In February, delegations from Barratt Due alongside players from Chethams premiered my octet, Fantasia
Combining into a mammoth hexa-dectet, the ensemble created a dynamic, almost orchestral sound.
Fantasia is a response to a problem shared by all 21st-century composers: playing innovation off against accessibility. The problem lies in the fact that it is hard to know where to take contemporary music after it seemed to be pushed to its limits by total serialism. That being said, returning to pastiche feels counter-productive and 'less than art.'
This piece sits in a world between the two arguments, and can only be described as a satire of the issues at hand. It demonstrates how tonality and atonality can be heard together, making both sound worlds sound absurd in the context of the other.
My thanks to the 16 incredible string players who brought this to life.
Stephen
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