Below is an interview by the musicologist Fran Waltmans with Stephen Mark Barchan: 

F.W: You are a young and promising English composer. How is musical life in Britain for a young composer and what is your position in this musical landscape?

S.M.B: I have lived in the UK all my life and studied here (along with a few brief spells studying abroad). At present I work as a freelance composer, however surviving from composing alone is very difficult (regardless of which country you live in), and I also work as a music copyist and a conductor.

F.W: When I am reading the titles of your works (Deep Desires, Sweet Dreams etc) I can imagine you are a romantic composer. Is that correct?

S.M.B: It depends on what you mean by ‘romantic’, but maybe the sense of passion evoked in some pieces could lead one to think of romanticism. My choice of titles has attracted interest over the last few years, often for their aggressive or disturbing nature (Violent Shallow Eyes, Dark Times Lie Ahead, Disturbing Thoughts, Feeding The Addiction). Some have a slightly more neutral tone (All That Remains, Unable To Resist) whilst others have a softer centre (Deep Desires and Sweet Dreams). I usually have a title before I start work on a new piece, although it often changes during the compositional process.

F.W: In 19^th century emotion was an important issue? What does the word ‘emotion’ mean to you nowadays?

S.M.B: The emotional aspect (along with the character) of the music is important to me. Many of my previous pieces have a dark, melancholic side, and it is something that I want to move away from now. I find comedy very difficult and likewise writing music that is more jovial in character. I am keen to write more music for the theatre, especially since the relationship between the drama onstage and the music that accompanies it is something that I am fascinated by.

F.W: A 19^th century characteristic was the idea of individuality. What does this word mean to you in relationship with your profession as a composer?

S.M.B: I have always been interested in (what has become known as) a composer’s voice. Whilst some composers have a very clear sound world that you can associate with him/her, others offer surprises and change from piece to piece. If you follow my output as a composer, you can see that there are features that I have favoured for a period of time whilst gradually introducing new ideas that progress or advance from piece to piece. When I began composing I was drawn to linear gestures, but over the last year this is something that I have moved away from. I have not abandoned melodic or linear writing completely, however at the moment I am very interested in the idea of repetition. In pieces such as A Broken Spirit and Sweet Dreams there is very little in the way of repetition (meaning repeated melodic phrases, harmonic patterns or rhythmic figurations), but in the pieces that followed (such as Injured Love and Unable To Resist) repetition starts to play a small part at various points. More recent pieces such as Spit It Out, Disturbing Thoughts and Feeding The Addiction strongly feature repetition – patterns that are repeated and gradually extended during the piece. Thinking systematically played a large part in the compositional process of these pieces. Systems can appear attractive, but I think they can be dangerous if you start becoming too reliant on what is dictated.

F.W: Your repertoire could be called eclectic, and the structure of the compositions is in a way improvisational and organic. What is your point of view about this?

S.M.B: Whilst all performance includes some element of improvisation, I have not written any pieces yet which allow for the performer(s) to enjoy total freedom. However with regard to structure, I have moved away from writing clear-cut sections and leaned more towards characters and/or processes that gradually change during the piece. One of the first pieces that I wrote which adopts this way of thinking is From The Silence (for four cymbals), which also, interestingly, was the first time that I had allowed the performers greater freedom than previous pieces. Having favoured very detailed notation for some time, I decided to take a risk and write something that would allow the performers to take control over aspects largely concerning the duration of events within the piece. 

F.W: Which composers are your favourites, and why?

S.M.B: Certainly Mozart and Stravinsky. I studied The Rite Of Spring when I was about seventeen and it made a strong impression. I had never come across instrumental techniques such as string natural harmonic glissandi, flute harmonics and flutter tonguing (along with many others) until I looked at this piece, but it sparked my interest in the way that instruments can be used. Over the last few years I have kept lists of all the so-called extended techniques that are available on individual instruments, and it is something that I refer to and revise when composing. Other composers whose music interests me include Beat Furrer, Helmut Lachenmann, Olga Neuwirth, Jonathan Harvey, Rebecca Saunders, Simon Bainbridge and Tristan Murail. I listen to BBC Radio 3 very regularly and I am always discovering music by composers whose work I am not familiar with. 

F.W: What is your view on Western music at present, the aesthetic aspect, the personal approach, the use of twelve tones, a necessity of a new tone system? Is there a crisis? Is there a future? Has individuality a future?

S.M.B: I do not think there is a necessity for a new tone system. I cannot predict the future, although I do think technology will play a larger role in performance. Technology has advanced greatly in recent years and has found a place both inside and outside the concert hall. Similarly, software programmers and technicians have created programmes that enable an extraordinary wealth of possibilities in terms of live electronics. This is something that I have already explored in my own music and it is something that I want to learn more about. Some people argue that the orchestra will die soon and technology will take over. I certainly hope that orchestras will not fade away. Money is an issue today and too many orchestras and ensembles are forced to give fewer concerts. There are other problems too: fewer commissions are available in the UK than (for example) twenty-five years ago and public attendance at concerts is becoming worrying low.

F.W: What do the terms 'new' and 'experimental' mean to you in connection to contemporary music?

S.M.B: I do not like definitions that seem to pigeonhole pieces of music, but I do think it is very difficult to write something that could be deemed ‘new’ in the sense that it has not been done before.

F.W: What are your ambitions for the future?

S.M.B: I would like to continue writing music. That said, I have always been interested in conducting, and this too is something that I would like to continue.

F.W: What would you like to tell composers of contemporary music, or the music world in general, the audience, organizers of festivals or educational institutes?

S.M.B: Always do what you believe is the right thing to do. Taking risks can be a good thing, but only if you can justify it in your own mind.


© 2007  Interview Heerlen - Birmingham by Frans Waltmans