Vic Hoyland
Composer
Composer
Michelagniolo
1st Performance, staged by Northern Music theatre with David Sawer as soloist, conducted by Graham Treacher. Recorded at Lyons Concert Hall, York, 1981
for baritone, caged male chorus and large ensemble
Texts: Vespers, various writings by Michelangelo, Savonarola
3-0-3-0 – 0-3-3-0 – 2 perc – 2 hp, elec pf, elec org - 2 va, 2 vc, 2 db (amplified)
27’ 00” duration 1981
Commissioned by Northern Music Theatre
1st Performance
Lyons Concert Hall, York, then The Place, London 11th May 1984
Reviews
The overriding impact of Michelagniolo (sic: the way M. wrote his name) is of passion barely constrained, a sense of artistic achievement under the most extreme psychological doubts, about human fulfilment, about death. There are moments of sheer delicacy, which the work benefits. M. contains some thrilling effects and riveting orchestral writing.
Andrew Clements, Financial Times
Performances of quite extraordinary commitment
York Evening Post
Performances combining brilliance and skill
Yorkshire Post
The best performance we were able to realize was at The Place, Marylebone, where David Sawer was magnificent in the central role. (B & W photographs are available).
NMT at The Place: NMT has received high praise and their exciting London debut showed why. This group is remarkable, and has an almost swaggering confidence, which places it amongst the elite in this field. Hoyland’s M. is extraordinary, impassioned, fitful, brash, terrifying, and with serenity quickly interrupted. Captivating.
Stephen Pettitt
Article by Philip Grange in Tempo