Mark-Anthony Turnage A Constant Obsession Nicky Spence tenor Chamber Domaine Thomas Kemp conductor A Constant Obsession Chamber works by A Constant Obsession (2007) Mark-Anthony Turnage (b. 1960) for tenor solo and eight players 1. Prologue [0:59] 2. Love expected [3:36] 3. Love begun [1:47] Nicky Spence tenor 4. The pains of love [5:35] Chamber Domaine 5. Love continued [5:59] 1–6 & 15 7–14 6. Love in death [4:25] Thomas Kemp conductor & violin Three for Two (2010) 7–9 & 14–15 for piano quartet Adrian Bradbury cello 7. Wish One [1:49] 15 Alex Neal percussion 8. Wish Two [4:48] 7–15 9. Wish Three [3:43] Andrew West piano 1–6 & 15 Anna Wolstenholme piccolo, flute & alto flute Four Chants (2008) 1–6 for violin and piano David Juritz violin 10. Chant 1 [2:42] 1–6 Gabriella Dall’Ollio harp 11. Chant 2 [1:25] 1–6 & 15 Neyire Ashworth clarinet & bass clarinet 12. Chant 3 (A Bride’s Fancy) [4:19] 1–9 & 14–15 13. Chant 4 [1:35] Nick Barr viola 1–6 Richard Harwood cello 14. A Slow Pavane (2004) [7:34] 1–6 for piano trio Ruth Bolister oboe & cor anglais 1–6 Roger Montgomery horn 15. Grazioso! (2009) [9:03] for six players Total playing time [59:27] ‘[...] it’s a delight to find these Mark-Anthony Turnage recordings All world premiere recordings of recent works bouncing along in superb sound; superb artistry too, recorded in the presence of the composer with pungent playing from Chamber Domaine’ The Times Mark-Anthony Turnage: Group and the Orchestra of the Age of A Constant Obsession Enlightenment in 1999 brings together contemporary and historically informed Mark-Anthony Turnage was born in 1960 performance practices, while Hammered Out and is at the forefront of contemporary written for the BBC Symphony Orchestra classical music. A prolific and eclectic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2010, composer, his music is full of contrasts brings R&B inspired by James Brown and spanning musical styles from the Renaissance 1970s jazz-funk to the symphony orchestra. through to R&B. His music is performed Whilst having residencies with orchestras worldwide in both opera house and concert such as the Chicago Symphony, BBC Symphony, hall and his ability to encompass and London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham assimilate such a broad range of music Symphony and English National Opera, gives him a unique voice that appeals to a Turnage has written for smaller forces and wide range of listeners. the instrumental chamber music and song featured in this recording were all written His operas, Greek, The Silver Tassie and in the first decade of the 21st century. Anna Nicole have caused controversy as well as gaining huge acclaim from audiences Having commissions for symphony orchestras and critics alike. They have forced people and opera has meant that there is some to take notice of contemporary music and overlap of material between the chamber have challenged them to think. Turnage music and larger scale works. A Constant comments: ‘I am attracted to strong subjects. Obsession was written in 2007 for tenor and Anna Nicole is a good story and you could eight players. Turnage was also writing Chicago not work on an opera for three to four years Remains for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra if the story and its characters did not fascinate and Bernard Haitink at the same time: you. I am not interested in older stories, I go ‘Having a busy schedule means that crossover with the things that I like, the films I like and between pieces is almost inevitable. A strong subjects that resonate with our time.’ Constant Obsession was like a study for Chicago Remains.’ Nicky Spence, Thomas Kemp and Chamber Domaine record A Constant Obsession Turnage’s orchestral music has brought in St Augustine’s Church, Kilburn, London together seemingly disparate elements of The song cycle sets words of five English music – works such as About Time written writers from different periods – John Keats, for the Birmingham Contemporary Music Thomas Hardy, Edward Thomas, Robert Graves and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The composer horn and strings: the frantic tremolo passages transcended only by a belief in miracle, of birthdays of Steven Schaefer and Christoph gives each poem a title – ‘Love expected’, in the strings depict the torrential rain from absolute love continuing between man and Eschenbach, there are subtle musical ‘Love begun’, ‘The pains of love’, ‘Love which the couple is sheltering. The climactic woman.’ The horn has a prominent refrain in reminders that this is a birthday piece in each continues’ and ‘Love in death’. These titles end of the poem, where the poet expresses this song and there is a lyrical instrumental movement; each of the three movements create the text for the short ‘Prologue’ – a his regret and frustration, is rhythmically free interlude, which features a duet between providing a birthday wish. The first, ‘Wish wistful and poignant introduction to the and set like a cadenza over a hushed chord in bass clarinet and viola, which provides a One’, is lively and features asymmetrical cycle. The poems dwell on different aspects the bass clarinet and horn, which emphasizes reflective contrast to the spiky, capricious phrases. The harmony is jazzy as is the of love and the musical settings brilliantly the reminiscent nature of the poem about a music of the outer sections. piano writing particularly in the middle illuminate the texts. fleeting moment of attraction. section. The second, ‘Wish Two’, is lyrical The final song, ‘Love in death’ is Alfred, Lord and features the viola. The piano writing by John Keats’s poem Bright Star was written ‘The pains of love’ is set to a poem by Edward Tennyson’s Come not, when I am dead. contrast in this movement is economical and as a declaration of love to Fanny Brawne in Thomas entitled No one so much as you. Here the poet is a jilted lover, cautioning his provides a sparse commentary on the strings. 1819 and he continued to revise the poem The poem is tender and regretful: full of pain errant lover from beyond the grave. The ‘Wish Three’ is again jazz influenced and, up until his death in 1821. Keats and Brawne and guilt about an unequal love. Turnage song opens with an expansive tenor solo following an extended passage for violin and were secretly engaged but their love was to opens the song with a soaring and highly whose music is then taken up by the piano, the strings play a theme in rhythmical be shattered by Keats’s worsening tuberculosis expressive phrase on the flute, which is woodwinds in unison, which has a haunting unison that would not be out of place in and lack of means, which prevented them shadowed in the strings. The song is in quality. This opening gambit provides all the Duke Ellington’s big band. Again, the music from marrying. In September 1820, Keats ternary form and the middle section is melodic material for the movement. is informed by writing larger scale works was advised to leave for a warmer climate more animated. The opening music returns at the same time. ‘The last movement of due to his deteriorating health and he as the poem reveals that the poet could not A Constant Obsession was written for Mark Three for Two was going to be a food aria moved to Rome severing all contact with truly return the love given by his partner: Padmore and the Nash Ensemble and was in Anna Nicole but I decided not to use it in Brawne: he died five months later. The this unease is underpinned by a restless, commissioned by the Wigmore Hall. Turnage the opera and instead used the material in music for this setting entitled ‘Love expected’ syncopated ostinato in the viola, cello and states that: ‘Setting British texts and writing this piece.’ is elegiac and gently lilting, with particularly harp. for Mark Padmore meant it was very hard lyrical viola writing. to get away from Benjamin Britten and the Turnage has been influenced by jazz since Counting the Beats by Robert Graves provides music undoubtedly is influenced by this. I his studies at the Royal College of Music: Thomas Hardy’s A Thunderstorm in Town the text for ‘Love continued’. Like Edward also try and write for the musicians I am ‘Before I went to college I was studying (A Reminiscence), set by Turnage in ‘Love Thomas, Graves established his reputation writing for and try and compose music that with Olly Knussen and was obsessed with begun’, dates from 1893. The poem is about as a poet during the First World War when suits their performing style: I am aware of contemporary music such as Boulez and unfulfilled love: the poet regretting a missed fighting on the Western Front. In his their sound when I compose.’ Stockhausen. When I went to the RCM, opportunity to steal a kiss whilst sheltering Collected Poems, published in 1966, Graves jazz was the opposite of what the college from a ‘pelting storm’. Turnage writes described Counting the Beats: ‘My main Three for Two dates from 2010 and is for stood for and I got obsessed with it starting explosive, stormy music for bass clarinet, theme was always the practical impossibility, piano quartet. Written to celebrate the 70th with jazz-fusion and then working back to the 1920s and before that. I started to use Four Chants date from 2008 and were written cello and percussion. Grazioso! is one of a jazz in my compositions but the deep for the violinist, Viviane Hagner commissioned number of works inspired by Led Zeppelin, knowledge came later from collaborating by the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.