In the sub-zero temperatures of Scottish winter on the Orkney Islands, neoclassical composer Erland Cooper orchestrated a gathering of the Scottish Ensemble to perform and record “Folded Landscapes”. An extraordinary piece of music intended for chamber strings, piano, harpsichord and soprano, incorporating poignant field recordings of the haunting groans of glaciers juxtaposed with the crackling sound of wild fires.
Mixed and mastered during record breaking high temperatures of Summer, the master tape reels were left to bake on the roof of the studio on what was not just the hottest day of the year – it was the hottest day in history.
The composition serves as an exploration of temperature and time gradually thawing over its seven movements. It stands as a call to action and a celebration of the wonders of the natural world.
Experience Studios’ Paulie Roche, a regular collaborator with Cooper since their work together on Superbloom at the Tower of London, worked closely with the composer to produce the live premiere run of sold out shows of Folded Landscapes at the Barbican Centre.
Live on stage, like the record, it is a showcase of the elements, inserting mother nature into the centre of the performance in the form of a monolithic glacial standing stone that thaws and melts throughout the show to expose the planting frozen within. The ice sculpture stands at over two meters tall, in the position – and in place of – the orchestra conductor.
Tape reels, warped from 40+ degree heat, play out field recordings and vocal samples that gracefully dance around the surround sound system created for the show, layering harmoniously while creating space for UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to recite words penned specifically for the piece.
The atmosphere and room temperature deliberately rises in sync with the evolving visual colorways of the movements of the show – beginning with cool blues and ending with a burning climax of ambers as the orchestra manoeuvre through the movements of the piece and into a celebratory cèilidh – celebrating the arts and the natural world.
All melted water from ice sculpture was repurposed to water exotic plants inside the Barbican Conservatory.
“Folded Landscapes” was released into the world on May 5th 2023, immediately making its mark by debuting at No.3 in the UK Classical Charts. You can listen to the album here.
Written by: Erland Cooper
Performed by: Erland Cooper & Scottish Ensemble
Featuring: Dr Jacob Kingsbury Downs, Ellie Neate, Daniel Piorot and UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage
Production: Barbican Centre
Photography: Owen Tozer
Creative Producer: Experience Studios
Folded Landscapes Live
