duration 23 minutes

1 Passacaglia Oscura ~ 2 Scherzo Serioso ~ 3 Lied ohne Worte ~ 4 Ritornelli

Written in response to a commission from *Douglas Gowan and Norfolk Concerts, this work takes a slightly sideways look at some familiar genres. In the intended première concert, Bach's famous Chaconne in d minor was to open but in an arrangement for solo violin and voices. I wanted to pay my respects to this Baroque form - however, my first movement uses not a repeated bass line but a series of "hidden" chords. These are never explicitly heard, but instead form a framework for melodic ideas. Each chord holds a special place in my compositional affections, almost my musical family. Further the series expands and contracts, re-orders itself, and even allows in "visitors". The resulting music is fluid and gently thoughtful.

The second movement is a vigorous, dark, "serious scherzo" (an oxymoron no doubt, but one with a long history). It is full of trills and snatched, short-breathed gestures though with little glimpses of other worlds where things are more agreeable.

The third movement is quite literally a Lied ohne Worte as it recomposes material from a song from my The Garden in the Brain cycle whose title is again a paradoxical notion, Good morning - Midnight (Emily Dickinson). (I did originally think of entitling this movement "Um Mitternacht" in homage to Mahler!). The music is heartfelt, somewhat "smeared" in its overlapping chromatic chords ...wax-like, Dali-esque watches and eyebrows etc..?!

The finale reworks an accompanimental figure from the scherzo (and other ideas), with initially a nervous, questing energy, but eventually building to conclude with great exultation.

Premiered at the Mainz Hochschule für Musik in June 2012, it subsequently received a standing ovation at the Casalmaggiore Festival a month later played by members of the Mainzer Virtuosi.

PLEASE READ: THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC DOMAIN WORK. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. PRINTED COPIES ARE FOR EVALUATION PURPOSES ONLY 

SCORE       violin I   violin II  viola   'cello I   'cello II  

Yena Lee, Agnes Langer - violin; Dmitry Hahalin, viola; Hyoung Joon Jo, Mitzuki Tanabe, cello

*The work was formerly dedicated to Gowan, but this dedication is withdrawn. Having commissioned it, and trumpeted this in various newsletters (viewable online), he then tried to deny having done so, refused to programme it, pay the agreed fee, and became intensely abusive. I will have more to say about this dishonourable man in future years, and I suspect other mistreated "friends" will, likewise.

[top image used on score by courtsey of Gary Rayner - www.garyrainer.co.uk]

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