SKU: HL.14023642

ISBN 9780711978119. 9.0x12.0x0.243 inches.

This work was written by Michael Nyman towards the end of 1997, commissioned by the English Sinfonia to celebrate the orchestra's taking up residence in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The first performance was given by the English Sinfonia under Bramwell Toevy at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 14 April 1998. Duration c. 17mins. Instrumentation:; 2 FLUTES; 2 OBOES; 2 CLARINETS IN Bb; 2 BASSOONS; 2 HORNS IN F; 2 TRUMPETS IN Bb; TIMPANI; STRINGS.

SKU: HL.14023645

ISBN 9780711983281. 9.0x12.0x0.162 inches.

These three solo harpsichord pieces are a collection of recent compositions, each with an individual theme and idea. The first, The convertibility of Lute Strings, was first performed at the Purcell Room, London in 1992. The second, Tango for Tim was written in memory of a friend and composer Tim Souster, which was composed and first performed in 1994. The third piece, Elisabeth Gets Her Way, is an extended version of the cadenza which Elisabeth Chojnacka persuaded Michael Nyman to add to his Harpsichord Concerto, which includes material from the first two pieces in this album.

SKU: HL.14023628

ISBN 9780711975729. 12.0x9.0x0.095 inches.

On The Fiddle consists of three pieces derived from scores to three Peter Greenaway films. The first piece Full Fathom Five, is a version of the Shakespeare song setting made for Prospero's Books (1990). The second Angelfish Decay, is an arrangement of an arrangement: the music for the speeded up time lapse decaying animal sequences in A Zed And Two Noughts (1985) was written for two violins and a harpsichord. This was subsequently 'reduced' to a violin solo for Zoo Caprices (1986). For On The Fiddle a piano part has been added. The final piece Miserere Paraphrase, was written for use in The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover (1989), and is a transcription of Nyman's setting of the 'Miserere' text (Psalm 51) sung in the film by a boy soprano and mixed chorus. This version for cello and piano written in 1997. Duration c.15 mins.

SKU: HL.14023668

ISBN 9780711932975. 9.0x12.0x0.095 inches.

String Quartet No.3 was written for, and first performed by the Balanescu Quartet, February 1990 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Duration 16 minutes. Instrumental parts are available on sale. Quoting composer: In the summer of 1989 I composed a choral work, Out of the Ruins, for Agnieszka Piotrowska's BBC2 documentary which dealt with the physical and emotional responses of some inhabitants of Leninakhan to the earthquake which devastated Armenia the previous December. When he heard the recording of the work that I made with the Holy Echmiadzin Chorus under the fervent conducting of Khoren Meykhanejian, Alex Balanescu suggested turning Out of the Ruins into a string quartet. There seemed no reason or opportunity to do this until I felt the need to add to the intensity of my experiences in Armenia the no less profound experience of witnessing the images of the Romanian revolution on television during the later part of December 1989. The compositional procedure was as follows: to take Out of the Ruins as a template on which the Romanian vocal or instrumental music would be superimposed, quite often stretched into new intervallic shapes though the demands of the completely performed harmonic structure.

SKU: HL.14023621

ISBN 9780711956285. 8.25x11.75x0.11 inches.

Commissioned by the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble for first performance at the 1991 Cambridge Festival. Duration 12 minutes. Set of parts is available for sale. Scored for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, Tuba.

SKU: HL.14020013

UPC: 884088650094. 9.0x11.75x0.536 inches.

Concerto, for piano and small orchestra, based entirely on material selected from the soundtrack for the film The Piano. Commissioned by the Festival de Lille, it was composed in spring 1993 and first performed by Kathryn Stott with the Orchestre National de Lille under Jean-Claude Casadesus on 26th September 1993.

SKU: HL.14023608

ISBN 9780711932982. 9.0x12.0x0.128 inches.

Score for this piece, which was comissioned by London Brass and first performed in 1992. Quoting composer: The piece was completed without title on 12th August 1992. A title once considered was Canons, Chorales and Waltzes, but this was dropped since there was only one canon (the opening) and only genuine waltz (apart from a passage towards the end which superimposes the canon over a waltz rhythm). The following day I read the paper that John Cage had died - the day I finished writing. For this reason, but mainly because Cage was the most revolutionary practical music thinker of the 20th century, this piece is dedicated to him. His influence on my music may be perceived under the 'very un-Cagein' surface: though stylistically there may be little in For John Cage that may have been to his taste, I hope he would at least have appreciated its diversity, its non-simultaneous multiplicity. Parts are available on hire or special order. Duration 15 minutes.