SKU: BR.EB-9387

ISBN 9790004188576. 0 x 0 inches.

Commissioned by the Kolner Philharmonie (KolnMusik) for the non bthvn projekt 2020 and the Cite de la musique / Philharmonie de Paris Dedicated to Arditti Quartet Each movement of this quartet explores a single state, its lights and its shadows. Each movement, you could say, is a moment . And these moments could last for more or less time without compromising their essential nature. The processes could be extended or compressed, repeated or reversed, but the core ideas - if they are ideas, but maybe they are simply experiences? - are what they are. Despite this, the precise sequence of movements matters a great deal. Heard together they do articulate some kind of linear narrative, maybe even a metaphorical journey (albeit a circular one where the arrival might, who knows, prove to be a new departure). One situation gives way to another and instrumental relationships within the quartet vary, but ultimately the imaginative impulse behind the piece preferences states of unity. Whether or not this unity is expressed texturally - sometimes literal unisons pervade, but not always - there is generally a sense that even seemingly diverse aspects relate to a fundamental condition of concord: a conscious limitation in the pitch structure to spectral emanations of the root notes E-flat and C. At the opening this is unambiguously audible in the perpetual alternation of these two notes in the low cello register. Later the two spectra are woven into a micro-tonal 'double-spectral-mode' (derived from the first 24 partials of the C and E-flat fundamentals), which defines the subtle melodic inflection of the second movement, and the never-quite-chromatic ascending scales of the third. For now this feels like a rich source of melodic possibility, so far only just glimpsed... And why the insistence on E-flat? Probably by way of historical anecdote. Apparently Karl Holz (a member of the Schuppanzigh Quartet) said to Beethoven: We performed your Quartet in E-flat Op. 127 in his [Weber's] honour; he found the Adagio too long; but I told him: Beethoven also has a longer feeling and a longer imagination than anyone standing or not standing today. - Since then, even Linke (another member of the quartet) can no longer stand him: we cannot forgive him for this. Listening again to Op. 127, in light of these comments, I was struck by the opening moment: the unfolding of an E-flat 7th chord over the course of a few bars. Every time I hear it I find myself wishing that Beethoven would have lingered longer there, without resolution or progression, just enjoying that sonority. And maybe - why not? - tune the 7th naturally. And what would it be to stretch that moment into an entire piece? What would Weber think of that?! In the end I was not so extreme in my self-limitation, and other concerns took over, but it was from these thoughts that the composition process began... Lastly, about the title: it comes from a book called 'The Clock of the Long Now' by Stewart Brand, published at the turn of the millennium. It's about the creation of a thousand-year clock to embody the aspiration to thinking in terms of longer time-spans than are presently habitual. If the music of Beethoven embodied a 'longer' feeling and imagination than some of his contemporaries were able to appreciate, what is our relation to time now? Longer or shorter? Maybe it depends who you ask... It's probably more extreme in both directions: attention spans might be diminishing in the digital world, but conversely there is an awareness of distant pasts and potential futures which would have been inconceivable at the time of Beethoven. In any case, the interesting thing is to ponder how societal conditions, assumptions and expectations might - whether consciously or unconsciously - influence the time of art, for listeners and creators alike. And what if time is running out? (Christian Mason)

World premiere: Paris, Cite de la musique, January 14, 2020.

SKU: PR.465000130

ISBN 9781598064070. UPC: 680160600144. 9x12 inches.

Following a celebrated series of wind ensemble tone poems about national parks in the American West, Dan Welcher’s Upriver celebrates the Lewis & Clark Expedition from the Missouri River to Oregon’s Columbia Gorge, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Welcher’s imaginative textures and inventiveness are freshly modern, evoking our American heritage, including references to Shenandoah and other folk songs known to have been sung on the expedition. For advanced players. Duration: 14’.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery to find a water route to the Pacific and explore the uncharted West. He believed woolly mammoths, erupting volcanoes, and mountains of pure salt awaited them. What they found was no less mind-boggling: some 300 species unknown to science, nearly 50 Indian tribes, and the Rockies.Ihave been a student of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which Thomas Jefferson called the “Voyage of Discovery,” for as long as I can remember. This astonishing journey, lasting more than two-and-a-half years, began and ended in St. Louis, Missouri — and took the travelers up more than a few rivers in their quest to find the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. In an age without speedy communication, this was akin to space travel out of radio range in our own time: no one knew if, indeed, the party had even survived the voyage for more than a year. Most of them were soldiers. A few were French-Canadian voyageurs — hired trappers and explorers, who were fluent in French (spoken extensively in the region, due to earlier explorers from France) and in some of the Indian languages they might encounter. One of the voyageurs, a man named Pierre Cruzatte, also happened to be a better-than-average fiddle player. In many respects, the travelers were completely on their own for supplies and survival, yet, incredibly, only one of them died during the voyage. Jefferson had outfitted them with food, weapons, medicine, and clothing — and along with other trinkets, a box of 200 jaw harps to be used in trading with the Indians. Their trip was long, perilous to the point of near catastrophe, and arduous. The dream of a Northwest Passage proved ephemeral, but the northwestern quarter of the continent had finally been explored, mapped, and described to an anxious world. When the party returned to St. Louis in 1806, and with the Louisiana Purchase now part of the United States, they were greeted as national heroes.Ihave written a sizeable number of works for wind ensemble that draw their inspiration from the monumental spaces found in the American West. Four of them (Arches, The Yellowstone Fires, Glacier, and Zion) take their names, and in large part their being, from actual national parks in Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. But Upriver, although it found its voice (and its finale) in the magnificent Columbia Gorge in Oregon, is about a much larger region. This piece, like its brother works about the national parks, doesn’t try to tell a story. Instead, it captures the flavor of a certain time, and of a grand adventure. Cast in one continuous movement and lasting close to fourteen minutes, the piece falls into several subsections, each with its own heading: The Dream (in which Jefferson’s vision of a vast expanse of western land is opened); The Promise, a chorale that re-appears several times in the course of the piece and represents the seriousness of the presidential mission; The River; The Voyageurs; The River II ; Death and Disappointment; Return to the Voyage; and The River III .The music includes several quoted melodies, one of which is familiar to everyone as the ultimate “river song,” and which becomes the through-stream of the work. All of the quoted tunes were either sung by the men on the voyage, or played by Cruzatte’s fiddle. From various journals and diaries, we know the men found enjoyment and solace in music, and almost every night encampment had at least a bit of music in it. In addition to Cruzatte, there were two other members of the party who played the fiddle, and others made do with singing, or playing upon sticks, bones, the ever-present jaw harps, and boat horns. From Lewis’ journals, I found all the tunes used in Upriver: Shenandoah (still popular after more than 200 years), V’la bon vent, Soldier’s Joy, Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy (a hymn sung to the tune “Beech Spring”) and Fisher’s Hornpipe. The work follows an emotional journey: not necessarily step-by-step with the Voyage of Discovery heroes, but a kind of grand arch. Beginning in the mists of history and myth, traversing peaks and valleys both real and emotional (and a solemn funeral scene), finding help from native people, and recalling their zeal upon finding the one great river that will, in fact, take them to the Pacific. When the men finally roar through the Columbia Gorge in their boats (a feat that even the Indians had not attempted), the magnificent river combines its theme with the chorale of Jefferson’s Promise. The Dream is fulfilled: not quite the one Jefferson had imagined (there is no navigable water passage from the Missouri to the Pacific), but the dream of a continental destiny.

SKU: BT.BMP8095417

A lot is known about the American composer Leroy Anderson. This son of Swedish immigrants played the piano, organ, accordion, trombone, tuba and double bass. He spoke several languages fluently and graduated from Harvard with first-class honours.While on military service, the army also commissioned him to write a manual on Icelandic grammar.He already started writing musical arrangements as a student, and from his 30th year arranged and composed for the Boston Pops Orchestra. Such melodiesas Serenata, The Typewriter, Sleigh Ride and Bugler�s Holiday made him world famous. His best-known work, Blue Tango, reached number one in the US charts in 1952, and it sold more than a million copies. In 1975, a year after hisdeath, he was given a star at the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.Most of his works last no longer than three minutes, about the maximum length of a single at that time. One work that lasts longer is his 1953 Piano Concerto in C for piano and orchestra.The first performance was in Chicago, conducted by the composer and with Eugene List at the piano. However, after three performances he was no longer happy with the work and withdrew it. He always intended to revise it, but never got round to it. Itwas only in 1989 that the Anderson family decided to republish the work.This three-part composition is on the one hand characterised by a careless elegance, but on the other one can hear the influence of Rachmaninoff, Copland, Gershwin, and evenBeethoven and Mozart, as well as the Viennese classics.Anderson used the sonata form for the first movement. It ends with a cadenza that carries us on into the second part (in e minor). The third part is a typically cheerful American folk dance in2/4 time, a so-called Hoe Down, with a lilting, lyrical passage as its middle section. At the end comes a solo passage followed by a rapid close.In this piano concerto, Anderson combines a rigidly classical form of composition with simple andappealing themes and elements from light music. So this work is a perfect synthesis of light music and what is called serious music, in the same way as Gershwin�s Rhapsody in Blue. A work that can be played equally well in a concerthall, at an open-air concert or even a pop concert.

Over de Amerikaanse componist Leroy Anderson is veel bekend. Deze zoon van Zweedse immigranten speelde piano, orgel, accordeon, trombone, tuba en contrabas. Hij sprak vloeiend verschillende talen en studeerde met grote onderscheidingaf aan Harvard en schreef tijdens zijn legerdienst in opdracht van het leger een handboek grammatica Ijslands.Al in zijn studententijd begon hij met het maken van arrangementen, en vanaf zijn 30ste arrangeerde en componeerde hijvoor het Boston Pops Orchestra. Melodieën zoals Serenata, The Typewriter, Sleigh Ride en Bugler's Holiday maakte hem wereldberoemd. Zijn bekendste werk Blue Tango stond in 1952 op nummer één in de VS Charts, ener werden meer dan een miljoen exemplaren van verkocht. Een jaar na zijn dood in 1975 kreeg hij een ster op de Walk of Fame in Hollywood.Zijn meeste werken duren niet langer dan drie minuten, ongeveer de maximumduur van een singletoen. Een werk dat wel langer duurt, is het pianoconcerto in C voor piano en orkest uit 1953. Het werd in Chicago gecreëerd onder zijn leiding met Eugene List aan de piano. Na drie uitvoeringen echter, was hij niet meer tevredenover zijn werk en trok dit terug. Hij had zijn leven lang de intentie het te herwerken doch kwam er niet meer toe. Pas in 1989 besliste de Anderson Familie zijn pianoconcerto toch opnieuw uit te geven.Dit driedelige werk wordtenerzijds getypeerd door een zorgeloze elegantie, maar anderzijds zijn invloeden van Rachmaninoff, Copland, Gerschwin en zelfs Beethoven en Mozart alsook de Weense klassiekers te horen.Voor de eerste beweging, past Anderson de sonatevormtoe. Op het einde volgt een cadenza die ons in het tweede deel (in mi klein) voert. Het derde deel is een typische Amerikaanse, vrolijke volksdans in 2/4, een zogenaamde Hoe Down met als middengedeelte een zangerige, lyrische

Über den amerikanischen Komponisten Leroy Anderson lässt sich vieles berichten: Der Sohn schwedischer Immigranten spielte Klavier, Orgel, Akkordeon, Posaune, Tuba und Kontrabass, sprach neun Sprachen fließend, absolvierte mit einemMagna-cum-laude-Abschluss die Harvard Universität und verfasste während seiner Militärzeit im Zweiten Weltkrieg für die amerikanische Armee eine Grammatik des Isländischen. Schon während seiner Studentenzeit begann er zu arrangieren, ab Mitte der30er Jahre des letzten Jahrhunderts arrangierte und komponierte er für das Boston Pops Orchestra. Aus seiner Feder stammen so bekannte Werke der leichten Muse wie Serenata, The Typewriter, Sleigh Ride oder Bugler�s Holiday. Sein wohlbekanntestes Stück, Blue Tango, wurde als erste Instrumentalkomposition über eine Million Mal verkauft und belegte im Jahr 1952 Platz 1 der US-Charts. Für seine Verdienste um die Schallplattenindustrie erhielt er ein Jahr nach seinem Tod einenStern auf dem Walk of Fame in Hollywood.Charakteristisch für seine Werke ist die Dauer: die meisten sind rund drei Minuten lang � mehr passte nicht auf den damals gebräuchlichen Tonträger, eine Singleschallplatte. Nur wenige seinerKompositionen sprengen diesen Zeitrahmen. Dazu gehört sein Konzert C-Dur für Klavier und Orchester. Er komponierte es 1953, die Uraufführung fand unter seiner Leitung und mit Eugene List am Klavier im selben Jahr in Chicago statt. Da Anderson mit demWerk aber nicht zufrieden war, zog er es im Sommer 1954, nach nur drei Aufführungen, wieder ein. Er hatte zeitlebens die Absicht, es zu überarbeiten, allein, es kam nicht mehr dazu. Erst 1989 entschied sich die Anderson-Familie dazu, dasKlavierkonzert wieder zu veröffentlichen.Das dreisätzige Werk zeigt die Unbeschwertheit und Eleganz, die Andersons sämtliche Kompositionen auszeichnen. Dennoch findet man darin auch Anklänge an Komponisten wie Rachmaninoff, Copland, Gershwin, undeben Beethoven und Mozart, sowie die Wiener Klassiker. Der erste Satz folgt der Sonatenhauptsatzform. An seinem Ende steht eine Klavierkadenz, die direkt in den langsamen zweiten Satz (in e-Moll) überleitet. Der dritte Satz schließlich ist einwaschechter Hoe Down, ein fröhlicher amerikanischer Volkstanz im 2/4-Takt, in dessen Zentrum aber eine lyrisch-gesangliche Passage steht. Eine weitere Solo-Kadenz führt das Werk in einen spritzigen Schlussabschnitt.In seinem Klavierkonzertvereinigt Anderson einen klassisch-traditionellen Form- und Kompositionsstil mit Elementen der Unterhaltungsmusik und eingängigen Melodien, die schon immer sein Markenzeichen waren. Daher bildet dieses Werk eine perfekte Synthese von ernster undleichter Musik. Es passt � wie beispielsweise auch George Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue � gleichermaßen in einen vornehmen Konzertsaal, wie auch zur zwanglos-lockeren Atmosphäre einer sommerlichen Open-Air-Veranstaltung oder einesPops-Konzertes.

Nous savons beaucoup de choses sur le compositeur américain Leroy Anderson. Ce fils dimmigrants suédois jouait du piano, de lorgue, de laccordéon, du trombone, du tuba et de la contrebasse. Il parlait couramment plusieurs langues et était diplômé avec grande distinction de Harvard. Pendant son service militaire, il écrivit un manuel de grammaire islandaise commandé par larmée.Étudiant, il avait déj commencé faire des arrangements et dès l ge de 30 ans, il arrangeait et composait pour le Boston Pops Orchestra. Des mélodies telles que Serenata, The Typewriter, Sleigh Ride et Buglers Holiday lui valurent une renommée mondiale. Son uvre phare, Blue Tango, fut numéro un descharts américains en 1952 et se vendit plus dun million dexemplaires. Un an après sa mort en 1975, il eut droit son étoile sur le Walk of Fame Hollywood.La plupart de ses uvres nexcèdent pas trois minutes, soit peu près la durée maximale dun single lépoque. Son concerto en ut pour piano et orchestre de 1953 est quant lui plus long. Il fut créé Chicago sous sa direction avec Eugene List au piano. Après trois exécutions, Anderson nétait toutefois plus satisfait de son travail et le retira. Toute sa vie, il eut lintention de le remanier mais ne le fit pas. Ce nest quen 1989 que la famille Anderson décida de tout de m?me rééditer son concerto pour piano.Cette uvre en trois parties se caractérise par son élégance nonchalante mais aussi par linfluence de Rachmaninoff, Copland, Gershwin et m?me de Beethoven et Mozart, ainsi que des classiques viennois.Pour le premier mouvement, Anderson opte pour une sonate. la fin, une cadence nous conduit la deuxième partie (en mi mineur). La troisième partie est une danse populaire joyeuse et typiquement américaine en 2/4, une Hoe Down avec un passage lyrique et mélodieux en son milieu. la fin, un solo est suivi par une clôture rapide.Dans son concerto pour piano, Anderson unit une composition pure et classique des thèmes beaux et simples, sans oublier des éléments de la musique légère. Cette uvre.