i-want-more

We are entranced

The restorative power of music strikes again.

Yesterday evening, I went to the Southbank Centre to a concert of electronic classical music, with JJ, Mr and Mrs Johns and DL for company. The definition was vague enough for the programme to contain some genuinely bonkers things, as well as some more mainstream bits and pieces, including film music from Spellbound and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Mucho theremin action, one of which was played by the great-niece of Theremin himself, and the other by the lady who does 99.9% of the other theremin work in the UK, including the theme to Midsomer Murders. One of Jonny Greenwood's recent pieces of modern classical music was played, which I was underwhelmed by.

After the interval, Will Gregory of Goldfrapp debuted five movements from an opera that he's currently writing. And it blew my tiny mind. Essentially, it was six/seven synths and an orchestra, and it sounded immense. It's hard to describe just how moved I was - I suppose it would come down to this. Gregory has an ear for pop, he writes great melodies. There was a sense of construction and progression that was absent from the work by Greenwood. Comparing the two directly, the piece by Greenwood felt avant garde for the sake of it, whereas Gregory's music wasn't trying to be odd, yet was genuinely refreshing and unusual. At one point during the last movement, I found my eyes inexplicably filling with tears, but it wasn't sadness, for a change. Sheer joy, I think.

I am excited about seeing the opera next year. That's something I never thought I'd say in my lifetime.

And Jarvis was compere - he was great.

Last weekend was my first wedding anniversary and thoughts, of course, turned to what we were doing a year ago. It's been a year of extreme highs and lows. It's clear that I need to start having fun if I can, to try to tip the balance a little. If I can continue having evenings out like last night, at interesting events in good company, all shall be well soon enough.

Labels: cultcha

posted by deafdisco @ 12:55 pm