The relationship between jazz and classical music has long balanced precariously between wary respect and open antagonism. For Mark-Anthony Turnage, by contrast, jazz has been a constant source of inspiration, to the extent that several of his most distinctive compositions place improvising jazz players alongside classical musicians.
Last night, the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo gave the UK premiere of Turnage’s Time Flies, and while there was no improvisation within the piece, it showed clear traces of the composer’s jazzy inclinations. It worked as a kind of tribute to the three cities that co-commissioned the work. Its first performance was intended for Tokyo, to coincide with the 2020 Olympics, but Covid scuppered that plan. Hamburg got its premiere earlier this year, London followed last night; for now, Tokyo will have to wait.
