The journey mapped by the subsequent works then becomes as much a spiritual as a musical one. There's no sense in the First Symphony of feeling the way the music is already occupying the territory that would be its preserve for the rest of his creative life. The first was completed in 1937, when Rubbra was 36, and the last in 1980, six years before his death. The core of his achievement lies in these 11 symphonies. What powered his music was a passion for polyphony, founded in the music of Tudor England, and given scope and rigour by an intense admiration for Brahms. He hugely admired Debussy, Stravinsky and Bartok, but there is very little trace of any of those giants of modernism to be found in his music, and even the organic symphonic processes of Sibelius, which might have been relevant to his intense focus on abstract symphonic argument, appear to have been passed over too.
Rubbra lived through the most tumultuous period of change in the history of music, yet ended up, stylistically, very much where he began. What it does offer is an unswerving integrity, which is admirable in its way. And the melodic and harmonic invention will present no problems to anyone at home with Vaughan Williams, Holst or early Tippett. No one listens to Rubbra's music for the sensuous pleasure of its scoring - his dark-hued orchestral palette is rarely more adventurous than that of Brahms, and some of it is positively dour. It's a cannily chosen image, as the brooding pastoral world that the painter's work explored epitomises the kind of Englishness that Rubbra's music embraced. The cover of Chandos's Edmund Rubbra survey uses a painting by Samuel Palmer. FebruNirvana embarks on a tour of Europe.Dawson/Jones/Roberts/ BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales/Hickox (Chandos, 5 CDs).
DecemMTV airs Nirvana’s “Unplugged” show.Cris and Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets sit in on three Meat Puppets songs. NovemNirvana tapes an all-acoustic show for “MTV Unplugged” at Sony Studios in New York.OctoNirvana starts a three-month tour of North America.L7, the Breeders and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy are also on the bill. ApNirvana plays a concert at San Francisco’s Cow Palace to raise awareness of and generate aid for rape survivors in Bosnia-Herzegovina.DecemIncesticide, a collection of B-sides and rarities, is released.April 1992 Nirvana appears on the cover of Rolling Stone.January/February 1992 Nirvana tours Australia, Japan and Hawaii.MTV airs “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video constantly the song is hailed as an anthem for a generation. November 1991 The band starts a six-week European tour as Nirvanamania sweeps the United States.OctoNevermind is certified a gold album.The tour is documented in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. August 1991 Nirvana opens for Sonic Youth on a European festival tour, which includes a landmark performance at the Reading Festival.Winter 1991 Nirvana signs with DGC Records.October 1990 Nirvana briefly tours England with L7.SeptemDave Grohl, former drummer for Washinton, D.C.’s Scream, joins Nirvana.June 1989 Bleach is released on Sub Pop.Sub Pop co-honcho Jonathan Poneman hears the tape and offers to put out a Nirvana single. JanuNirvana records a 10-song demo with the “Godfather of Grunge,” legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino.December 1987 Kurt, Krist and drummer Aaron Burckhard form the original lineup of Nirvana in Aberdeen, Washington.They play in several bands together, including Stiff Woodies.
0 kommentar(er)
