Photography
© Morgan Hayes |
Looking & Listening Log "Toovey concentrated on achieving a fluent narration, moving in and out of actuality and dreamlike sequences with sureness and conviction. From the opening viola solo to the final song of the bird, his score was rich in reference to folk music the opera was well made and striking." (The Guardian) |
Looking/Listening
Log for October 2015-August 2018 :
Abbreviations
BCU = Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
BH = Barbican Hall, BM = British Museum
ENO = English National Opera
RCM = Royal College of Music
RFH = Royal Festival Hall
ROH = Royal Opera House
SBC = South Bank Centre
WH = Wigmore Hall
SELECTED LISTENING LOG FOR 2015
Opera: Berg Wozzeck. Concert
Performance. RFH SBC 02/10/2015.
Film: The Martians Cineworld Hammersmith 05/10/2015.
Concert: In Modern Dress. Kings Place presentation of City University. Classical music with technology. 7/10/2015.
Concert: Richard Ayres No.48 (Night Studio) BBCSO/Volkov - BH. 8/10/2015.
Opera: Shostakovich Lady Macbeth (Original version) ENO 10/10/2015.
Film: Macbeth. Cineworld Hammersmith 12/10/2015.
Concerts: Two electronic music concerts at BCU 13/10/2015.
Exhibition: The Celts BM 16/10/2015.
Concert: Stephen Isserlis (cello) and Richard Egarr (harpsichord) play Bach WH 18/10/2015.
Concert: Bertrand Chamayou. Ravel Piano Recital WH 23/10/2015.
Concert: Elizabeth Watts Soprano, Julius Drake Piano song recital of Liszt/Debussy/Hahn. WH 26/10/2015.
Concert: Piano Duet recital with Stephen Kovacevich and Marta Argerich WH 02/11/2015.
Concert: Frontiers Concert Series Philip Bates Prize for Songwriters 2015. BCU 03/11/2015.
Concert: Solo Violin Recital Barnabas Kelemen Bach, Ysaye, Paganini, Piazzolla WH 09/11/2015.
Exhibition: Re-Form Art by offenders from Koestler. SBC 12/11/2015.
Exhibition: London Potters at Morley Gallery, Waterloo, 14/11/2015.
Concert: The English Concert, Harry Bicket, Iestyn Davies, Andreas Scholl, Purcell WH 19/11/2015.
Concert: Feldman Piano Violin Viola Cello (1987.) Explore Ensemble. RCM Concert Hall 20/11/2015.
Concert: Michael Finnissy: Chi Mei Ricercari (2013). Neil Heyde/Zubin Kanga RAM 27/11/2015.
Film: Lobster (2015). Curzon Cinema 20/11/2015.
Exhibition: Frank Auerbach . Tate Britain 03/12/2015.
Exhibition: Artist & Empire Tate Britain 03/12/2015.
Operas: Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci Operas ROH 03/12/2015.
Concert: Howard Skempton. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (2015). WH 05/12/2015.
Concert: A tribute to Pandit Sharda Sahai ji by Kaashi Arts - Indian Music Concert at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill 06/12/2015.
Film: The Lady in the Van (2015). Cineworld, Chelsea 07/12/2015.
Concert: Frontiers Composers Platform BCU Recital Hall 08/12/2015
Film:
Star Wars VUE Islington 21/12/2015
SELECTED LISTENING LOG FOR 2016
Film: The Dutch Girl Cineworld Fulham
London 13/01/16
Concert: Robert Crehan Hymn to the Martyr
for solo organ, St Pauls Cathedral, London 23/01/2016
Concert: Piano Recital: Xenia Pestova Hans Otte
The Books of Sounds Café OTO 27/01/2016
Concert: Vocal Recital: Kozene/Rattle WH London
29/01/2016
Film: Spotlight Cineworld
Hammersmith London 30/01/2016
Film: Room Curzon Cinima
Victoria London 15/02/2016
Opera: Philip Glass Akhnaten
ENO London 08/03/2016
Concert: Patrick Giguere Orchestral piece LSO St
Lukes 11/03/2016
Concerts: Finnissy at 70 Guildhall (GSMD)
Days London 12 to 13/03/2016
Concert: The London Ear Festival The
Warehouse London 13/03/2016
Concert: Portrait Concert of Ed Bennett
Decibel BCU Birmingham 15/03/2016
Exhibition: Painting the Modern Garden
- Monet to Matisse RAA London 21/03/2016
Concert: Samuel Bordoli, Anthem for St
Pauls Cathedral, London 22/03/2016
Concert: Ryan Latimer Antiarkie!
Orchestral piece. BBCSO Maida Vale Studios London 24/03/2016
Film: LGTB Shorts BFI SBC London
25/03/2016
Opera: Gerald Barry The Importance of
being Ernest, Barbican Theatre London 02/04/2016
Opera: Janacek Jenufa
Mattila/Belohlavek Czech Philharmonic RFH London 18/04/2016
Opera: Wagner - Tannhauser ROH London
23/04/2016
Concert: Finnissy concert: at RCM London
04/05/2016
Opera: Tazul Tajuddin - Puteri Saadong -
The Tabernacle, London 14/05/2016
Concert: Finnissy at Club Inegales London
19/05/2016
Concert: Finnissy/McNeill at Cafe OTO London
19/05/2016
Concert: Xenia Pestova piano recital St
Catherines Church Telegraph Hill, London 18/06/2016
Opera: Wagner The Ring
Opera North RFH London between 28/06 03/07/2016
Concerts: BBC Prom Concerts Mahler 3rd
Symphony LSO/Haitink and David Bowie tribute, RAH 29/07/2016
Art: Visit to home/studios of John Davies
Cantebury 05/08/2016
Concerts: IXION Concerts at the CoMA Summer
School, Doncaster 08/08-09/08/2016
Concert: Boulez tribute concert BBCSSO/Pintscher
Usher Hall, Edinburgh Festival 12/08/2016
Concert/Film: Philip Glass Ensemble Film
Koyaanisqatsi - Amsterdam 16/08/2016
Art: Visit to John Maizels Nek Chand sculptures
Letchmore Heath 31/08/2016
Exhibition/Film: Georgia OKeeffe TM,
Armodovar - Julieta Cineworld Haymarket London
04/09/2016
Exhibition: Armando Alemdar GX Gallery, London
07/09/2016
Film: Moonlight BFI SBC London
07/10/2016
Concert: Music by David Breeze and Janet Davey
Schott Music London 08/10/2016
Concert: London Sinfonietta St Johns Smith
Square London (Sciarrino/Berio etc.) 13/10/2016
Concert: Jonathan Powell Piano Recital
Rosslyn Hill Chapel London 22/10/2016
Concert: Exaudi Vocal Concert LSO St Lukes
London 23/10/2016
Exhibition: We are all human SBC
31/10/2016
Concert: piano and clarinet music
McNeill/Quigley BCU Birmingham 01/11/2016
Concert: Michael Finnissy at 70 Explore Ensemble
RCM Parry Room London 02/11/2016
Concert: 4th London Festival of Bulgarian
Culture: Martin Georgiev Contrabass Clarinet concerto
with Bach, Haydn, Pergolesi and Brahms. The London Mozart
Players, Cadogan Hall London 30/11/2016
Concert: Michael Finnissy complete Verdi
Transcriptions Ian Pace piano, Deptford Town Hall
London 01/12/2016
Concert: Morton Feldman Second String
Quartet Flux Quartet, Tate Modern 11.30pm 3-4/12/2016
Concert: Night of the unexpected
student concert BCU Birmingham 05/12/2016
Concerts: London Sinfonietta St Johns
Smith Square and later London CoMA St Dunstans Church
Stepney London 06/12/2016
Concert: Composers Platform student concert BCU
Birmingham 12/12/2016
SELECTED LISTENING LOG FOR 2017
Exhibition: Art opening: GX Gallery 11/01/2017
Concert: Michael Finnissy City University
concert series 19/20 01/2017
Exhibition: Affordable Art Fair and Paterson
Film 21/01/2017
Concert: George Holloway composers talk RAM
26/01/2017
Exhibition: James Ensor Exhibition RAA
27/01/2017
Exhibition: Robert Rauschenberg Tate Modern
01/02/2017
Concert: Piano Recital - Zubin Kanga RAM
10/02/2017
Concert: Bovey Guitar Duo (Finnissy New duet) WH
13/02/2017
Concert: Xenia Pestova and Shawn Mativetsky
Concert Elizabeth Kelly, Andrew Toovey (FP: Contrecto) 25/02/2017
Concerts/Exhibitions: Dublin New Music Festival
02 05/02/2017
The New Music Dublin was an actioned packed ten concert series over three days with a range of music that went far beyond just featuring headline acts. The featured composers were Gerald Barry and Tom Ades. Barry was represented by a concert performance of his new opera Alices Adventures Under Ground with the RTE Concert Orchestra, the orchestral version of Wiener Blut, chamber works, Lisbon, Octet, piano duet (played by Barry/Ades) Five Chorales and songs Water Parted. Tom Ades was also well represented by his works Totentanz, Living Toys, Piano Quartet and Mazurkas. Pianist in his own Mazurkas and Gerald Barrys piano duet Five Chorales and conductor of his own work (Totentanz with gripping vocal soloists Christianne Stotijn and Simon Keenlyside). Ades displayed remarkable skill in all three areas of his creative life (composer, conductor and pianist), and demonstrated his obvious passion as a committed conductor of new music.
This trip also enabled me to support three composer colleagues from the Birmingham Conservatoire who had world premieres: Ed Bennetts new orchestral work, Psychedielia performed by the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Sean Clancys Five Lines of Music Slow Down and Eventually Stop performed by RTE Contempo Quartet and Andrew Hamiltons ORourke performed by soprano Michelle ORourke. Other notable first performances came from Stephen Gardner, Jerk, Linda Buckley, Haza and Simon Mayo Streets Became Liars.
Attendance at concerts forms an important part of the listening log I have produced for my research that relates to my ongoing composition projects. Also as another aspect of this log my research is looking at the wider artistic world, and to this end I visited three important galleries while at the music festival. The Hugh Lane gallery, famous for owning the reconstructed original Francis Bacon studio and many of his paintings, sketches and drawing but also includes a wide range of contemporary art including Guston, Kossoff etc and a room devoted to William McKeown, who work seemed to closely relate to that of Agnes Martin. Doorway Gallery, which deals with local artists and represents aspects of the current stylistic interests in the Irish art world, was useful to assess attitudes to art in a more localised way. The last gallery I visited was the Irish Museum of Modern Art which has an amazing collection of art from around the world.
LISTENING
LOG FOR 2017 (CONTINUES):
Concert: Laurence Crane CD Launch Concert - Ives
Ensemble 18/03/2017
Concert: BCU Recorder Concert Toovey, Ej upp
etc 23/03/2017
Concert: Frontiers all day concert collection
including Robert Nettleship perf. 25/03/2017
Concert: Joe Cutler, Professorial concert -
Fidelio Trio. BCU 28/03/2017
Concert: Glass Music in 12 Parts BH
01/05/2017
Concert: Steve Reich Drumming and Tehillim
(including Rowland Sutherland) RFH 05/05/2017
Concert: Sorabji Opus Clavicembalisticum
- Jonathan Powell Piano Recital RHC 09/05/2017
Concert: Duchess of Mulfi play: St Giles Church
Holborn 18/05/2017
Art: Mike Turner artist - visit to his home
21/05/2017
Opera: Glass Einstein on the beach
Dortmund Opera House 03/06/2017
Concert: Mr Punch Michael
Finnissy (including Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire) City
University 06/06/2017
Exhibition: Summer Art Exhibition RAA 10/06/2017
Concert: Ben Smith piano recital of Lachemann
and Ferneyhough Milton Court London 16/06/2017
Poetry: Richard Cutler Reading from his new
short stories - West Hampstead London 17/06/2017
Concert: Zubin Kanga piano recital St Johns
Smith Square 23/06/2017
Exhibition: Harriet Riddell GX Gallery London
Exhibition 28/06/2017
Concert: LGSO St Johns Smith Square
Michael Finnissy WP and Rachmaninov Second Symphony
02/07/2017
Concert: CoMA London Concert St Leonards
08/07/2017
Exhibition: Grayson Perry Serpentine Gallery
exhibition 19/07/2017
Opera: Beethoven Fidelio Prom RAH
21/07/2017
Opera: Mussorgsky Kovanchina Prom RAH
06/08/2017
Opera: James Oldham I opera
- Rada London 11/08/2017
Concert: Glass Passages with AS Late
Prom RAH 15/08/2017
Concert: Gerald Barry Canada WP
Prom City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra RAH 21/08/2017
Concert: Double Concert: Indian/Pakistani music
Prom RAH 25/08/2017
Exhibitions: Giacometti and Zeid Art Exhibitions
Tate Modern 29/08/2017
Concert: Last Night of the Proms BBC Symphony
Orchestra RAH 09/09/2017
Concert: Mike Worboys String Quartet (Blackheath
Concert Hall) and Quango Art exhib. Café 12/09/2017
Concert: Glass Symphony 11 Newcastle
Sage 30/09/2017
Concert: Orchestra North East Durham
01/10/2017
Concert: Skempton Concert (including Toovey: 500
Triads) Antony Gray Kings Place London 13/10/2017
Exhibitions: Three RAA Exhibitions: Jasper
Johns, Matisse, Dada/Dali 14/10/2017
Concert: Florian Steininger piano recital Schott
Music Shop London 15/10/2017
Exhibition: Venice Biennale 22/10
25/10/2017
Concert: RFH Shostakovich Seventh Symphony
and Beethoven Fifth Piano Concerto PC RFH 27/10/2017
Concert: Nash Ensemble WH 28/10/2017
Concert: Jordi Savall WH 29/10/2017
Concert: Beat Furrer piano concert and Joseph
Phibbs Clarinet concerto RFH 05/11/2017
Concert: Royal Academy Composers Platform
Concert RAM 16/11/2017
Concert: Skempton/Roxburgh and student concert
BCU 17/11/2017
Concert: Goldsmiths at Deptford Town Hall Ian
Pace piano, Boulez, Stockhausen and Finnissy 23/11/2017
Concert: Philippe Jaroussky recital of works by
Handel WH 26/11/2017
Concert: Saxophone Quartet Concert BCU (R
Roberts, R Morton and P Bell) 29/11/2017
Exhibition: Private View opening of artist
Albert Adams Artspace Islington 30/11/2017
Concert: Stockhausen including Trans London
Sinfonietta/Manson Ensemble RFH 06/12
Composer Residency: Benslow Music 08-10/12/2017
Concert: Fast, slow, faster St
Martins Church, Gospel Oak London (and Carol) 16/12/2017
Concert: CoMA London Gregory Rose conductor - St
John, Bethnal Green 19/12/2017
LISTENING LOG FOR 2018:
Composer Residency: CoMA String Music
02-06/01/2018
Concert: CoMA Oxford Robin Michael
conductor St Hildas College, Oxford 06/01/2018
Concert: RAM Student Orchestra plays
undergraduate compositions RAM 12/01/2018
Concert: Sarah Nichols recital for BBC Radio 3
St. Lukes, London 13/01/2018
Exhibition: London Affordable Art Fair, Business
Centre, Islington 18/01/2018
Concert: Composers Platform BCU Birmingham
Conservatoire 29/01/2018
Exhibition: John Davies Turner Contemporary,
Margate 04/02/2018
Concert: Xenia Pastova piano recital (music of
Ed Bennett) Café Otto London 07/02/2018
Composer Residency: The Royal Conservatoire Den
Hague, Holland 12-15/02/2018
Opera/Exhibition: Glass Satyagraha ENO London
and Bridget Riley Exhibition Waddingtons Gallery, London
16/02/2018
Concert: Xenia Pastova piano recital BCU Recital
Hall 20/02/2018
Concert: CoMA Festival (including WP Nigel
Osborne) Shorditch London 04/03/2018
Concert: Song Recital by Emma Tring and Robin
Martin (including FP: Almost) St. Johns Church Upper
Norwood London 07/04/2018
Concert: Gerald Barry Organ Concerto RPO Tom
Ades, RFH London 11/04/2018
Exhibition: Armando Alemdar solo exhibition
London 13/04/2018
Concert: Patrick Giguère new orchestral piece
LSO BH 15/04/2018
Concert: Ed Bennett CD Launch Decibel Ensemble,
City University London 17/04/2018
Concert: Gregory Rose 70th Birthday Concert,
Jupiter Orchestra St. Johns Smith Square 18/04/2018
Concert: Ben Smith Piano Recital Milton Court
GSMD London 19/04/2018
Concert: Orchestra of the 21st Century
(including FP. Knob), BCU Birmingham 20/04/2018
Concert: IXION Norfolk Composers Concert,
Norwich School, Norwich 26/04/2018
Concert: Jack Sheen concert (including Paul
Newland, Bryn Harrison, Michael Finnissy) St. Johns
Waterloo London 27/04/2018
Exhibition: Nick Wadley Retrospective European
Art Gallery Smith Square London 10/05/2018
Concert: Roma Tic violin recital (including
Lament, Strathspey, Reel) RAM London 07/06/2018
Talk: Chris Villars Short Films of Morton
Feldman, BCU Birmingham 19/06/2018
Concerts: Night of the unexpected and CODA
Festival, BCU Birmingham 25-26/06/2018
Concert: The Music of Joseph Sonnabend
Fitzsrovia Chapel, London 07-08/04/2018
Exhibition: RAA Summer Exhibition RAA London
10/07/2018
Exhibition: Christo at the Serpentine Gallery,
London 24/08/2018
Concert: Ben Smith lunchtime piano recital,
Regent Hall, London 27/07/2018
Opera: Dani Blanco Albert Entanglement!
An Entropic Tale. Tête À Tetê RADA London 08/08/2018