Michael Finnissy Clarinet Quintet, released on CD by Metier as 'Michael Finnissy: Six Sexy Minuets Three Trios and Other Works'. Linda Merrick, Clarinet; Kreutzer Quartet.
- Submitting institution
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Royal Northern College of Music
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 31A
- Type
- I - Performance
- Venue(s)
- St. Michael’s Church, Highgate, London
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month of first performance
- -
- Year of first performance
- 2017
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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- Research group(s)
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5 - Performance
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- The project to commission a clarinet quintet from Michael Finnissy stemmed from my extended research into collaboration between composers and performers, evidenced through commissions, performances, recordings and workshops/conference presentations. As the Kreutzer Quartet and I had previously performed a number Finnissy’s works, this project provided a unique opportunity to explore how long-term artistic relationships can influence the collaborative process and shape a work from conception to realisation.
The project commenced with an extended discussion with Finnissy about his concept for the work, exploring how this might intersect with the process of my research. He was committed to engaging fully in the collaborative process. His aspiration was to write a work with five highly contrasting movements, exploiting extremes of range and dynamic and exploring the distinctive character of each player, and to include a flexible movement for solo clarinet.
During rehearsals for the premiere, Finnissy’s detailed feedback was focused primarily on changes to tempo, dynamics and balance. It became clear, however, that he had a significantly different concept for the solo movement from my own reading in terms of overall character, pacing, shaping of phrases, timbre and dynamics. Time constraints made it unworkable for me to rethink my interpretation and realise this with conviction at the premiere, but we agreed that I would revisit the movement prior to recording.
What I had not anticipated was that Finnissy’s aspirations would evolve in the intervening period in direct response to my interpretation. Ideas he had initially greeted with caution ultimately became his preferred reading, superseding his original concept for the movement. This provided compelling evidence that ownership of a work can transfer from composer to performer through collaboration and that the collaborative process can have a profound impact on the musical outcome.
The work was released in October 2018 on the Metier label.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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