Mark Simpson's Israfel Receives North American Premiere in Baltimore
Mark Simpson’s Israfel—inspired by Edgar Allan Poe—receives its North American premiere with the Baltimore Symphony and Jonathon Heyward in October.
Mark Simpson’s Israfel receives its North American premiere with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Jonathon Heyward on October 23-26. Israfel was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 2015, who gave the world premiere under the baton of Andrew Litton. The following year, the work was presented at the BBC Proms with the BBC Philharmonic and Juanjo Mena. The Herald described Israfel as “ambitious in its canvas ... wide-screen in its feel, but with a melodic spirit at its heart.”
> Listen to an excerpt of Israfel from the world premiere
More recently, Israfel has been performed by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Cornelius Meister (2023, German premiere), as well as this past June with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Thomas Adès.
The 12-minute work is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s eponymous poem about Israfel, known as the angel of music in Islamic tradition. Its North American premiere in Baltimore carries special resonance: The city is central to Poe’s life and legacy, where he lived with family, launched his literary career, and is now laid to rest. This concert also serves as the launch of a multi-week festival at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, “Tales of Poe,” featuring two additional concerts that pay tribute to the poet.
Simpson stated: “I wanted to write a piece that sang, floated, morphed, moved, moved us, lifted us, had power, had fragility, had hope, uncertainty, beauty—something otherworldly, something transcendental— something to shake us. Poe’s poem perfectly conjures up the myriad emotions I wanted to take the listener through.”
The piece is divided into two parts, as described by the composer: “The first part has an ever-shifting, singing quality, and the second a faster more determined drive towards a dramatic climax. The coda however is bittersweet, as in the poem, which concludes with the author wondering whether if their places were switched, he could make a better melody from his lyre.”
The Guardian praised the tone poem, stating: “There’s something refreshing about Simpson’s honesty. This music isn’t shy; it doesn’t play hard to get. It isn’t trying to be anything but itself, and its blithe, uninhibited energy pays honour to Poe’s ‘Israfel, who despisest an unimpassioned song.’”
This season, Mark Simpson serves as Artist in Residence with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra which is launched with the UK premiere of his recent viola concerto for Timothy Ridout, Hold Your Heart in Your Teeth (Sep 25). Following the performance in Liverpool, Ridout gives the Swiss premiere as part of Simpson’s residency with the orchestra of the Musikkollegium Winterthur (Nov 5-6), and first Dutch performances with Philzuid in Maastricht, Eindhoven, and Utrecht (Feb 26-Mar 1).
Concert Information
Thursday, October 23 at 8pm ET | Music Center at Strathmore
Friday, October 24 at 8pm ET | The Clarice
Sunday, October 26 at 3pm ET | Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
More info
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Francesca Dego, violin
MARK SIMPSON Israfel (North American Premiere)
SERGE PROKOFIEFF Violin Concerto No. 2
HECTOR BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
> Further information on Work: Israfel
Photo: Matthew Johnson