Keith Burstein

Keith Burstein (born Hove, UK, 1957) is a British composer. He is noted for his championing of tonal music as a valid contemporary composing style, for the political dimension of his compositions, and for several high-profile legal cases relating to his integrity as composer, musician and musical dramatist.

Musical & personal philosophy

Burstein is known for his outspoken commitment to 'New Tonalism' - a musical philosophy of reclaiming and reasserting the legitimacy of tonality in contemporary music (following a century of academic and cultural concentration on atonality). New Tonalism acknowledges the philosophy and reasoning behind the original atonal experiments of Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and others, but strongly questions the dominance of these and related forms in contemporary classical music and in modern music critical theory.

Burstein is also known for a strong commitment to humanism, and for his outspokenness on political issues. This is expressed in the subject matter of several of his works, including "The Year's Midnight - A Meditation on the Holocaust" (2000) and the opera "Manifest Destiny" (2004), which deals with the issue of contemporary Middle-Eastern suicide bombers and the ongoing 'War on Terror'. He is associated with the Stop The War Coalition, helping to lead political demonstrations for the group as well as giving press conferences with Bianca Jagger and Walter Wolfgang and performing benefits alongside Julie Christie and Michael Nyman.

In 1994, Burstein gained attention for his role as a core member of "the Hecklers", a musical protest group drawing attention to what they considered to be the disproportionate patronage and subsidisation of atonal music in the British classical music establishment. The Hecklers became infamous for having booed at the end of a performance of Harrison Birtwistle's opera "Gawain" at the Royal Opera House as part of this protest. Despite the dissolution of the group soon afterwards, Burstein has remained associated with the movement and the event in popular perception (although he dissassociated himself from the Hecklers shortly after the "Gawain" incident).

Background

Keith Burstein was born in the English coastal town of Hove (now part of the city of Brighton and Hove) as Keith Burston, one of the two sons of orchestral violinists Samuel and Barbara Burston. The family surname was an Anglicised version of Burstein, the original Lithuanian-Jewish family name of Samuel Burston's ancestors (who emigrated to the UK in the late nineteenth century).

Keith Burstein reassumed this original family name in the late 1980s, at the same time that he was discovering his own voice as a composer. He has commented that this was part of a process of self-discovery at the time, and not related to religious beliefs. However, he has also noted that his Jewish ancestry perhaps formed a "subliminal linkage" to his decision to compose the Holocaust-themed choral work "The Year’s Midnight" in 2000.

Both Samuel and Barbara Burston had played in the orchestras for the Royal Opera House and Sadler's Wells Theatre as well as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Ulster Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra, Manchester (in which Samuel Burston had enjoyed a close rapport with the conductor Sir John Barbirolli.)

Musical education

Originally tutored in piano by Hove-based music teacher Christine Pembridge, Burstein attended the Royal College of Music from 1977 (where he held two scholarships). While attending the college, he studied composition with Bernard Stevens and John Lambert, During this time he was exposed for the first time to the contemporary classical music of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez, and became a committed enthusiast for atonal and experimental music. After graduation, he studied with Jonathan Harvey on a Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust bursary.

He has commented that at the time of his studies there was widespread talk of a "malaise", or "vacuum" in contemporary classical music, but that there were no simultaneous ideas regarding how this problem might be solved.

Early musical career (and the Grosvenor Group)

Burstein initially made his name as a conductor and commissioner of contemporary music - primarily as founder of chamber ensemble The Grosvenor Group. This ensemble existed between 1983 and 1993 and performed works by Schoenberg, Webern, Stockhausen, Harrison Birtwistle, Edward Elgar, Brian Ferneyhough, Oliver Knussen, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Luciano Berio among others. Burstein has subsequently described the ensemble as "an attempt to explore the landscape and to find a pathway forward". The group received considerable critical acclaim during its existence.

However, Burstein's growing and sincere interest - as a composer - in reassessing and reincorporating tonality into contemporary music had begun to alter his priorities. Although the Grosvenor Group performed three of Burstein's compositions during its lifetime, these were atonal works inspired by his musical education. Burstein began composing tonally during the late 1980s. In a 2002 interview with "The Independent" newspaper, Burstein reflected "What had happened to me was a sort of Damascene conversion, I suppose. I suddenly saw that atonalism was a dead end. Once you accept that melody is everywhere, and always has been, in folk music and pop and rock, you see that it's not reactionary to write a tune." ["How We Met: Keith Burstein & Stewart Lee" (interview in the Independent by Jenny Gilbert, April 28th, 2002, retrieved 2nd August 2008 - [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020428/ai_n12616107] ] .

After the dissolution of the Grosvenor Group, several members went on to join the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Career as composer

Following his period with the Grosvenor Group, Burstein continued to compose for varied groups of musicians, covering ensemble pieces, choral and solo vocal music and large-scale orchestral works.

His first substantial tonal work was "Requiem For The Young" (composed between 1991 and 1993), an eighty-minute work commissioned as a memorial for the victims of the Marchioness disaster and scored for large chorus, soloists and orchestra. A chamber version of this work has been performed many times, although the full score remains unperformed.

In 1996, Burstein met and talked with the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, who was subsequently instrumental in gaining Burstein a commission to write music for the nine-hundredth anniversary celebrations of Norwich Cathedral. Pärt had already secured the commission for his own composition "I Am The True Vine" but opted to split the commission fee and opportunity with Burstein, who contributed his own "Missa Brevis" to the concerts.

In 2004, Burstein premiered his opera "Manifest Destiny" which was produced by Corin Redgrave with a libretto by Dic Edwards and designs by Ralph Steadman. In 2005, the full work was performed as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Other major works by Burstein (beside those cited elsewhere in the article) include "A Live Flame (in memoriam John Smith MP)" and the choral work "The Gates Of Time". He has also set texts by Nigerian author Ben Okri to music; and has collaborated with the [http://www.the-zemel-choir.org/ Zemel Choir] , the harpist [http://www.danielleperrett.co.uk/ Danielle Perrett] and the comedian/writer/director Stewart Lee (later infamous for ""), among others.

His current ongoing project is his "Symphony No. 1 (Elixir)", which was written for the [http://www.southbanksinfonia.co.uk/ Southbank Sinfonia] and originated as a "concerto for orchestra". The first movement ("The Splendour of Light") was performed at the St Judes Proms in June 2006, with the second movement ("The Return") premiering in February 2008.

Litigation

Burstein is also well-known for two high-profile court cases relating to the defense of his musical integrity.

The first of these cases was a well-publicized victory over News International. This was directly connected to the Hecklers incident, following a claim by "The Times" that Burstein "organis(ed) bands of hecklers to go about wrecking performances of modern atonal music, particularly anything by Sir Harrison Birtwistle." Burstein sued for libel, successfully pointing out that he had "never interrupted any concert or performance of any sort. It would have been inconceivable to interrupt anybody's performance." (The Hecklers' demonstration had taken place following the performance of "Gawain" during the audience applause, and hence constituted legitimate comment/response rather than an interruption or "wrecking".) [Case of Keith Burstein and Times Newspapers Ltd (judgement) - [http://www.cyber-rights.org/documents/burstein_times.htm] ] .

The second case is an ongoing legal action between Burstein and Associated Newspapers Ltd. Burstein sued for libel in 2005 on the grounds that a review in the "London Evening Standard" had claimed that he had glorified terrorism via the content of his opera 'Manifest Destiny'. The case is ongoing (having passed through several judgements, the first favouring Burstein, the second Associated Newspapers Ltd.) and is currently being submitted to the European Court of Human Rights.

Performed works

*"Songs For Olivier" (settings of Baudelaire poems for piano and voice) - premiered by Olivier Ferrer at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 1988.
*"Kirsty’s Dream" (for two violins and piano) - premiered by The Grosvenor Group at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 1988.
*"Clarinet Sonata" (for clarinet and piano) - premiered by [http://www.morgensternsdiaryservice.com/WebProfile/sparling_a_713.shtml Andrew Sparling] at the University of Essex, 1990.
*"Violin & Piano Sonata" - premiered by The Grosvenor Group (funding by Westminster Arts Council) at Westminster Cathedral Hall, 1990.
*"Piano Quartet No. 1" - premiered by The Grosvenor Group (funding by Westminster Arts Council) at Westminster Cathedral Hall, 1990.
*"Songs of Love" (sixteen songs for soprano/alto/tenor/bass soloists with ensemble of string quintet, two flutes, clarinet and harp) - premiered by the Grosvenor Group at the Burrell Collection, Glasgow, 1990 (also performed by the Burstein Ensemble at the Purcell Room, London, 1993).
*"Piano Preludes" - premiered and performed by composer (venue unspecified), 1990.
*"String Quartet Study" - premiered by the Grosvenor Group at Westminster Cathedral Hall, London, 1990.
*"Heaven’s Embroidered Cloth" (for soprano/alto/tenor/bass soloists, string quintet, two flutes, clarinet and harp) - commissioned by Maria Vasconcellos and premiered by the Grosvenor Group at St Bride's Church, London, 1991. This is an excerpt from "Requiem For The Young" (see Unperformed works).
*"Hymns Of Benediction" (for choir and organ) - premiered at St Bride's Church, London, 1991.
*"Piano Quartet No. 2" - premiered by Marc Choi (commissioned by Durston House School), 1991.
*"Eternal City" (for 26-piece brass ensemble) - premiered by the BT Brass Band at the Design Museum, London, 1991.
*"Lullaby For Stephen" (for cor anglais, harp and piano) - premiered by [http://www.danielleperrett.co.uk/ Danielle Perrett] and others live on Classic FM radio, 1993.
*"Glittering Horizon" (piano sonata) - premiered and performed by composer at the [http://www.conwayhall.org.uk/ Conway Hall] , London, 1994.
*"Prayer For Peace" (for soprano/alto/tenor/bass soloists, string quintet, two flutes, clarinet and harp) - premiered by the Burstein Ensemble at St James Garlickhythe Church, London, 1994.
*"Leavetaking" (for 26-piece brass ensemble) - premiered by the BT Brass Band at Southwark Cathedral, 1994.
*"A Live Flame (In memoriam John Smith MP)" (for orchestra and tenor) - premiered by London Musici (conducted by Richard Coxon) at St John's, Smith Square, London, 1995.
*"Missa Brevis" (for unaccompanied choir) - commissioned by Norwich Cathedral (commission split with Arvo Pärt) and premiered at Norwich Cathedral (alongside the Pärt composition "I Am The True Vine"), 1996.
*"The Gates Of Time" (for chamber orchestra, choir and soprano soloist) - commissioned by The Thomas Tallis Society of Greenwich to mark the Millennium and premiered at St Alfege Church, Greenwich, London, October 1999.
*"Alfege" (for orchestra and choir plus soprano/tenor/bass soloists) - commissioned by The Thomas Tallis Society to mark The Millennium, and premiered at St Alfege Church, Greenwich, London, 2000.
*"The Year’s Midnight - A Meditation on The Holocaust" (for chamber orchestra, choir, and tenor/soprano/mezzo-soprano soloists) - commissioned and performed by the [http://www.the-zemel-choir.org/ Zemel Choir] plus orchestra at St John's, Smith Square, London, 2000 (broadcast premiere on BBC Radio 4 Holocaust Memorial Day 2001).
*"Songs Against War" (for mezzo-soprano soloist and piano; settings of poems by Keith Douglas, Wilfred Owen, Lemn Sissay and Ben Okri) - premiered at Cockpit Theatre, London, October 2001.
*"String Quartet no. 1: Dance Of Death/Dream Of Love" - premiered and commissioned by the [http://www.bochmannquartet.com/ Bochmann String Quartet] (funded by the [http://www.jmi.org.uk/ Jewish Music Institute] ) at the Bridewell Theatre, London, March 2002.
*"Manifest Destiny" (opera, libretto by Dic Edwards) - first act premiered at Cockpit Theatre, London, 2003: subsequent full productions at Tricycle Theatre, London, 2004 and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2005.
*"Symphony No 1 (Elixir)" (for orchestra) - commissioned and performed by the [http://www.southbanksinfonia.co.uk/ Southbank Sinfonia] : first movement ('The Splendour of Light') premiered at St Judes Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, June 2006; second movement ('The Return') premiered at St Johns Waterloo, London, February 2008.

Recorded works

*"Three Preludes" (for solo piano), part of 'Four Seasons Singles Club: Autumn' release on Day Release Records, 2001

Unperformed works

*"Chamber Symphony", 1989
*"Piano Study", 1991
*"Requiem For The Young" (for symphony orchestra, large chorus and soprano/alto/tenor/bass soloists), 1990-1993 - commissioned by Maria Vasconcellos in memory of her sons Antonio and Domingos who died in the Marchioness disaster. Part of this work, "Heaven’s Embroidered Cloth", was performed in 1991 (see Performed works).
*"Diasanon Arrives" (for symphony orchestra), 1997
*"The Same Love" (for mezzo-soprano soloist), 2000
*"The Ship Of Death" (for male vocal quartet - originally written for the Hilliard Ensemble), 2003

Uncompleted works

*"The Furthering" (opera, libretto by Stewart Lee - a work in progress. The first half premiered as a run-through at Battersea Arts Centre, London, May 2002.

External links

* [http://www.keithburstein.co.uk/ Official Keith Burstein website] (with news, comment and audioclips)

References