Georg Friedrich Haas, Music for Video Games

A new production of Verdi’s The Force of Destiny opened on Monday 9th November at English National Opera, conducted by new music director Mark Wigglesworth. Tom is joined by critic David Nice to review Calixto Bieito's new production which sets the opera in the Spanish Civil War, and stars American soprano Tamara Wilson, tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones and baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore. 

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The Force of Destiny at ENO
Music Matters interview with Mark Wigglesworth
Music Matters interview with Calixto Bieito
The opera will be broadcast on December 26th on BBC Radio 3

This autumn, Tate Modern hosts an exhibition showcasing works by American sculptor Alexander Calder, including Chef d’orchestre. Earle Brown’s piece for the sculpture, in which four percussionists are “conducted” by the mobile, is performed this week, and Tom speaks to conductor Richard Bernas and the players about the interaction of sound and motion and how they actually perform the piece. 

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Tate Modern – Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture
Tate Modern – Earle Brown’s Calder Piece

Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas’ new opera Morgen und Abend had its world premiere at the Royal Opera House on Friday 13 November. He came into the Music Matters studio to talk about the near-death experience which inspired the piece and his views on the politics of his native Austria.

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Morgen und Abend at the Royal Opera House
The opera will be broadcast on Saturday 5th December on BBC Radio 3 

With sales of computer games outstripping sales of both CDs and DVDs it’s maybe not surprising that the music written for today’s games is a lot more stylish than the 8-bit bleeps and jingles of the early 1980s. Today’s composers are writing increasingly sophisticated orchestral and vocal scores that have to interact as well as underscore the play. Tom explores the music and the industry with help from composer Jessica Curry.

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Jessica Curry
The Chinese Room
Games Design at Abertay University