Memorial (composition)
Encyclopedia
Memorial is an epic funeral march-like piece, composed by Michael Nyman
around 1984-1985. This composition is one of the most praised in the work of Michael Nyman. Its first commercial recording was on the soundtrack of The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover and has been rerecorded on the Michael Nyman Band
's The Essential Michael Nyman Band
and The Composer's Cut Series Vol. II: Nyman/Greenaway Revisted. After Extra Time
and The Very Best of Michael Nyman: 1990-2001 are reissues of the Essential and soundtrack versions, respectively. The work premiered on 15 June 1985.
fans killed in the Heysel Stadium tragedy
, in May 1985.
The composition borrowed a musical phrase from Baroque composer Henry Purcell
's King Arthur
, the prelude to "What Power Art Thou," sung by the Cold Genius in Act III, but the phrase is repeated in countless times, in a minimalist
fashion. The composition is dominated for the first two-thirds by the string and horn sections, backed up by bass guitar
, and a drummer. Soprano
Sarah Leonard comes in only in the last third of section, and her performance mainly consists of long wordless complaints, adding a dramatic effect to the composition. Her song is continuously an octave higher than the rest of the orchestra, thus creating a haunting effect that suggests pain and sorrow.
The best known portion is in fact only the fifth movement. The sixth movement has been released on compact disc under the title "Images Were Introduced" on the album The Kiss and Other Movements
. The second and fourth appear on the limited edition album, La Traversée de Paris
. The other movements remain unreleased, and Nyman has described the work as "dismantled."
It had a strong effect on movie director Peter Greenaway
, who decided to create parts of his film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover after this composition. In fact, this composition is perhaps the best example of the integration of Nyman's music to Greenaway's work. The final sequence of the movie was entirely choreographed around the fifth movement. The sequence represents a procession bearing the body of The Lover, prepared by The Cook, served by The Wife as a dish for her husband, The Thief.
More recently, it was used in two documentaries, Man on Wire
and Michael Winterbottom
's "The Shock Doctrine".
The composition was used once in a week (on Saturday) in the main episode of Channel 2 (Israel)
.
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
around 1984-1985. This composition is one of the most praised in the work of Michael Nyman. Its first commercial recording was on the soundtrack of The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover and has been rerecorded on the Michael Nyman Band
Michael Nyman Band
The Michael Nyman Band, formerly known as the Campiello Band, is a group formed as a street band for a 1976 production of Carlo Goldoni's 1756 play, Il Campiello directed by Bill Bryden at the Old Vic...
's The Essential Michael Nyman Band
The Essential Michael Nyman Band
The Essential Michael Nyman Band is a studio album featuring a collection of music by Michael Nyman written for the films of Peter Greenaway and newly performed by the Michael Nyman Band. It is the seventeenth album release by Nyman...
and The Composer's Cut Series Vol. II: Nyman/Greenaway Revisted. After Extra Time
After Extra Time (album)
After Extra Time is a 1996 album by Michael Nyman with the Michael Nyman Band containing three tributes to Nyman's fandom of Association football: After Extra Time, the soundtrack to The Final Score, and Memorial. The latter is described as a remix, but is simply the 1992 recording from The...
and The Very Best of Michael Nyman: 1990-2001 are reissues of the Essential and soundtrack versions, respectively. The work premiered on 15 June 1985.
Background
Nyman utilized a death march in his earlier work, Drowning by Numbers, and revives the scheme for Memorial, clearly setting death and its emotional impact as the main theme of the composition. Indeed, Nyman explicitly dedicated Memorial to the memory of the Juventus F.C.Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
fans killed in the Heysel Stadium tragedy
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
, in May 1985.
The composition borrowed a musical phrase from Baroque composer Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
's King Arthur
King Arthur (opera)
King Arthur or, The British Worthy , is a semi-opera in five acts with music by Henry Purcell and alibretto by John Dryden. It was first performed at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden, London, in late May or early June 1691....
, the prelude to "What Power Art Thou," sung by the Cold Genius in Act III, but the phrase is repeated in countless times, in a minimalist
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
fashion. The composition is dominated for the first two-thirds by the string and horn sections, backed up by bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and a drummer. Soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Sarah Leonard comes in only in the last third of section, and her performance mainly consists of long wordless complaints, adding a dramatic effect to the composition. Her song is continuously an octave higher than the rest of the orchestra, thus creating a haunting effect that suggests pain and sorrow.
The best known portion is in fact only the fifth movement. The sixth movement has been released on compact disc under the title "Images Were Introduced" on the album The Kiss and Other Movements
The Kiss and Other Movements
The Kiss and Other Movements is the sixth album release by Michael Nyman, and the fifth recording with the Michael Nyman Band. The title track is an "operatic duet" between Dagmar Krause and Omar Ebrahim, based on a painting of the same title by Paul Richards, which is depicted on the cover, and...
. The second and fourth appear on the limited edition album, La Traversée de Paris
La Traversée de Paris (album)
La Traversée de Paris is an album by the Michael Nyman Band featuring music composed by Michael Nyman for an audio-visual exhibition of the same name which took place at the Grande Arche de la Défense from July to December 1989 to celebrate the bicentennial of the French Revolution.-Track...
. The other movements remain unreleased, and Nyman has described the work as "dismantled."
Influence
The composition was described in the Guardian by Waldemar Januszczak as 'a small piece of atonement'. This composition is part of critic Frank Oteri's list of the most important 100 classical compositions by living composers (see: http://www.newmusicbox.org/archive/century/century.pdf).It had a strong effect on movie director Peter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway, CBE is a British film director. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular...
, who decided to create parts of his film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover after this composition. In fact, this composition is perhaps the best example of the integration of Nyman's music to Greenaway's work. The final sequence of the movie was entirely choreographed around the fifth movement. The sequence represents a procession bearing the body of The Lover, prepared by The Cook, served by The Wife as a dish for her husband, The Thief.
More recently, it was used in two documentaries, Man on Wire
Man on Wire
Man on Wire is a 2008 British documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center. It is based on Philippe Petit's book, To Reach the Clouds, recently released in paperback with the new title...
and Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom is a prolific English filmmaker who has directed seventeen feature films in the past fifteen years. He began his career working in British television before moving into features...
's "The Shock Doctrine".
The composition was used once in a week (on Saturday) in the main episode of Channel 2 (Israel)
Channel 2 (Israel)
Channel 2 is an Israeli commercial television channel.- History :In 1990, after 13 years of deliberations, the Knesset passed a law that paved the way for the establishment of commercial television in Israel. The goal was to enhance pluralism and create competition. Channel 2 began broadcasting on...
.