Inspirations

Donald Macleod talks to the composer about his passions for social justice and visual art, and they discuss his vocal work tackling the subject of domestic violence.

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a man with a reputation for shaking up the world of British classical music - a composer with a distinctive and rebellious creative voice. His work vividly fuses influences of jazz, soul and contemporary pop with music that remains boldly and defiantly avant-garde. It’s music that packs a punch, yet whose visceral impact accompanies a deep lyricism and emotion. Over four decades, Turnage’s work has tackled social commentary: domestic violence, drug abuse, and the refugee crisis. But he’s also a composer with a subversive streak, with an opera exploring the life of former Playboy model Anna-Nicole Smith, and orchestral pieces inspired by his beloved Arsenal football club and pop superstar Beyoncé.

Turnage’s music is often inspired by issues in the contemporary the world: today, he talks to Donald Macleod about his dramatic scena “Twice Through The Heart”, to words by the Scottish poet Jackie Kay, which addresses the trauma of domestic abuse from a woman’s perspective. They also discuss the composer’s deep love of visual art, as we hear a work inspired by the “Pope” paintings of Francis Bacon.

Set To
Brass Partout

Three Screaming Popes
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

Twice Through the Heart (Part Two)
Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor

Your Rockaby (excerpt)
Martin Robertson, saxophone
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

True life stories (Tune for Toru)
Ian Brown, piano