Harrison Birtwistle (b1934) Secret Theatre London Sinfonietta Elgar Howarth conductor NMC D148 • Classic recording from the London Sinfonietta, previously released on Etcetera. (NMC makes another deleted disc permanently available.) • Secret Theatre explores Birtwistle’s fascination with ritual and takes its title from a Robert Graves poem. • Silbury Air is stark, menacing, and tense and named after the prehistoric mound Silbury Hill in England. 'No more exciting recording of contemporary music than this has appeared for many a day.   It celebrates the virtues, and the virtuosity, of the London Sinfonietta and also celebrates the Sinfonietta’s long association with Harrison Birtwistle, including three of the four most substantial works he has written for them.   It is Secret Theatre (1984) that makes this new recording special … it is an enthralling exploration of the interaction between what Birtwistle terms 'cantus' and 'continuum' —chant-like melody and block-like, chordally-constructed harmony.   These two elements are of equal importance, and serve to promote the real drama of the music: the confrontation, and achievement of equilibrium, between individual and collective.   These compositions leave no doubts as to why Birtwistle is such a formidable, acclaimed presence on the contemporary scene.   All that needs to be said about the performances, and the recording, is that they do the music justice.' GRAMOPHONE 1991. Harrison Birtwistle [  1.] Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum     9'25         Silbury Air *     16'15 [  2.]                   1'57 [  3.] Figure 5     3'11 [  4.] Figure 16     1'39 [  5.] Figure 22     2'14 [  6.] Figure 28     4'10 [  7.] Figure 38     3'04         Secret Theatre *     31'52 [  8.]                   2'12 [  9.] Figure 6     2'15 [10.] Figure 12     1'39 [11.] Figure 15     2'13 [12.] Figure 23     1'46 [13.] Figure 26     2'15 [14.] Figure 31     3'25 [15.] Figure 38     2'33 [16.] Figure 42     1'45 [17.] Figure 43     1'32 [18.] Figure 48     2'34 [19.] Figure 59     2'44 [20.] Figure 66     2'35 [21.] Figure 78     2'24         Total timing     57'54 Track titles refer to rehearsal figures in the scores published by Universal Edition London SInfonletta • Elgar Howarth conductor NMC Recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading, P.O.Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone (03) 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile (03) 9444 6879