Silvina Milstein
Encyclopedia
Silvina Milstein is an Argentine
composer
and scholar of twentieth century music, living in the United Kingdom
and teaching at King's College London
. Her music has been described as 'turbulent and hesitantly ecstatic', as well as 'highly poetic', 'rich and dense'.
of Buenos Aires
and the Escuela de Bellas Artes of the University of La Plata. At Glasgow University her main composition teachers were Judith Weir
and Lyell Cresswell
. She was awarded a prize as the most distinguished woman graduate in the Faculty of Arts. Later she studied under Alexander Goehr
, with whom she has also carried out extensive research into the music of Arnold Schoenberg
.
In the late 1980s she held a Research Fellowship at Jesus
College followed by a combined research and teaching Fellowship at King's College, Cambridge. She is now a Professor of Music at King's College London.
In addition to her own compositional work her interests concern the musical and intellectual environment of the Second Viennese School
, and of Schoenberg in particular. The main core of her teaching is in composition, twentieth-century music history, and analysis of contemporary music.
, tigres azules being an investigation of the compositional potential of treating the ‘present moment as an infinite dream’, and surrounded by distance … an exploration of ‘the indefinable, yet seemingly precise manner in which musical shapes and configurations arise spontaneously as evocative appearances and illusory continuities as described in the Lankatavara Sutra’.
An important strand in Milstein's music is the use of evocative gestures that draw from the vernacular music of Buenos Aires, which she evolved in music of the city (1995) and a media luz (2000), as a means of furnishing a composition with a sense of modality. These pieces are like kaleidoscopic collages made out of evocative fragments of characteristic rhythms, turns of phrase, and sonorities from Argentinian popular music (tango, milonga, bolero), embodied in textures inspired by the music of the Second Viennese School.
Her music has been played by some of the leading orchestras, ensembles and performers in Britain and abroad, such as the Ensemble Modern
(Frankfurt), the London Sinfonietta
, Lontano, the BBC Singers
, the Endellion String Quartet, and Jane Manning
. Her compositions have been championed by the conductors Oliver Knussen
and Odaline de la Martinez
, who have been instrumental in the commissioning of many of her compositions.
Although the main focus of Milstein's work for the last two decades has been in composition, there is much overlap between her analytical work and compositional thinking. For instance, her article on the first movement of Goehr
’s Schlussgesang (2003) is an attempt to provide a hypothetical reconstruction of the compositional process, from an embryonic sketch (displaying many technical annotations) to its fully fledged realization. This is the first study to offer a comprehensive technical discussion of Goehr’s post-serial harmonic practice in its aesthetic context, and explores Goehr’s synthesis of French and Austro-German approaches to tonality and modality and their relation to his understanding of Schoenbergian dodecaphony.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and scholar of twentieth century music, living in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and teaching at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. Her music has been described as 'turbulent and hesitantly ecstatic', as well as 'highly poetic', 'rich and dense'.
Background and education
Milstein emigrated to Britain after the Argentinian military coup of 1976. Her early musical education had taken place at the Collegium MusicumCollegium Musicum
The Collegium Musicum was one of several types of musical societies that arose in German and German-Swiss cities and towns during the Reformation and thrived into the mid-18th century...
of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and the Escuela de Bellas Artes of the University of La Plata. At Glasgow University her main composition teachers were Judith Weir
Judith Weir
Judith Weir CBE, is a British composer.-Biography:Her music has been appreciated by audiences and critics alike. She trained with John Tavener while still at school and subsequently with Robin Holloway at King's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1976...
and Lyell Cresswell
Lyell Cresswell
Lyell Cresswell is a composer of contemporary classical music. He studied in Wellington, Toronto, Aberdeen and Utrecht. He moved to Scotland in the 1970s and has lived and worked in Edinburgh since 1985...
. She was awarded a prize as the most distinguished woman graduate in the Faculty of Arts. Later she studied under Alexander Goehr
Alexander Goehr
Alexander Goehr is an English composer and academic.Goehr was born in Berlin in 1932, the son of the conductor and Schoenberg pupil Walter Goehr. In his early twenties he emerged as a central figure in the Manchester School of post-war British composers. In 1955–56 he joined Oliver Messiaen's...
, with whom she has also carried out extensive research into the music of Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
.
In the late 1980s she held a Research Fellowship at Jesus
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
College followed by a combined research and teaching Fellowship at King's College, Cambridge. She is now a Professor of Music at King's College London.
In addition to her own compositional work her interests concern the musical and intellectual environment of the Second Viennese School
Second Viennese School
The Second Viennese School is the group of composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils and close associates in early 20th century Vienna, where he lived and taught, sporadically, between 1903 and 1925...
, and of Schoenberg in particular. The main core of her teaching is in composition, twentieth-century music history, and analysis of contemporary music.
Work as a composer
Over the past ten years she has explored musical forms arising from heightened states of awareness, borrowing from a wealth of artistic media and spiritual traditions. These preoccupations are evident in her recent works for the London SinfoniettaLondon Sinfonietta
The London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
, tigres azules being an investigation of the compositional potential of treating the ‘present moment as an infinite dream’, and surrounded by distance … an exploration of ‘the indefinable, yet seemingly precise manner in which musical shapes and configurations arise spontaneously as evocative appearances and illusory continuities as described in the Lankatavara Sutra’.
An important strand in Milstein's music is the use of evocative gestures that draw from the vernacular music of Buenos Aires, which she evolved in music of the city (1995) and a media luz (2000), as a means of furnishing a composition with a sense of modality. These pieces are like kaleidoscopic collages made out of evocative fragments of characteristic rhythms, turns of phrase, and sonorities from Argentinian popular music (tango, milonga, bolero), embodied in textures inspired by the music of the Second Viennese School.
Her music has been played by some of the leading orchestras, ensembles and performers in Britain and abroad, such as the Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries....
(Frankfurt), the London Sinfonietta
London Sinfonietta
The London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
, Lontano, the BBC Singers
BBC Singers
The BBC Singers are the professional chamber choir of the BBC. As one of six BBC Performing Groups, the 24-voiced choir has been in existence for more than 80 years. The BBC Singers have commissioned and premiered works by the leading composers of the past century, including Benjamin Britten, Sir...
, the Endellion String Quartet, and Jane Manning
Jane Manning
Jane Manning OBE is an English concert and opera soprano, writer on music, and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Music. She has been described by one critic as "the irrepressible, incomparable, unstoppable Ms...
. Her compositions have been championed by the conductors Oliver Knussen
Oliver Knussen
Oliver Knussen CBE is a British composer and conductor.-Biography:Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Stuart Knussen, was principal double bass of the London Symphony Orchestra. Oliver Knussen studied composition with John Lambert, between 1963 and 1969 and also received...
and Odaline de la Martinez
Odaline de la Martinez
Odaline de la Martinez is a Cuban-American composer and conductor, currently residing in the UK. She is the artistic director of , a London-based contemporary music ensemble which she co-founded in 1976 with New Zealander flautist , and was the first woman to conduct at the BBC Promenade Concerts ...
, who have been instrumental in the commissioning of many of her compositions.
Research interests
In Arnold Schoenberg: notes, sets, forms, Milstein proposes a hypothetical reconstruction of Schoenberg's conception of compositional process in his twelve-tone music. The core of the book consists of detailed analytical studies, which rely heavily on factors outside the score (such as the sketch material, the composer's theoretical and philosophical writings, his musical development, and cultural milieu). In this sense her work extends beyond the boundaries of textual analysis into the field of the history of musical ideas.Although the main focus of Milstein's work for the last two decades has been in composition, there is much overlap between her analytical work and compositional thinking. For instance, her article on the first movement of Goehr
Goehr
Goehr or Göhr is a surname.People with this name include:*Alexander Goehr , English composer and academic, son of Walter*Marlies Göhr , German athlete*Walter Goehr , German composer, father of Alexander...
’s Schlussgesang (2003) is an attempt to provide a hypothetical reconstruction of the compositional process, from an embryonic sketch (displaying many technical annotations) to its fully fledged realization. This is the first study to offer a comprehensive technical discussion of Goehr’s post-serial harmonic practice in its aesthetic context, and explores Goehr’s synthesis of French and Austro-German approaches to tonality and modality and their relation to his understanding of Schoenbergian dodecaphony.
Selected compositions
The following information is taken from fuller lists at and .- Janus for clarinet and electronic tape (1984, premiered by Lontano)
- Sombras (1985; co-winner of the Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
Trust/SPNM Orchestral Award) - String Quartet (1989, premiered by the Bingham String Quartet)
- Music of the City - Musica Ciudadana (1993; premiered by BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraBBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is a broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation , it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland...
) - A love song for Psyche and Cupid* for mezzo-soprano, violin, cello and piano (1994; premiered by Jane ManningJane ManningJane Manning OBE is an English concert and opera soprano, writer on music, and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Music. She has been described by one critic as "the irrepressible, incomparable, unstoppable Ms...
, Darragh MorganDarragh MorganDarragh Morgan was born in Belfast in 1974, and is one of London's most sought after interpreters of new music. Darragh has established himself as a soloist of new music giving numerous recitals at , as well as in Prague, Malta, Nicosia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, U.S...
, Kim Mackrell and Robert KeeleyRobert KeeleyRobert Keeley may refer to:*Robert Keeley , British composer and pianist*Robert V. Keeley , former United States Ambassador to Greece, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius*Robert Keeley , 19th-century English comedian...
) - Nova Polska for chamber chorus, solo tenor, and chamber orchestra (1995; premiered by the BBC SingersBBC SingersThe BBC Singers are the professional chamber choir of the BBC. As one of six BBC Performing Groups, the 24-voiced choir has been in existence for more than 80 years. The BBC Singers have commissioned and premiered works by the leading composers of the past century, including Benjamin Britten, Sir...
and the London Chamber Symphony) - Book of Shadows for string quartet and narrator (1998; commissioned by the Endellion String Quartet)
- of lavender light for chamber ensemble (1999; commissioned by Lontano)
- a media luz (2000; premiered by BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraBBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is a broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation , it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland...
) - The Unending Rose for solo violin (2001, commissioned by Darragh MorganDarragh MorganDarragh Morgan was born in Belfast in 1974, and is one of London's most sought after interpreters of new music. Darragh has established himself as a soloist of new music giving numerous recitals at , as well as in Prague, Malta, Nicosia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, U.S...
) - So light upon the wind … (Dante, Inferno, Canto V): aria for twelve instruments (2002, commissioned by Lontano)
- fire dressed in black (2002, commissioned by Vanitas)
- tigres azules (2004; commissioned by London SinfoniettaLondon SinfoniettaThe London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
) - cristales y susurros – whispering crystals (2005; commissioned by Lontano)
- surrounded by distance ... (2008; second London SinfoniettaLondon SinfoniettaThe London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
commission) - a thousand golden bells in the breeze for double-manual harpsichord (2009; commissioned by Chau-Yee Lo)
- de oro y sombra ... (2011; commissioned by Birmingham Contemporary Music GroupBirmingham Contemporary Music GroupBirmingham Contemporary Music Group is a chamber orchestra based in Birmingham, England. BCMG specialises in the performance of new and contemporary music. BCMG performs regularly at the CBSO Centre and Symphony Hall in Birmingham...
, world premiere 25 September 2011)
Discography
- fire dressed in black: chamber works performed by Lontano cond. Odaline de la MartinezOdaline de la MartinezOdaline de la Martinez is a Cuban-American composer and conductor, currently residing in the UK. She is the artistic director of , a London-based contemporary music ensemble which she co-founded in 1976 with New Zealander flautist , and was the first woman to conduct at the BBC Promenade Concerts ...
External links
- King's College London, Department of Music: staff pages http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/music/people/acad/milstein/index.aspx
- Sound and Music composer profile http://soundandmusic.org/artist-area/profiles/silvina-milstein
- British Composers Project page http://www.composer.co.uk/composers/milstein.html
See also
- King's College LondonKing's College LondonKing's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
- George BenjaminGeorge Benjamin (composer)George William John Benjamin, CBE is a British composer of classical music. He is also a conductor, pianist and teacher....
- Robert KeeleyRobert Keeley (composer)Robert Keeley is a British composer and pianist. He studied with Oliver Knussen at the Royal College of Music, at Magdalen College, Oxford, under Bernard Rose, and later with Robert Saxton...