Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra was performed by co-commissioners, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra last week.
“Philharmonia [Fantastique] demystifies the orchestra to such an extent that it becomes mystical all over again: Sprite zips through precisely rendered diagrams of the valves of a trumpet or the chamber of a cello. Color-coded sound waves from different sections race by in three-dimensional staves like a game of Guitar Hero.”
“With uncanny synchronicity, it transposes the composer’s sweeping score into a charming chronicle of a wide-eyed young listener — a “Sprite” — whose curiosity leads to a vibrantly colorful dive into not just the makings of an orchestra, but also the inner workings of its instruments.”
Read the full review in The Washington Post.
“Composer Mason Bates is one of the premier voices in classical music today, and if his new project goes to plan, he may help foster the next generation of musicmakers.”
Mason writes: “The film is a piece of art that is meant to be a gateway, meaning it’s not designed to be overly pedagogical. We wanted, for example, to teach many things about the instruments without any words. So, you just see the Sprite going into the valves of the brass or jumping on a violin string like a trampoline to present the concept of the harmonic series. These ideas can be expanded upon in the classroom later; we’re building an education program, a little ecosystem of materials around this film.”
Read Mason’s full interview on WFMT’s website.
