cornelius cardew
biographie
le compositeur anglais cornelius cardew (1936-1981) est sans aucun doute l'un des compositeurs les plus importants de la seconde moitié du vingtième siècle. bien qu'il reste aujourd'hui encore largement ignoré du public, contrairement à karlheinz stockhausen et john cage dont il reconnaît l'influence sur son propre parcours, cornelius cardew a inspiré toute une génération de compositeurs et de musiciens britanniques reconnus à travers le monde. des artistes tels que gavin bryars, brian eno, michael nyman et frederic rzewski ont tous revendiqué l'ascendance de cornelius cardew dans leur propre développement musical. son approche radicale de la composition et sa réflexion politique des processus d'élaborations de la musique le conduisent en outre à initier, à la fin des années soixante, l'une des tentatives les plus abouties de répondre aux revendications démocratiques des avant-gardes. le scratch orchestra, qu'il forme en 1968 à l'intérieur d'un cours qu'il dispense au morley college – une école londonienne pour adulte – met radicalement en cause les limites sociales de l'art et de la musique en tant que domaines spécialisés de savoir et d'expérience. à travers le scratch orchestra, qui mêle à la fois des musiciens expérimentés et des non musiciens, il ne s'agit pas seulement de dépasser les limites traditionnelles et la hiérarchie qui distingue compositeur, interprète et auditeurs, mais aussi de remettre en cause le cloisonnement de l'art en domaines séparés. l'art visuel et la performance feront donc partie intégrante de l'expérience collective et créative du scratch orchestra tout au long des quatre années de son existence.
dean inkster
the english composer cornelius cardew (1936–1981) is undoubtedly one of the most important composers of the second half of the twentieth century. although he remains largely unknown to the general public even today—unlike karlheinz stockhausen and john cage—whose influence on his own career he acknowledged—cornelius cardew inspired an entire generation of british composers and musicians recognized worldwide. artists such as gavin bryars, brian eno, michael nyman, and frederic rzewski have all cited cornelius cardew as an influence on their own musical development. his radical approach to composition and his political reflection on the processes of musical creation further led him to initiate, in the late 1960s, one of the most successful attempts to respond to the democratic demands of the avant-garde. the scratch orchestra, which he formed in 1968 as part of a course he taught at morley college—a london school for adults—radically challenged the social boundaries of art and music as specialized domains of knowledge and experience. through the scratch orchestra, which brought together both experienced musicians and non-musicians, the aim was not only to transcend traditional boundaries and the hierarchy that distinguishes composers, performers, and listeners, but also to challenge the compartmentalization of art into separate domains. visual art and performance will therefore be an integral part of the scratch orchestra’s collective and creative experience throughout its four years of existence.
dean inkster
the english composer cornelius cardew (1936–1981) is undoubtedly one of the most important composers of the second half of the twentieth century. although he remains largely unknown to the general public even today—unlike karlheinz stockhausen and john cage—whose influence on his own career he acknowledged—cornelius cardew inspired an entire generation of british composers and musicians recognized worldwide. artists such as gavin bryars, brian eno, michael nyman, and frederic rzewski have all cited cornelius cardew as an influence on their own musical development. his radical approach to composition and his political reflection on the processes of musical creation further led him to initiate, in the late 1960s, one of the most successful attempts to respond to the democratic demands of the avant-garde. the scratch orchestra, which he formed in 1968 as part of a course he taught at morley college—a london school for adults—radically challenged the social boundaries of art and music as specialized domains of knowledge and experience. through the scratch orchestra, which brought together both experienced musicians and non-musicians, the aim was not only to transcend traditional boundaries and the hierarchy that distinguishes composers, performers, and listeners, but also to challenge the compartmentalization of art into separate domains. visual art and performance will therefore be an integral part of the scratch orchestra’s collective and creative experience throughout its four years of existence.