{"id":1009,"date":"2010-08-08T15:00:40","date_gmt":"2010-08-08T14:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/music-matters\/?p=1009"},"modified":"2010-08-09T08:23:21","modified_gmt":"2010-08-09T07:23:21","slug":"contemporary-music-is-it-beyond-our-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/music-matters\/2010\/08\/08\/contemporary-music-is-it-beyond-our-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"Contemporary music: is it beyond our reach ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contemporary music festivals are often perceived as being\u00a0notoriously expensive. They can need dedicated professionals working at the peak of their powers to realise extremely demanding repertoire, Rolls Royce ensembles, high-profile conductors. Scores and music are expensive to hire or purchase. The music can be fiendishly difficult both to execute and to comprehend: or of course, the music of composers like Howard Skempton<\/a> and Michael Nyman<\/a>, which is challenging in a different way. Brash, modern ensembles, amplified instruments, electronics, a battery of percussion: think of groups like Icebreaker<\/a>, the Orkest de Volharding, or Bang On a Can<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Commensurately, ticket prices can\u00a0be high, as festival organisers endeavour to recoup some of the cost.<\/p>\n

This is, of course,\u00a0not true. Or at least – not always.<\/p>\n

The widespread nature of this misconception\u00a0is a shame, because contemporary music is part of the lifeblood of contemporary culture. It reflects modern concerns, resonating with the sounds of urban life and society\u2019s hang-ups: the forthcoming opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage<\/a> is a meditation on the life and untimely death of Anna Nicole Smith. Contemporary music can be riotous and fun: think of the music of Graham Fitkin<\/a> or John Adams<\/a>, with its exciting rhythmic vibrancy. It is a way of engaging with current issues, and making audiences consider political or social issues: Nixon in China<\/em>, for example.<\/p>\n