Max Richter - Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

I was in the pub with a pal from work a couple of weeks back and we were generally shooting the shit.  We were talking a bit about music.  My pal is into proper classical music and opera and has travelled to Milan to see shows in the past.  If you've seen this blog before or know me, you know that I like music although in terms of classical stuff Philip Glass and Steve Reich is more my thing.

In the pub I remembered that Max Richter was playing the Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections so I picked up tickets to check it out.  I've got the Sleep CDs from a few years back although I haven't managed all 8 hours in one sitting and I've got The Blue Notebooks somewhere.  I think they were on my old iPod but I've not listened to him much.

The show tonight was the soundtrack to a ballet based on the work of Virgina Woolf.  I've never read her books but I am actually aware of the plot of Orlando, the centre piece of the night, after it was liberally showcased in an Alan Moore comic book a few years back.  The music was good with some great dynamics.  The violin part in the Mrs Dalloway segment was striking, really cutting through the sound.  The Orlando segment was anarchic and constantly changing, at one point reminding me of Pinball Wizard by the Who.  With much of the music, the melodies and themes were familiar, bringing to mind rock songs and post-rock sounds.

The final section dealt with the end of Woolf's life.  It was calming and felt very watery.

After a brief break, the chamber orchestra played On the nature of daylight from Blue Notebooks.  That piece of much is very familiar and has appeared in a lot of films and TV shows.

The music was lively and comfortable with some great sounds.  There was warm feedback which I think was intentional.  A good evening of modern classical music.