SKU: BT.MUSM570366453
English.
'Brice Catherin, a cellist and a composer exploring the notion of the one-man-band concept, commissioned this work; this composition was subsequently the result of our collaboration. My aim has been to create a work where the cellist produces sounds using his full body: his hands (employing a variety of extended techniques on the Cello and external objects), his feet, his mouth (singing and playing the harmonica and flexible tube) and even his face on one occasion to muffle the strings. There are two central themes in the work: virtuosity and theatre, both strong, frequent features of my compositional oeuvre. After several meetings and experimentation with Brice, I chose asetup that enhances the musical scope without visually cluttering the stage. I am also using a rather unusual scordatura that not only changes the timbre of the instrument itself, but also helps create unique soundscapes that blend together with the sounds from the spring drums, the human voice (whistling, groans and other effects), a singing bowl, a harmonica and a flexible tube among others. The work is entitled Emmelia and there are two reasons for this: Emmelia derives from the prefix en (in) and the noun melos (harmony), thus meaning in harmony. The composition is structured and developed in clearly defined sections (noisy, harmonious, distorted, etc.), based on information revealed by a spectral analysis of an F1 spectrum on the cello (tuned a fifth below low C), played and recorded using a variety of attacks and triggering objects and methods. Emmelia is also the name of my baby daughter, who has been my constant inspiration since she was born.' - Evis Sammoutis.
SKU: HL.14017469
UPC: 884088812041. 8.5x11.0x0.419 inches.
Composer's Note When I considered the ensemble of eight cellos, I first thought of matt and dark textures. I also wanted to go back to some ideas on symmetry. While I was pondering all that, I saw snow flakes falling from the dark sky of the Finnish autumn. Focusing on the snow, the idea of writing variations on it and its various forms became clearer in my mind.Nuages de neige is a uniform and linear texture in which I realise my first impressions of that ensemble. The two Etoiles de neige are based on the idea of symmetry and repetition: the first one develops up to a certain point where it doubles back as in a mirror image, the second one consists of eight sections in which the harmonic structure is repeated, as well as a linear gesture that becomes ever more present. Aguilles de glace focuses on different pizzicati and superimposed ostinati. With Fleurs de neige I sought to recall the texture of those harmonic trills at the end of the first section, although more airy and diversified here. Kaija Saariaho.
SKU: HL.51483306
UPC: 196288206811. 9.25x12.0x0.071 inches.
The serenade flourished in Mozart's era, but with Brahms the genre experienced a new surge in popularity in the 19th century. Dvorák's cheerful and relaxed op. 22 came into being in 1875, during a very happy time for him both professionally and privately. Heput his personal stamp on the five-movement composition by incorporating stylized Slavonic dances. The spirited finale captivates by restating themes from the previous movements. Since its premiere in 1876 the work, with its melodic richness and particular harmonic modulations, has enjoyed great acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Today it is among Dvorák's most popular and most frequently performed compositions. As well as the autograph and printed editions, the composer's copy of the printed score with autograph corrections and additions has been consulted for Henle's Urtext edition.
About Henle Urtext
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SKU: BA.BA11071
ISBN 9790006562015. 42 x 29.7 cm inches.
“Now II†is the second part of a triptych of chamber pieces entitled “Profiles of Lightâ€. The first part is written for solo piano (Now I, BA 11073), the second for unaccompanied cello. The two instruments are then combined in the concluding third part, Uriel (BA 11013).All three pieces were inspired by the Abstract Expressionist paintings of the American artist Barnett Newman. Newman's work has had a formative impact on Matthias Pintscher's artistic philosophy: what does it mean to reduce things to essentials while seeking maximum immediacy of expression? Several of Newman's paintings have a radiant light of uncommon intensity, yet resembling a dark illumination. The same sort of thing is found in the late works of Franz Schubert, where a comparable profundity and retrospective yearning likewise shine through the surface of even the brightest tonalities.This is a piece about resonances, about the inward and outward givens of existence, about life itself: 'I find the cello a highly suitable instrument for depicting such existential conditions'.
