Michael Nyman Band

The Michael Nyman Band
Also known asCampiello Band
OriginLondon, England
GenresContemporary classical music
Minimalist music
Film scores
Years active1976–present
LabelsPiano
EMI/Virgin/Venture/Caroline
Editions EG
Jay
Argo
SLC
Warner Bros.
MN Music
MembersMichael Nyman
Andrew Findon
David Roach
Kate Musker
Tony Hinnigan
Simon Haram
Martin Elliott
Nigel Barr
Toby Coles
Paul Gardham
Ian Humphries
Gabrielle Lester
Past membersAlexander Balanescu
John Harle
Elisabeth Perry
Steve Saunders
David Fuest
Jonathan Carney
Graham Ashton
Clare Connors
David Rix
Richard Clews
Marjorie Dunn
Ann Morfee
Bill Hawkes
Katherine Shave
Bruce White
Nigel Gomm
Georgina Born

The Michael Nyman Band, formerly known as the Campiello Band, is a group formed as a street band for a 1976 production of Carlo Goldoni's 1756 play, Il Campiello directed by Bill Bryden at the Old Vic.[1][2] The band did not wish to break up after the production ended, so its director, Michael Nyman, began composing music for the group to perform, beginning with "In Re Don Giovanni", written in 1977.[3] Originally made up of old instruments such as rebecs, sackbuts and shawms alongside more modern instruments like the banjo and saxophone to produce as loud a sound as possible without amplification, it later switched to a fully amplified line-up of string quartet, double bass, clarinet, three saxophones, horn, trumpet, bass trombone, bass guitar, and piano. This lineup has been variously altered and augmented for some works.

  1. ^ "Michael Nyman Band turns 40". www.wisemusicclassical.com. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ "From the Archive: Michael Nyman Band | Barbican". www.barbican.org.uk. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. ^ Gagné, Nicole V. (17 July 2019). Historical Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Classical Music. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 250–251. ISBN 978-1-5381-2298-3.