| In Memoriam: for those who fall in time
of war Brodsky Quartet and Joan Lluna |
| Cuando creíamos que todo estaba dicho llegaba la segunda parte para dejarnos
pasmados en el colmo de las impresiones auditivas. El estreno en España del Quinteto para clarinete y cuarteto de
cuerda, In Memoria: for those who fall in time war, de Paul Barker caminaba en el filo de lo imposible, engarzando
sutilmente registros extremos, transiciones anímicas, juegos de armónicos increíbles e indescriptibles
sonidos filados. Una música de profunda dramaticidad sonora. Acompañada de una exquisita y simbólica.
representación gestual... Lástima que el espacio y la palabra se queden pobres para poder relatar aquí
lo vivido y escuchado. Impresionante. Elisa Ramos Martín, 18/06/05, para Tribuna
de Salamanca | When we thought that everything had arrived
the second part to left us startled in the overflow of the auditory impressions. The opening in Spain of the Quinteto for
clarinete and quartet of strings, In Memory: for those who fall in time to war, of Paul Barker walked in the edge of the
impossible thing, linking subtly extreme registries, psychic transitions, games of incredible overtones and undesribably
cased out sounds. A music of deep sonorous dramatic quality. Accompanied by exquisite and a symbolic gestual representation...
Pity that the space and the word remain too poor to be able to relate here how the thing lived and listened. Impressive.
Elisa Ramos Martín, 18/06/05, Tribuna de Salamanca |
| a segunda parte la ocupó la escenificación de la obra de Paul Barker "In
Memoriam: For Those Who Fall in Times of War", homenaje a los miembros del Cuarteto Sarajevo, caídos en la
guerra, como tantos defensores del plural proyecto bosnio, arrasado por los limpiadores étnicos. Aquí el texto
es la música, nada mejor para expresar la desazón humana. Con simples gestos cuarteto y clarinete reflexionan
sobre el sufrimiento hasta el final en que, tras unas notas desazonadas del clarinete, deja el escenario vacío de
música y con el violonchelo caído delante del publico. Tanto cuarteto como clarinete estuvieron muy
atinados en su doble función de músicos y actores y nos brindaron un espectáculo inquietante y que
llama a la reflexión. El público en el Audicón cada día es más numeroso
y no es el habitual del Auditorio municipal. La apuesta es arriesgada pero va dando sus frutos, sin duda es un complemento
necesario en la programación cultural de Zaragoza. Juan Carlos
Galtier. Heraldo de Aragón, 21 de junio de 2006. | The second part occupied the staging of the work by Paul Barker "In Memoriam: For Those
Who Fall in Times of War ", a tribute to the members of the Sarajevo Quartet, fallen in the war, like so many defenders
of plural Bosnia, devastated by the ethnic cleansers. Here the text is music, nothing better to express the human frustration.
With simple gestures quartet and clarinet reflect on the suffering until the end in which, after notes almost unhearable
of clarinete, it leaves the music scene empty and with violoncello fallen in front of the audience. As much quartet as clarinete
was very accurate in their double function of musicians and actors and offered a disquieting spectacle to us that calls
for reflection. The public in the hall every day is more numerous and is not the habitual one of the towms Audience.
The risk is dangerous but it is giving his fruits, without a doubt it is a necessary compliment in the cultural programming
of Zaragoza. Juan Carlos Galtier. Heraldo de Aragón, 21 de junio de 2006.
|
CD:
Entre Palabras [Between Words] Quindecim QP 134
In a completely different vein is the
theatrical music of the...composer Paul Barker whose Canciones entre Palabras (Songs Between Words) and La cancion
de Cabecera (The Pillow Song) receive their premiere recordings on an issue from Quindecim Recordings. I was unfamiliar
with Barker's music before this recording, but am much impressed with his music that is full of unexpected rhythmic complexities
and astringent timbres. Canciones entre Palabras is a collection of 14 a cappella songs (solo, duet and trio) employing
vocalized syllables. The songs range in character from Zen-like stasis to manic parlando and demand virtuosic technique on
the part of the performers. This is amply supplied by soprano Lourdes Ambriz, mezzo Maria Huesca, and baritone Benito Navarro.
The radiant voice of Ambriz is also featured in the role of Sei Shonagan, the heroine of La cancion de Cabecera,
Barker's opera based on an 11th-century Japanese autobiography of the life of an imperial concubine. The composer uses an
accompaniment of only traditional temple bells, cymbals and tam-tams in an effort to approximate the aesthetic of Noh drama.
His text-settings, however, are at times very florid and definitely un-Noh-like in character. The libretto, crafted by Barker
and sung in English, alternates between solo sections for Sei Shonagan and choruses for a group of court gossips. La cancion
de Cabecera is a truly spectacular work and one that should invite further exploration of the wide variety of contemporary
music emanating from Central and South America.
(reviewed by William Grim,
Sequenza 21, Thursday, February 02, 2006 )
The Canterville Ghost
(Musical Theatre, after the short story by Oscar Wilde, words and lyrics by
Bridget Crowley)
Great Lakes Lyric Opera presents The Canterville Ghost at the Southfield
Centre for the Arts this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. British composer Paul Barker based this spooky opera on the Oscar
Wilde tale of the same name, resulting in a wicked and witty musical drama that shares its songs with biting dialogue, both
clever and droll, like the man who inspired it.
A curse has been placed on Canterville
Castle. In debt and tormented by a hideous headless ghost, Lord Canterville is left with few options to rid himself of his
horrific legacy - either to palm off the hunk of bricks on some unsuspecting Americans or fulfil a curing prophecy:
When a golden girl shall win prayer
from out the lips of sin
when
the barren almond bears
and a little child gives away its tears
then shall all
the house be still
and peace come to Canterville.
Originally written for piano and voice, the piece was rescored to include violins, cello and bass specifically for this performance
by Barker, who flew in to oversee and direct his new additions. The score is an unnerving combination of a waterfall fairy
tale mixed with bunches of jarringly harsh harmonies as if Brahms had cornered Debussy in a dark alley with ill intentions.
Haunting vocal concordances wind through boughs of Wilde-ian wit over a bed of trilling violins, tiptoeing cellos and basses
and a piano pounding down a twisting staircase.
You can't help but fall in love with the
troubled Canterville ghost, tortured by the American brats as he spirals to the end of his ghastly career. Bass-baritone Chris
Grapentine's portrayal of the spirit is charismatic and entrancing, giving you a taste of being in the presence of Wilde himself.
And listen for coloratura soprano Sheila Gautreaux as the housekeeper Mrs. Umney; her delicate voice is a delightful framework
for the piece.
There's something for everyone in this wonderfully successful sensation combination that creeps through
your spine as you giggle, a perfect family affair.
(by Anita Schmaltz, 10/24/2001,
Metro Times, Detroit)
She: Naturally Dangerous
Frances
M. Lynch
Gable End Theatre, Hoy, The Orkney Islands
Wednesday, October, 15,2003
Frances M. Lynch, though, is quite a lady. By sheer force of personality and artistic and technical wizardry (should that
be witchcraft?) she seized our attention and held us in the palm of her hand through what was at times not an easy journey,
if tempered by wit, irony and self-effacing humour. Patronised (matronised?) we were not, even when she told us that we were
now a contemporary music audience. She went straight into ‘The Cathedral of Trees', by Judith Bingham, a singer herself,
an arrestingly contemporary piece which nevertheless displayed a recognisable and restrained emotional palette. The emotions
in Paul Barker's ‘Songs between Words' (i.e. no words) were less restrained, varying from gentle to funny to terrifying,
and this was a dramatic tour deforce, all built on the way we never quite seem to understand our partners.
(PRK, The Orcadian, October 2003)
La Malinche
In an age when few composers can still succeed in writing truly original
music, Mr Barker who directed this performance has achieved something truly remarkable. Within a score that is satisfying
for both singers and listener, he has struck a distinctive new note, exploring many unusual timbres. [La Malinche]
OPERA
How refreshing to hear a new opera that is about music, based on elaborate, demanding and
satisfying writing for a chorus of ten (excellently prepared and executed), and on genuine ability to write for the voice...nothing
but praise for Barker's conducting....[ La Malinche]
OPERA
The Marriages Between Zones 3,4 & 5
Mr Barker commands that most
elusive and important quality needed for music of the stage - forward movement - indeed, I wager that we shall be hearing
more from Paul, Barker. [The Marriages Between Zones 3,4 & 5]
FINANCIAL TIMES
His musical language hovers in an attractive zone somewhere between tonality and atonality; his vocal lines are testing
as they are rewarding, and his writing for chamber orchestra is consistently inventive.
[The Marriages Between
Zones 3,4 & 5]
OPERA
The Pillow Song demonstrated once again the remarkably individual gifts of the composer (who also played
oriental instruments as a one-person accompaniment)...[The Pillow Song]
CLASSICAL MUSIC
A composer of true originality, he avoids easy solutions on the one hand and fashionable obscurantism on the other....The
whole work, of about 30 minutes, would seem a gift to television and meanwhile merits major festival performances. [The
Pillow Song]
OPERA
...Three Songs for Sylvia spent shivers of excitement down the spine. ..It is a little known work, perhaps, but one which certainly
appeared to excite the audience last night. Had the orchestra included this in its vast repertoire of recordings, I would
certainly be going out of my way to purchase a copy as soon as possible.
THE OXFORD MAIL [Three Songs for
Sylvia]
But the highlight of the evening was her (Ann Liebeck) rendering of Paul Barker's
Three Songs for Sylvia. She captured beautifully the moments of high drama, passion lyricism and sinister apprehension in
the settings of these poems in a free recitative style. There were grand melodic leaps by both soloist and orchestra and some
fine harmonic effects from the strings. These were gripping works, over all too soon. [Three Songs for Sylvia]
THE OXFORD TIMES
Avant-garde composers would have us believe they are perfectly capable of writing
mainstream pieces when they want to. There is at least one who can, as was illustrated by last night's performance of Three
Songs for Sylvia at Southwell Minster. There were ecstatic melismas for the singer within an elegantly flowing vocal line,
the thoughts and feelings expressed being taken up and crystallised in glorious writing for strings.[Three Songs for
Sylvia]
NOTTINGHAM EVENING POST
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