am glad you managed not to say anything racist there. But moving onto the Elbow Room, Butler's new work...
second piece,
He really sets out his stall early doors for this: if Philip Glass had composed it, we'd be raving about it for days. It's right out of the top drawer, a mash-up of intriguing visuals and a steady, consistent style.
On paper, it's a more interesting piece, but you don't play classical music on paper. Now, it tells the story of Glasgow's redevelopment through archive film and a steady, minimalist pulse...
I think we need to take it one movement at a time. It's a potential banana skin, that minimalist comparison. It reminded me more of Kraftwerk or the German 'motorik' bands, like Neu, filtered through a classical ensemble.
Robert Irvine's cello was crucial: he's a top top player.But all we want from composers is consistency, and it ended up being a real concert of two halves.
You've already said that one. There or thereabouts. It is schoolboy illustration of the video, really, giving a romantic, if you will, reflection on these dodgy propaganda numbers from Glasgow Corporations past. This composition needs a goal, a bit of focus. I felt the ensemble parked the bus early and turned in a solid performance.
The real winner tonight was the clarinet, Ron.
He really sets out his stall early doors for this: if Philip Glass had composed it, we'd be raving about it for days. It's right out of the top drawer, a mash-up of intriguing visuals and a steady, consistent style.
On paper, it's a more interesting piece, but you don't play classical music on paper. Now, it tells the story of Glasgow's redevelopment through archive film and a steady, minimalist pulse...
I think we need to take it one movement at a time. It's a potential banana skin, that minimalist comparison. It reminded me more of Kraftwerk or the German 'motorik' bands, like Neu, filtered through a classical ensemble.
Robert Irvine's cello was crucial: he's a top top player.But all we want from composers is consistency, and it ended up being a real concert of two halves.
You've already said that one. There or thereabouts. It is schoolboy illustration of the video, really, giving a romantic, if you will, reflection on these dodgy propaganda numbers from Glasgow Corporations past. This composition needs a goal, a bit of focus. I felt the ensemble parked the bus early and turned in a solid performance.
The real winner tonight was the clarinet, Ron.
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