Tim Rutherford-Johnson's Blog, page 3

Rambler releases of 2020

In no particular order, some of my favourite releases of 2020. Liza Lim: Extinction Events and Dawn Chorus (KAIROS) An essential release of what will surely be one of the most important, powerful and original compositions of the decade. A transformative work in Lim’s career, you can hear in real time the disintegration of her … Continue reading Rambler releases of 2020 →

Riot Ensemble Awarded the Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prize

Today it is a real pleasure to announce that Riot Ensemble has been awarded one of the first ever Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prizes. I joined Riot in 2016 on the invitation of its director Aaron Holloway-Nahum, becoming a member of the group’s Artistic Board and its in-house writer. That’s still quite a rare role … Continue reading Riot Ensemble Awarded the Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prize →

Linda Buckley: From Ocean’s Floor

I’m really enjoying Linda Buckley’s new album, From Ocean’s Floor, released on NMC last week. Until now I’ve always associated Buckley’s music (I interviewed her a decade ago as part of my ’10 for ’10’ series) with a kind of lush, folky minimalism – almost an Irish Górecki, perhaps. On From Ocean’s Floor that side … Continue reading Linda Buckley: From Ocean’s Floor →

Bastard Assignments 2: Lockdown Jams

‘A welcome reminder of the value of risk in artistic creation’: the way in which I ended my NZfM profile of Bastard Assignments, written seven or eight months ago, might be applied even more forcefully to the group’s work during the Covid-19 lockdown. Since early on in lockdown, the composer-performer group have been producing a series … Continue reading Bastard Assignments 2: Lockdown Jams →

Bastard Assignments 1: Profile for Neue Zeitschrift für Musik

The following text is the original English version of an article I wrote at the end of last year, and which will be published soon in German in Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (3/2020; purchase here). Except for the addition of some links, the text is unchanged from my original. I will be writing more here … Continue reading Bastard Assignments 1: Profile for Neue Zeitschrift für Musik →

Chaya Czernowin: Infinite Now

In 2017 I was fortunate enough to attend the world premiere of Chaya Czernowin’s third opera, Infinite Now, at Opera Vlaanderen in Ghent, Belgium. It was a remarkable experience. The opera’s libretto is based on and amalgamates two stories: the novel Homecoming by the Chinese avant-garde writer Can Xue (born 1953), and the play FRONT … Continue reading Chaya Czernowin: Infinite Now →

Some recent writings

Last autumn, I was fortunate to be asked – separately, but serendipitously – to write essays on five of my favourite artists: Apartment House, Chaya Czernowin, Evan Johnson, Liza Lim and Timothy McCormack,. Although I enjoy most writing, it’s rare to be able to take such pleasure from it, and over such a sustained period … Continue reading Some recent writings →

Playlists for the Long Distancing 6

I’ve been meaning to put this one together for a long time, and now the time felt unavoidable. This weekend’s listening is an ordered collection of Anthony Braxton’s numbered compositions as far as I can find them on Spotify, from 1 to 377 (and counting). I know close to nothing about Braxton’s music, and its … Continue reading Playlists for the Long Distancing 6 →

Restarting, tentatively

Slowly, live music, in front of live audiences, is beginning to return. In Denmark, critic Andrew Mellor jubilantly announced two weeks ago his first post-lockdown concert, and last night he watched the Royal Danish Opera give its first concert with orchestra, chorus and audience in three months. Perhaps inevitably, given the stakes, the event itself … Continue reading Restarting, tentatively →

Black Lives Matter

A playlist of listening for this weekend – and any weekend.