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London Sinfonietta

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra for contemporary music, founded in 1968 and based in London. David Atherton and Nicholas Snowman founded it. Atherton was the first music director, and Snowman the first general manager. In the first concert on 24 January 1968 the ensemble gave the world premiere of John Tavener's The Whale. In 1970 it recorded that work for The Beatles' label, Apple Records. Since then the London Sinfonietta has commissioned more than three hundred new works and given many hundreds of premieres.

Music and breakthrough

The core consists of eighteen regular players. Later the ensemble was led by Michael Vyner, Paul Crossley, Markus Stenz and Oliver Knussen, among others. It is resident orchestra at the Southbank Centre and artistic partner of Kings Place. The recordings form a catalogue of twentieth-century classics, such as Berio Conducts Berio from 1977, Harrison Birtwistle's Verses for Ensembles and Clarinet Concertos from 1981.

Influence

In the early years classical repertoire was also on the programme; later it focused mainly on music from the last decades of the twentieth century. In the 2000s the ensemble sought collaboration with pop and electronic artists, in order to link the sound worlds of different genres. In this way the London Sinfonietta shows that new classical music and pop music can meet, even though the project began with a composition that The Beatles released.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Berio Conducts Berio and notice how the small ensemble of winds, strings and percussion keeps making different colours. Can you hear how every player in this ensemble has a role of his own?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists