SKU: HL.49044665

ISBN 9790001200103. UPC: 841886022928. 9.0x12.0x0.213 inches.

This 'Suite' is not one of my 'epic' instrumental concertos such as the concertos for cello, violin or oboe, but a substantially smaller-structured series of dance forms arranged into a suite. Sunken worlds suddenly emerge here, only to reach the surface, hover in dangerously distorted fashion and then sink back to the bottom.Almost every individual movement allots the solo flute a specific tonal colouring and an instrumental group from the orchestra: in the opening Allemande, the flutes of the orchestra (including alto and bass flute and later also piccolo to include the entire flute family); the string section in the Sarabande; in both chorales (extremely muted in the first and brutalist in the second), the brass etc.; and it is only in the concluding Badinerie that all orchestral groups are combined, although they are terraced in the Baroque style, one following another, seldom all playing simultaneously.This permits the flute to remain the provider of all impulses; it attaches itself to the wide variety of instrumental colours, becomes suffused with these colours and thereby shines in different lights - acerbic, pale and radiant. This first performance marks the conclusion of my two-year residence with the Cleveland Orchestra. The immense versatility of this fine body of sound (which is indeed treated as such with the sum of its parts) and the exciting dark timbre of its principal flautist Joshua Smith have to a great extent determined the form and tonal character of my Flute en suite. Jorg Widmann

This 'Suite' is not one of my 'epic' instrumental concertos such as the concertos for cello, violin or oboe, but a substantially smaller-structured series of dance forms arranged into a suite. Sunken worlds suddenly emerge here, only to reach the surface, hover in dangerously distorted fashion and then sink back to the bottom.Every individual movement allots the solo flute an instrumental group from the orchestra: in the opening Allemande, the flutes of the orchestra; the string section in the Sarabande; in both chorales the brass etc.; and it is only in the concluding Badinerie that all orchestral groups are combined, although they are terraced in the Baroque style, one following another, seldom all playing simultaneously.This first performance marks the conclusion of my two-year residence with the Cleveland Orchestra. The immense versatility of this fine body of sound and the exciting dark timbre of its principal flautist Joshua Smith have to a great extent determined the form and tonal character of my Flute en suite. Jorg Widmann

3 (2. auch Altfl., 3. auch Bassfl., alle auch Picc.) * 3 (2. auch Ob. d'am., 3. auch Engl. Hr.) * 0 * 3 (3. auch Kfg.) - 4 * 4 * 3 * 1 - S. (Glsp. * Vibr. * 3 hg. Beck. [h./m./t.] * chin. Beck. * 4 Gongs * 4 Buckelgongs * 2 Tamt. [m./t.] * Wassertamt. * gr. Tr. * Metal Chimes * Peitsche) (2 Spieler) - Hfe. * Cel. (auch Cemb.) - Str. (10 * 8 * 6 * 4 * 3).

SKU: HL.48022495

ISBN 9781476871486. UPC: 884088669676. 6.75x10.5 inches.

Texts: Latin and English

Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes

Difficulty level: 3

The Ceremony of Carols is one of Britten's best-known and most-performed works. It is a brilliantly conceived and dramatic concert work which sees the voices process to their places singing unaccompanied plainsong and, at the end, processing out again to the same chant. These movements can also be accompanied but strictly only if the voices do not process. The final Alleluia can be repeated as many times as necessary to get the singers to and from their destination.The carols are for three-part children's voices (though, of course they can be sung by female adults as well) and they form a two-part work around a central Interlude for harp which is based on the plainsong from the Procession. Variety is the key word here as all the carols have such individual identities. The forthright Wolcum Yole!, the deliciously lyrical There is no Rose, the swinging Balulalow, the fiery and dramatic This little Babe all contribute to a work which is a feast of discovery throughout. Lovely solos and duos add further colour and the harp part, an inspired choice of accompaniment, enriches, colours and surrounds the voices with its pictorial musical imagery. If anything shows Britten's genius for writing for voices it must be this work.

The challenges here are in creating a real equality between voice parts, fielding a confident pair of soloists, and making the most of the wonderfully colourful poems Britten has chosen to set. Pronunciation is not really an issue, but when I recorded this work with the Finzi Singers I decided to follow the example of Sacred and Profane and use authentic medieval pronunciation for which an expert coach was necessary. It brings an added element of colour to a familiar aural experience.

Durati on: 22 minutes

Paul Spicer, Lichfield, 2011.