SKU: PR.414411630

ISBN 9781491114551. UPC: 680160089956. 9.5 x 13 inches.

EXCURSIONS is a one-movement work exploring two “characters.” A rhapsodic, descending passage is introduced by the cello, followed by a  static, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello. Their individual developments are separated by a slow, contrasting middle section. The composer has written: “This is analogous to situations in life: we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option and forfeiting the other. But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination… or can we? It is symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place.”.
Excursions for violin, cello and piano, is a one-movement work of tripartite structure in which materials explored in the first of three large sections are brought back in the last section.  The traditional statement-contrast-restatement form, which is readily suggested by such a description, is, however, not at all in the mold in which the work is cast.  Rather, my aim was to subject the essential materials of the piece (two “characters” –the rhapsodic, descending passage played by the cello in the very opening and, later, a static, slow moving, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello) to two entirely different developments separated by a slow, contrasting middle section.  This is analogous to an exploration of the ramifications that two divergent choices made by the same person might lead to.  In life, as we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option usually means having to forfeit the other.  But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination…or can we?  It is, I believe, symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place: in composing Excursions, it seemed absolutely inescapable that at the end the slow, contrasting middle sections – both more resigned and peaceful than the battling spirits of the outer parts – should return briefly to end the work. The piano trio combination (once highly favored, but to this composer still as challenging today) is approached here as a collaborative effort of three equal soloists – partners.  Of the available pairings, the two strings find themselves occasionally approached as a team pitted against the piano.  The cello-piano combination is also not uncommon here, and there is an extended violin cadenza toward the end of the piece.  The writing for the three instruments is closely and at times interlinked, but the players are all instructed to play from scores. Excursions was first performed at Brandeis University in 1982.

SKU: AP.36-60710008

ISBN 9798888522028. UPC: 676737624248. English.

Ralph Vaughan Williams, ever fond of poetry, found creative impetus for his beautiful romance The Lark Ascending, IRV 39, in an 1881 poem by George Meredith. Marie Pauline Hall, to whom the work was dedicated, gave the first performance of the original violin and piano version, here presented in a Masters reprint edition, at Shirehampton Public Hall on December 15, 1920, beside pianist Geoffrey Mendham. After World War I, the composer expanded the work for soloist and full orchestra. This has become the version most familiar to listeners. The violin, lifting its silvery tones above the stage, captures the soaring nature of Meredith's couplet: Till lost on his aerial rings/In light, and then the fancy sings. Reprint edition.

These products are currently being prepared by a new publisher. While many items are ready and will ship on time, some others may see delays of several months.

SKU: BR.EB-9250

World premiere: Toronto, November 17, 2016Written for the Duo Wapiti (Genevieve Liboiron, Daniel Anez)

ISBN 9790004185506. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Whereas Nono considered the world to be only fragmentarily analyzable, so-called consumer capitalism increasingly intrudes upon ego structures, by fragmenting them to the point of: assumed insufficiency, i.e., was consumption a form of infiltration?, or: in television you can see models licking face cream because it's so rich etc. (retranslated), as Meredith Haaf cited in her book review (SZ / 23.05.2016 Alexandra Kleeman: You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine) , and to the point of similar perfection-senselessness. Music doesn't do things by halves. Even when events or notes are puffed up, they can retain elegance and significance. Other ego amplitudes are of violinistic nature or are favourite memories - Paganini's Capricci, Stockhausen's Studie I, Steve Reich, the tone C and similar things. The craziest egos are quantums, because at no time are they identical with themselves. They can entangle and superpose, are nonlocal, etc. Although the sound character in this Duo is fairly open, I believe I succeeded in making probability waves of harmonic stopovers perceptible. This means hearing without analyzing and without constantly measuring. Nonlocality - without messenger particles - means no harmonic steps, but with the capacity to interact. (Nicolaus A. Huber, May 2016)

World premiere: Toronto, November 17, 2016 Written for the Duo Wapiti (Genevieve Liboiron, Daniel Anez).