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Re-imagining Shostakovich
In November 2005 at Bristol's Colston Hall, IATMJ presented an octophonic (8 speaker) re-imagining of Shostakovich's 6th symphony, as performed 20 minutes previously by The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by the great Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Having discreetly recorded and filmed the performance, IATMJ delivered their reprocessing of the full orchestra, delivering an up-to-the-minute, full-length updating of Shostakovich’s work. Old worlds met new at this intriguing, preconception-busting event that aimed to get the digital generation on speaking terms with the glories of classical music.The largo section was inspired by Orwell's pessimistic vision of the future - "a jackboot stamping on a human face forever". Unlike Shostakovich, who had to use sophisticated double meanings to point the finger at Stalins' hated regime, we were fortunate enough to be able to set take clear aim at the current global wearers of the boot. watch a video clip of this . . .
The 'presto' section was driven by the idea was that no matter who the oppressor is, ultimately, as expressed by the iraqi goat-herder at the end, they will fail, and another will take their place. No matter how battered by injustice and terror, people will find ways to resist and prevail. Music (representing the human drive to create art and culture), is seen as a durable life-force, which cannot be denied. watch a video clip of this . . .
high quality
"In the odd hybrid of two diametrically opposed semantic complexes is thus concealed the brutal truth of Soviet reality in the 1930s, when the auto-da-fe of an entire nation was carried out to the accompaniment of hymns and marches."
--Prof I. Barsova on the Finale of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony
Drawing upon this interpretation of the composer's intentions, in the presto we sought to articulate the debilitating psychological pressures of living in times where redneck uber-terrorists and their British lap dogs destabalise the world, while our collective psyche appears to be in thrall to an avalanche of superficial bullshit. watch a video clip of this . . .
read press here , here and here . . .
read reviews here and here . . . ouch ! . .
still, its better than not even trying . . .
