Mark-anthony Turnage (b 1960)

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Episode

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2021

Fame And Scandal

20211206

Donald Macleod talks to composer Mark-Anthony Turnage about his upbringing in 1980s Britain: a time of football, Thatcher, jazz - 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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退.

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 `Greek`, 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 `Blood on the Floor`.

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 -

Fiona Kimm, mezzo (Wife, Doreen, Waitress 1, Sphinx 2)

Helen Charnock, soprano (Mum, Waitress 2, Sphinx 1)

Richard Suart, baritone (Dad, Caf退 Manager, Chief of Police)

Three Farewells (All Will Be Well)

The Nash Ensemble

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

Donald Macleod talks to the composer about the 1980s: a time of opera, Thatcher and jazz.

2021

Inspirations

20211207

Donald Macleod talks to the composer about his passions for social justice and visual art, and they discuss his vocal work tackling the subject of domestic violence.

Turnage's music is often inspired by issues in the contemporary the world: today, he talks to Donald Macleod about his dramatic scena `Twice Through The Heart`, to words by the Scottish poet Jackie Kay, which addresses the trauma of domestic abuse from a woman's perspective. They also discuss the composer's deep love of visual art, as we hear a work inspired by the `Pope` paintings of Francis Bacon.

Set To

Brass Partout

Three Screaming Popes

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

Twice Through the Heart (Part Two)

Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Marin Alsop, conductor

Your Rockaby (excerpt)

Martin Robertson, saxophone

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

True life stories (Tune for Toru)

Ian Brown, piano

Donald Macleod explores with the composer how social issues and art have inspired his work

2021

Remembrance And Loss

20211208

Donald Macleod discusses the poignant, brutal wartime opera The Silver Tassie with its composer and his close musical and personal relationship with guitarist John Scofield.

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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退.

The new millennium saw the premiere of Turnage's war opera The Silver Tassie - a work set in the trenches of World War I and yet as the decade unfolded would have a brutal, poignant resonance to the experiences of contemporary British soldiers. The composer talks to Donald Macleod about its enduring power - and also reflects on the nature of memorial and memory, in a recent work composed in remembrance of the son of one of his closest musical friends.

The Silver Tassie, Act 1: Oh Bring To Me A Pint Of Wine

Gerald Finley, baritone (Harry Heegan)

Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera

Paul Daniel, conductor

Slide Stride

The Nash Ensemble

The Silver Tassie, Act 2, Scene 2 (excerpt)

Bradley Daley, tenor (Staff Officer)

Corporal - Jozef Koc, bass (Corporal)

Chorus of the ENO (Soldiers)

The Silver Tassie, Act 4 Scene 3

Anne Howells, soprano (Mrs Heegan)

Sarah Connolly, mezzo (Susie)

David Kempster, baritone (Teddy)

Mark Le Brocq, tenor (Dr Maxwell)

Scorched (Let's Say We Did)

John Scofield, guitar; John Patitucci, electric bass; Peter Erskine, percussion

HR Big Band; Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt

Hugh Wolff, conductor

Remembering (4th mvt)

London Symphony Orchestra

Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

Donald Macleod explores the composer's poignant, brutal wartime opera The Silver Tassie.

2021

Pop Artist

20211209

Not many classical musicians write works based on the life of Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith or pop superstar Beyonc退. Donald Macleod explores Turnage's love of mainstream culture.

Turnage's opera `Anna Nicole`, based on the tragic life of former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, inspired more column inches in the mainstream press than perhaps any opera in living memory - a subversive, sometimes lurid blend of the satirical and elegiac. Whilst some voices fulminated at its subject matter, many others praised the way it blended the contemporary and the sadly timeless: the story of a woman looked down upon and thwarted by society. Donald Macleod talks to the composer about the opera's fascinating and sometimes controversial genesis and reception, as well other works inspired by Beyonc退 and Led Zeppelin.

Hammered Out

BBC Symphony Orchestra

David Robertson, conductor

From The Wreckage

Hakan Hardenberger, flugelhorn; trumpet; piccolo trumpet

London Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Harding, conductor

Anna Nicole, Act 1 (excerpt)

Eva-Maria Westbroek, soprano (Anna Nicole)

Gerald Finley, baritone (Stern, Anna Nicole's lawyer)

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Antonio Pappano, conductor

Texan Tenebrae

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Marin Alsop, conductor

Twisted Blues With Twisted Ballad (Reflections on `Stairway To Heaven` by Led Zeppelin)

Piatti Quartet

Donald Macleod explores the composer's love of pop culture from Anna Nicole to Beyonce.

2021

05 LAST

Memorials And Middle Age

20211210

Donald Macleod discusses the influence of fatherhood, and the loss of one of the composer's dearest friends. Now aged 61, has he left the musical 'angry young man' behind?

Recently Mark-Anthony Turnage, for a long time characterised (rather reductively) as the `angry young man` of British classical music, entered his seventh decade. Donald Macleod talks to him about his most recent works, the impact of ageing and fatherhood, and the loss of two musical colleagues: the conductor Hans-Werner Henze and his close friend Oliver Knussen.

Milo, for solo cello

Guy Johnston, cello

Piano Concerto (2nd mvt, 'Last Lullaby For Hans')

Marc-Andr退 Hamelin, piano

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

Yannick N退zet-S退guin, conductor

UNDANCE (excerpts)

Undance Band

Tim Murray, conductor

Concerto for Two Violins 'Shadow Walker' (2nd & 3rd mvts)

Daniel Hope; Vadim Repin, violins

Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic

Sascha Goetzel, conductor

Speranza (4th mvt, Tikvah)

London Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Harding, conductor

Donald Macleod explores the composer's recent decade, a time of fatherhood and farewells.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2021	01	Fame And Scandal	20211206	Donald Macleod talks to composer Mark-Anthony Turnage about his upbringing in 1980s Britain: a time of football, Thatcher, jazz - 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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退. 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 `Greek`, 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 `Blood on the Floor`. 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 - Fiona Kimm, mezzo (Wife, Doreen, Waitress 1, Sphinx 2) Helen Charnock, soprano (Mum, Waitress 2, Sphinx 1) Richard Suart, baritone (Dad, Caf退 Manager, Chief of Police) Three Farewells (All Will Be Well) The Nash Ensemble 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 Donald Macleod talks to the composer about the 1980s: a time of opera, Thatcher and jazz.
2021	02	Inspirations	20211207	Donald Macleod talks to the composer about his passions for social justice and visual art, and they discuss his vocal work tackling the subject of domestic violence. 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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退. Turnage's music is often inspired by issues in the contemporary the world: today, he talks to Donald Macleod about his dramatic scena `Twice Through The Heart`, to words by the Scottish poet Jackie Kay, which addresses the trauma of domestic abuse from a woman's perspective. They also discuss the composer's deep love of visual art, as we hear a work inspired by the `Pope` paintings of Francis Bacon. Set To Brass Partout Three Screaming Popes City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle, conductor Twice Through the Heart (Part Two) Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano London Philharmonic Orchestra Marin Alsop, conductor Your Rockaby (excerpt) Martin Robertson, saxophone BBC Symphony Orchestra Sir Andrew Davis, conductor True life stories (Tune for Toru) Ian Brown, piano Donald Macleod explores with the composer how social issues and art have inspired his work
2021	03	Remembrance And Loss	20211208	Donald Macleod discusses the poignant, brutal wartime opera The Silver Tassie with its composer and his close musical and personal relationship with guitarist John Scofield. 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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退. The new millennium saw the premiere of Turnage's war opera The Silver Tassie - a work set in the trenches of World War I and yet as the decade unfolded would have a brutal, poignant resonance to the experiences of contemporary British soldiers. The composer talks to Donald Macleod about its enduring power - and also reflects on the nature of memorial and memory, in a recent work composed in remembrance of the son of one of his closest musical friends. The Silver Tassie, Act 1: Oh Bring To Me A Pint Of Wine Gerald Finley, baritone (Harry Heegan) Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera Paul Daniel, conductor Slide Stride The Nash Ensemble The Silver Tassie, Act 2, Scene 2 (excerpt) Bradley Daley, tenor (Staff Officer) Corporal - Jozef Koc, bass (Corporal) Chorus of the ENO (Soldiers) The Silver Tassie, Act 4 Scene 3 Anne Howells, soprano (Mrs Heegan) Sarah Connolly, mezzo (Susie) David Kempster, baritone (Teddy) Mark Le Brocq, tenor (Dr Maxwell) Scorched (Let's Say We Did) John Scofield, guitar; John Patitucci, electric bass; Peter Erskine, percussion HR Big Band; Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt Hugh Wolff, conductor Remembering (4th mvt) London Symphony Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle, conductor Donald Macleod explores the composer's poignant, brutal wartime opera The Silver Tassie.
2021	04	Pop Artist	20211209	Not many classical musicians write works based on the life of Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith or pop superstar Beyonc退. Donald Macleod explores Turnage's love of mainstream culture. 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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退. Turnage's opera `Anna Nicole`, based on the tragic life of former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, inspired more column inches in the mainstream press than perhaps any opera in living memory - a subversive, sometimes lurid blend of the satirical and elegiac. Whilst some voices fulminated at its subject matter, many others praised the way it blended the contemporary and the sadly timeless: the story of a woman looked down upon and thwarted by society. Donald Macleod talks to the composer about the opera's fascinating and sometimes controversial genesis and reception, as well other works inspired by Beyonc退 and Led Zeppelin. Hammered Out BBC Symphony Orchestra David Robertson, conductor From The Wreckage Hakan Hardenberger, flugelhorn; trumpet; piccolo trumpet London Symphony Orchestra Daniel Harding, conductor Anna Nicole, Act 1 (excerpt) Eva-Maria Westbroek, soprano (Anna Nicole) Gerald Finley, baritone (Stern, Anna Nicole's lawyer) Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Antonio Pappano, conductor Texan Tenebrae London Philharmonic Orchestra Marin Alsop, conductor Twisted Blues With Twisted Ballad (Reflections on `Stairway To Heaven` by Led Zeppelin) Piatti Quartet Donald Macleod explores the composer's love of pop culture from Anna Nicole to Beyonce.
2021	05 LAST	Memorials And Middle Age	20211210	Donald Macleod discusses the influence of fatherhood, and the loss of one of the composer's dearest friends. Now aged 61, has he left the musical 'angry young man' behind? 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's work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he's 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退. Recently Mark-Anthony Turnage, for a long time characterised (rather reductively) as the `angry young man` of British classical music, entered his seventh decade. Donald Macleod talks to him about his most recent works, the impact of ageing and fatherhood, and the loss of two musical colleagues: the conductor Hans-Werner Henze and his close friend Oliver Knussen. Milo, for solo cello Guy Johnston, cello Piano Concerto (2nd mvt, 'Last Lullaby For Hans') Marc-Andr退 Hamelin, piano Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra Yannick N退zet-S退guin, conductor UNDANCE (excerpts) Undance Band Tim Murray, conductor Concerto for Two Violins 'Shadow Walker' (2nd & 3rd mvts) Daniel Hope; Vadim Repin, violins Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Sascha Goetzel, conductor Speranza (4th mvt, Tikvah) London Symphony Orchestra Daniel Harding, conductor Donald Macleod explores the composer's recent decade, a time of fatherhood and farewells.