Ensemble Intercontemporain/Bleuse review – from a clown to a clarinet and Cathy Berberian
Berio's Sequenza V for solo trombone is one of 14 pieces he wrote to test the boundaries of particular instruments or vocal types. It was inspired by Grock, a Swiss-born clown and one-time neighbour of the composer, whose personality had fascinated him as a boy. Lucas Ounissi, ambling on in full circus slap and a lime-green wig, put his instrument through its paces. Juggling a handheld plunger mute, he rasped and farted away, frequently singing and playing at the same time. A virtuoso performance showed off the breadth of the composer's imagination as well as his singular sense of humour.
The more sober-minded Boulez was represented by his Dialogue de l'ombre double (Dialogue of the Double Shadow). Written to celebrate Berio's 60th birthday, it pits an on-stage clarinettist against his pre-recorded doppelganger, the latter electronically manipulated in real time and piped into the auditorium through speakers. The versatile Jérôme Comte hot-desked from one music stand to another, taking melismatic licks and frenetic outbursts in his stride. Rock-solid technique and calm deliberation brought clarity and purpose to Boulez's intricate demands. The pre-record, meanwhile, bounced off the walls and ceiling of the Royal Albert Hall in a mesmerising wash of surround sound.
The grand finale was Berio's Recital I (For Cathy), a piece the composer wrote in 1972 for his former wife Cathy Berberian. The conceit is theatrical: an operatic diva shows up for a recital only to find her accompanist isn't there. An ensemble of 17 takes up the cause, with the singer descending into madness as she tosses off scatter-gun quotes from vocal works of the past. Berberian's visceral account, captured on record, was a tour de force. Sarah Aristidou certainly acted a good fight, with conductor Pierre Bleuse gamely adding his dramatic six penn'orth, but the spoken text was barely audible, rendering the work more gnomic than usual.
Listen again on BBC Sounds until 12 October. The Proms continue until 13 September.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Noel Gallagher praises 'amazing' Liam for Oasis reunion tour
Noel Gallagher has said he is "proud" of his brother Liam after the pair reunited for this summer's Oasis Live '25 tour. The highly anticipated reunion was announced in August last year, after the brothers seemingly put the feud which led to their split in 2009 behind them. At the time, Noel said he "simply could not go on working with Liam", but having just completed the UK-leg of their comeback tour, he has nothing but praise for his younger sibling. "Liam's smashing it. I'm proud of him," Noel told talkSport in his first interview since the tour began. "I couldn't do the stadium thing like he does it, it's not in my nature. But I've got to say, I kind of look and I think 'good for you, mate'. He's been amazing. "It's great just to be back with Bonehead [Paul Arthurs] and Liam and just be doing it again." 1:11 When asked if he has felt emotional during the tour, Noel added: "I guess when it's all said and done we will sit and reflect on it, but it's great being back in the band with Liam, I forgot how funny he was." He went on to say he was "completely blown away" after the band's opening night in Cardiff, and "grossly underestimated" what he was getting himself into when first signing up for the shows. He said: "It was kind of after about five minutes, I was like, 'all right, can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again?' "I've done stadiums before and all that, but I don't mind telling you, my legs had turned to jelly after about halfway through the second song." "Every night is the crowd's first night, you know what I mean?" he continued. "So every night's got that kind of same energy to it, but it's been truly amazing. I'm not usually short for words, but I can't really articulate it." Having played to packed crowds in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Dublin and Edinburgh, Oasis have scheduled dates around the world including in major cities across the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan. It's rumoured the band will continue their run of shows next year, when it marks 30 years since they played two sell-out nights at Knebworth Park to an estimated 250,000 people. When quizzed on the rumours on talkSport, Noel quickly changed the subject, saying: "Right, let's talk about football."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Photo of Elle Macpherson confirms long-standing rumour about the model
A recent photo of Elle Macpherson has confirmed a long-standing rumour about the model's hair. The 61-year-old posted a series of holiday snaps to Instagram on Tuesday and one image appears to confirm that Elle wears hair extensions to add volume to her locks. The photo shows Elle walking through a European city in a brown shirt and matching skirt. She had her long blonde locks tied into a messy bun but as she looked down, one of her hair extension bonds was visible. The clip-in extension was noticeable on the top of her head as she pulled her locks back. Hollywood stars and models often wear wigs and hair extensions to achieve a more youthful appearance as hair thins and loses volume with age. Elle is renowned for her radiant, luscious locks and youthful complexion. She previously revealed how she protects her hair when she's not working with the best in the beauty business. From ditching the hot tools to protecting her locks from the harsh sun, Elle shared her top five tips for optimal health hair on her Get The Gloss column. She said she is a big believer that eating well and having a healthy gut plays a crucial role in keeping hair thick and luscious. 'The gut plays a crucial role in nutrient absorption,' she said. 'The combination of botanical herbs, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics that feature in The Super Elixir™ and The Hair Elixir [from WelleCo] will keep your gut microbiome, and in turn your hair, healthy.' Elle also explained it's best to put the hot tools down and keep hair natural as much as possible. Elle also said it's important to protect hair from the sun and believes this is key to keeping her hair silky and healthy. When she is out in the sun and the sea, she uses hydrating and protecting masks. In colder climates, the supermodel wears her hair in braids with a leave-in mask to ensure UV protection and hydration. And one of Elle's biggest tips for healthier hair is a well-looked-after scalp. She likes to give herself a gentle scalp massage with a natural oil like coconut, almond, or jojoba to improve blood circulation and stimulate hair growth.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Yes, chinos are cooler than you think — here's how to wear them
Here's a sentence I never thought I would write. Chinos are cool. So cool that we can't even call them cool. Because the word cool isn't actually cool any more. I know. All of the above is confusing. Especially for someone like me, who has made avoiding chinos — not just the wearing of them myself, but any romantic involvement with a man wearing them — a plank of my very existence. That's right, while Richard Dawkins has busied himself over the decades taking down religion, my focus has been on disavowing a certain type of trouser. It's probably beige or khaki, probably cotton twill, probably worn with a rugby shirt (crime number two), and absolutely not probably — 100 per cent definitely, in fact — an offence against style.
