Composer of the Week: Mark-Anthony Turnage

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Composer of the Week

Music: Classical

Composer of the Week - Brand

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

An informative and accessible guide to composers' lives and their music.

Composer of the Week: Mark-Anthony Turnage (b 1960): Fame and Scandal

Fame and Scandal

Mark-Anthony Turnage (b 1960)

BBC Radio 3 - Composer of the Week, Mark-Anthony Turnage (b 1960), Fame and Scandal

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

Donald Macleod talks to the composer 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.

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 Beyoncé.

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… 
Quentin Hayes, baritone (Eddy)
Fiona Kimm, mezzo (Wife, Doreen, Waitress 1, Sphinx 2)
Helen Charnock, soprano (Mum, Waitress 2, Sphinx 1)
Richard Suart, baritone (Dad, Café Manager, Chief of Police)
The Greek Ensemble
Richard Bernas, conductor

Three Farewells (All Will Be Well)
The Nash Ensemble

Blood on the Floor
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

Composer of the Week: Mark-Anthony Turnage (b 1960)

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Donald Macleod talks to the composer Mark-Anthony Turnage about his life and work.

Donald Macleod talks to British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage about his life and work.

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