String Quartet or String Orchestra - easy SKU: BT.DHP-1135315-070 Arrange...(+)
String Quartet or String
Orchestra - easy
SKU:
BT.DHP-1135315-070
Arranged by Nico Dezaire.
De Haske String Orchestra
Series. Set (Score and
Parts). De Haske
Publications #DHP
1135315-070. Published by
De Haske Publications
(BT.DHP-1135315-070).
ISBN 9789043146814.
9x12 inches.
English-German-French-Dut
ch.
Holderlin lesen
III. Composed by Hans
Zender. Chamber music;
stapled.
Kammermusik-Bibliothek
(Chamber Music Library).
World premiere: Museum
Island Hombroich, May 31,
1992. Music post-1945;
New music (post-2000).
Performance score.
Composed 1991. 36 pages.
Duration 24'. Breitkopf
and Haertel #KM 2432.
Published by Breitkopf
and Haertel (BR.KM-2432).
ISBN 9790004502020. 10
x 15 inches.
In den
alten Kulturen war das,
was wir heute ,,Musik und
,,Dichtung nennen, eine
Einheit. Denken wir nur
an die lotrijgn<'
[musike] der Griechen,
oder an Beschreibungen,
die wir in den
klassischen chinesischen
Schriften finden. Aber
naturlich:
Kulturgeschichte ist ein
Differenzierungsprozess,
und so finden wir zur
Zeit unserer europaischen
Klassiker den Vorstoss
der Musik zu ihrer
,,Autonomie - ihrer
offiziellen Scheidung von
dem Metier der Dichter.
(Noch 1739 hatte
Mattheson in seinem
Vollkommenen
Capellmeister von jedem
Musiker ,,Gewandtheit in
der Dicht-Kunst und
genaueste Kenntnis der
Verslehre verlangt.)Seit
dieser Scheidung sind nun
die Musiker sehr eifrig
damit beschaftigt, eine
autonome Grammatik und
Syntax der ,,Tonkunst,
wie die Musik jetzt
genannt wird, zu
entwickeln, wahrend in
der Dichtung - besonders
naturlich in der
experimentellen, von Jean
Paul und Mallarme bis zu
Joyce und Celan - gerade
das ,,Musikalische in der
Poesie gesucht wird.
Hierunter ist oft der
Wunsch verborgen, die
Verhartung, welche die
Wortsprache durch ihre
begriffliche Fixierung -
extrem in der
Wissenschaft! - erfahrt,
wieder aufzuheben und sie
in einen ,,musikalischen
Zustand von
Unbestimmtheit, von
Offenheit zuruck zu
versetzen.Oberflachlich
betrachtet entwickeln
sich die beiden Kunste in
der Moderne also
auseinander; eine
Beruhrung zwischen ihnen
wird immer schwieriger.
Zu gross die Gefahr, dass
die muhsam errungene
Autonomie der einen
wieder der Ubermacht der
andern geopfert wird!
Entweder wird die Musik,
wenn sie schwach ist, zu
blosser Illustration und
Stimmungskulisse; oder
sie verschlingt in ihrer
klanglichen und
zeitlichen Ausformung den
eigenen Klang und
Rhythmus der
Dichtung.Manche Musiker
haben in den letzten
Jahrzehnten dieses
Problem noch
verinnerlicht und eine
Art Bilderverbot auch
innerhalb der Musik
aufgestellt: Gestik,
Expressivitat,
Assoziationsfahigkeit der
musikalischen Strukturen
wurden unterdruckt. Ich
halte das fur ein
neurotisches Verhalten
und ausserdem fur
irrefuhrend. Es gibt
schon seit jeher auch
eine musikalische
Semantik - das vergessen
manche vor lauter Syntax
und Grammatik; und es ist
kein Grund einzusehen,
warum in der Situation
der Autonomie nicht
musikalische und
sprachliche Semantik in
eine neue Art von
Verhaltnis treten
konnten. In der
Bach-Kantate, im
Schubert-Lied, in der
Wagnerischen Leitmotivik
waren das 1:1-Losungen;
aber schon Wagner hat
gezeigt, dass man diese
Identitat auch
dialektisch aufsprengen
kann.Und wie erst in der
Vielsprachigkeit der
heutigen Moderne! In
meiner Oper Stephen
Climax habe ich den
Hauptpersonen des Ulysses
von James Joyce bestimmte
- historisch ortbare -
Musiksprachen zugeteilt
(welche jeweils wieder
bestimmte intervallische
und rhythmische
Struktureigenschaften
zeigen, welche ihrerseits
wieder seriell oder
statistisch geordnet sind
- es geht bis ins
kleinste Detail ganz
,,autonom zu!!); der
Kosmos unserer
europaischen
Musikgeschichte wird
sowohl dem Kosmos der
Joyceschen Figuren
(ihrerseits
,,geschichtstrachtig!)
wie auch dem aktuellen
musikalischen Bewusstsein
zugeordnet, aber eben oft
auch uber Kreuz, paradox,
mehrschichtig, mehrdeutig
... Die Tatsache, dass
diese spezifische
Moglichkeit einer
neuartigen Einheit von
Sprache und Musik von den
berufenen Musikologen
noch kaum bemerkt worden
ist, zeigt nicht nur
deren Langsamkeit,
sondern auch die Dominanz
des ,,bildlosen Denkens
in der - jetzt
abgelaufenen - Phase der
Neuen Musik.In meinen
Holderlin lesen-Stucken
ging es mir darum, Wege
zu finden, die gewaltigen
Sprachstrukturen
Holderlins so in die
zeitliche Form der Musik
zu integrieren, dass sie
Funktionen der
musikalischen Form
ubernehmen, ohne in ihrer
Eigenkraft (sowohl
akustisch wie auch im
Sinne expressiver
,,Deutung) im geringsten
geschmalert zu werden.
Das hiess zunachst:
Sprechen, nicht singen! -
Aber das wurde nur
bedeuten, dass es nicht
um die Musikalisierung
von Text geht; ebenso
wichtig ist es, dass es
auch nicht um
melodramatisch
,,erzahlende Musik geht.
Sondern: Zwei autonome
Kunste durchdringen sich
auf diaphane Weise, ohne
sich zu uberformen oder
auszuloschen; es handelt
sich um einen Dialog,
nicht um eine
Vereinnahmung durch
Hierarchisierung.Ein
weiteres Thema, das in
der musikalischen
Diskussion der letzten
Jahrzehnte zu kurz
gekommen ist und deswegen
jetzt neu am Horizont
erscheint, ist die
Rhetorik. Inwieweit kann
musikalische Form nicht
nur logisch bzw.
syntaktisch, sondern auch
rhetorisch verstanden
werden? Rhetorik und
Satztechnik z.B. hangen
zusammen. Ich kann diese
Problematik (die ich in
meinem vierteiligen,
abendfullenden Shir
Hashirim ,,auskomponiert
habe) hier nur
andeuten.Musik steht
zwischen Zahl und Wort;
sie hat an beidem teil.
So konnte sie das Zentrum
der ,,Sieben Freien
Kunste in alten Zeiten
bilden ... (Heinrich
Schutz sagte, dass sie zu
diesen - also zu den
mathematisch-astronomisch
en und den literarischen
Kunsten - wie die ,,Sonne
zu den Planeten sich
verhalte.) Mir scheint,
dass wir die Komposition
seit 50 Jahren zu
einseitig nur von der
Zahl her definieren; sie
hat geschichtlich ebenso
viel mit Sprachstruktur
zu tun. Wir konnen
Neuland gewinnen, wenn
wir als heutige Musiker
dies neu durchdenken.Es
handelt sich hier um
meinen dritten Versuch
einer Annaherung an das
Problem einer
,,Verzeitlichung der
Holderlinschen Texte d.h.
einer Moglichkeit, diese
Texte in einer
Performance darzustellen:
da die Musik das
eigentliche Element der
zeitlichen Darstellung
ist, werden die
Holderlinschen Worte mit
Tonen konfrontiert.Im
Fall von denn
wiederkommen geht es um
neun Zeilen aus
Holderlins Patmos-Hymne.
Je eine solche Zeile wird
einem Formabschnitt der
Musik zugeordnet (das
Stuck ist also, wie meine
Lo-Shu-Stucke,
neunteilig). Die
betreffende Zeile
erklingt nicht nur
einmal, sondern wird, in
der gleichen Weise wie
auch das musikalische
Material, nach einem
chaotischen
Repetitionsprinzip
mehrfach
wiederholt.Auffallig ist
ferner, dass fur jeden
der neun Teile ein von
einem der vier
Quartettspieler
festgehaltener ,,Grundton
gewahlt wurde; durch
diese orgelpunktartige
Wirkung wird jeder der
neun Teile
zusammengehalten, und der
Horer kann die langsame
Bewegung der Grossform im
unmittelbaren Horprozess
mitvollziehen.Die neun
Satze von Holderlin
lauten:1. Furchtlos gehen
die Sohne der Alpen uber
den Abgrund weg auf
leicht gebaueten
Brucken...2. Sie horen
ihn und liebend tont es
wieder von den Klagen des
Manns...3. Im goldenen
Rauche bluhte schnell
aufgewachsen mit
Schritten der Sonne, mit
tausend Gipfeln duftend,
mir Asia auf, und
geblendet...4. Gegangen
mit dem Sohne des
Hochsten, unzertrennlich,
denn es liebte der
Gewittertragende die
Einfalt des Jungers...5.
Wenn aber stirbt alsdenn,
an dem am meisten die
Schonheit hing...6.
Eingetrieben war wie
Feuer in Eisen das, und
ihnen ging zur Seite der
Schatten des Lieben. Drum
sandt er ihnen den Geist
und freilich bebte das
Haus und die Wetter
Gottes rollten
ferndonnernd...7. Uber
die Berge zu gehn allein,
wo zwiefach erkannt, war
einstimmig und
gegenwartig der
Geist...8. Und hier ist
der Stab des Gesanges,
niederwinkend, denn
nichts ist gemein. Die
Toten wecket er auf...9.
Denn wiederkommen sollt
es, zu rechter Zeit.
Nicht war es gut gewesen,
spater, und schroff
abbrechend...(Hans
Zender)CD:Salome Kammer
(voice), Arditti String
QuartetCD Montaigne MO
782094Bibliography:Nyffel
er, Max: Fluchtpunkt
Patmos. Hans Zenders
Komposition ,,Denn
wiederkommen. Holderlin
lesen III, in: Neue
Zeitschrift fur Musik 180
(2019), Heft 1, S.
44-47.ders.: Lesen,
Schreiben, Horen. Zum
Verhaltnis von Musik und
Sprache bei Hans Zender,
dargestellt an der
Komposition ,,,denn
wiederkommen`. Holderlin
lesen III, in: ,,Ein
Zeichen sind wir,
deutungslos. Holderlin
lesen, Ikkyu Sojun horen,
Musik denken, hrsg. von
Violetta L. Waibel,
Gottingen: Wallstein
2020, S. 299-329Waibel,
Violetta L.: Holderlin
Lesen, Ikkyu Sojun Horen,
Musik Denken, in:
Festivalkatalog Wien
Modern 29 (2016), Essays,
pp. 196-198.Zenck,
Martin: Holderlin lesen -
seiner ,,Stimme zuhoren.
Holderlin-Lekturen von
Klaus Michael Gruber,
Hans Zender und Bruno
Ganz, in: Neue
Zeitschrift fur Musik 172
(2011), Heft 6, pp.
25-29.Zender, Hans: Zu
meinem Zyklus ,,Holderlin
lesen, in: Mnemosyne.
Zeit und Gedachtnis in
der europaischen Musik
des ausgehenden 20.
Jahrhunderts, hrsg. von
Dorothea Redepenning und
Joachim Steinheuer,
Saarbrucken: Pfau 2006,
pp. 26-40.
World
premiere: Museum Island
Hombroich, May 31,
1992.
Paul Robeson Told Me Quatuor à cordes: 2 violons, alto, violoncelle [Partition + CD] Boosey and Hawkes
String Quartet and Pre-recorded Sound. Composed by Michael Daugherty (1954-). Bo...(+)
String Quartet and
Pre-recorded Sound.
Composed by Michael
Daugherty (1954-). Boosey
and Hawkes Chamber Music.
Classical. Softcover with
CD, Score and Parts. 52
pages. Boosey and Hawkes
#M051105922. Published by
Boosey and Hawkes
Tenor & String Quartet SKU: PE.EP72822 Composed by Jonathan Dove. Voice(s...(+)
Tenor & String Quartet
SKU: PE.EP72822
Composed by Jonathan
Dove. Voice(s) & Various
Instruments. Edition
Peters. Living Composer.
Score and Part(s). 164
pages. Duration 00:30:00.
Edition Peters
#98-EP72822. Published by
Edition Peters
(PE.EP72822).
ISBN
9790577011769. 232 x
303mm inches.
English.
I have
only visited Damascus
once, twenty years ago,
on the way to
Palmyra. I had a
purpose (I was writing
music for a play about
Palmyra’s Queen
Zenobia) but essentially
I was a tourist.
Like any visitor, I was
thrilled to step out of
the noisy modern city
into the magical ancient
world of the walled Old
City, its vibrant souk
leading to the
magnificent mosque, and a
labyrinth of winding,
narrow streets filled
with the smell of
unleavened
bread.
In Palmyra,
I was met with
extraordinary kindness
everywhere. On one
occasion, a little
Bedouin boy noticed that
I was risking sunstroke
wandering bare-headed
among the spectacular
ruins: he showed me how
to tie a turban, then
took me to have tea with
his family in their
tent.
Since then, I
have watched helplessly
as these places of wonder
have been devastated and
their inhabitants
scattered and
killed. When the
Sacconi Quartet suggested
that I might choose a
Syrian poet for our
collaboration, I welcomed
the idea.
I
searched for a long time
to find a contemporary
poet whose work might
gain from any music I
could imagine. I
felt it was important to
find first-hand accounts
of the Syrian experience
– but, of course, I
was always reading them
in translation. In
an anthology
called Syria
Speaks, I was
astonished to read
something that looked
like prose, but was full
of poetry. It was
Anne-Marie
McManus’s fine
translation of Ali
Safar’s A
Black Cloud in a Leaden
White Sky
– an
eloquent, thoughtful,
contained yet vivid
account of life in a
war-torn country, all the
more moving for its
restraint.
In
setting these words, I
have not attempted to
imitate Syrian
music. However,
there is what might be
called a linguistic
accommodation in my
choice of scale, or
mode. Several
movements are in a mode
that I first discovered
while writing a cantata
commemorating the First
World War: it has a
tuning that I associate
with war, its violence
and desolation.
This eight-note
mode is similar to scales
found in Syrian
music. I did not
choose it in the
abstract: it emerged from
the harmonies I was
exploring in the earlier
work, and emerged again
as I was looking for the
right musical colours to
set Ali Safar’s
words. In this
work, its Arabic aspect
is more prominent. -
Jonathan
Dove
This
product is Printed on
Demand and may take
several weeks to fulfill.
Please order from your
favorite retailer.
Chamber Music String Quartet SKU: PR.114410380 Composed by Lowell Lieberm...(+)
Chamber Music String
Quartet
SKU:
PR.114410380
Composed
by Lowell Liebermann.
Saddle, Tape Junction.
Set of Score and Parts.
With Standard notation.
Composed 1998. Opus 60.
48 + 92 pages. Duration
30 minutes. Theodore
Presser Company
#114-41038. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.114410380).
UPC:
680160015160. 9.5 x 13
inches.
My second
String Quartet was
written twenty years
after the first, Opus 4
from 1978. The First
Quartet is an obsessively
contrapuntal work in one
movement, which was no
doubt influenced by my
studies with David
Diamond. I had always
intended to return to the
medium once I left the
astringency of my earlier
style, but it was only
when the National
Federation of Music Clubs
commissioned a major
chamber work, with
unspecified
instrumentation, to
celebrate their 100th
Anniversary that I was
enabled to do so. The
Second Quartet is in four
movements: Moderato,
Allegro isterico, an
Andante theme with 11
variations, and the
closing Allegro, which
then returns to the tempo
of the first movement. An
audience member at the
premiere told me that she
heard echoes of recent
tragic events such as the
Oklahoma bombing in this
work. While I had no such
programmatic intent while
writing the quartet, it
was not an entirely
incorrect assessment of
the work's intended
emotional impact. The
quartet is pervaded by a
sense of seriousness,
even mournfulness. The
second movement's scherzo
is an aggressively
animated piece of musical
machinery. The third
movement's Variations
unfold into a greater
variety of moods than the
others - but the moments
of lyricism are countered
by aggressive or ironic
outbursts. The final
movement's attempt at
triumph quickly subsides
into a return of the
first movement, before
being transformed onto a
sense of resignation and
acceptance as the
chromaticism of the
opening theme is
transformed into a pure
and diatonic C-Major. The
work received its world
premiere by the Shanghai
Quartet at the 100th
Anniversary Congress of
the National Federation
of Music Clubs at the
Congress Hotel in Chicago
on August 19th
1998. My second String
Quartet was written
twenty years after the
first, Opus 4 from
1978. The First
Quartet is an obsessively
contrapuntal work in one
movement, which was no
doubt influenced by my
studies with David
Diamond. I had always
intended to return to the
medium once I left the
astringency of my earlier
style, but it was only
when the National
Federation of Music Clubs
commissioned a major
chamber work, with
unspecified
instrumentation, to
celebrate their 100th
Anniversary that I was
enabled to do so.The
Second Quartet is in four
movements:Â Moderato,
Allegro isterico, an
Andante theme with 11
variations, and the
closing Allegro, which
then returns to the tempo
of the first movement.An
audience member at the
premiere told me that she
heard echoes of recent
tragic events such as the
Oklahoma bombing in this
work. While I had no
such programmatic intent
while writing the
quartet, it was not an
entirely incorrect
assessment of the
work’s intended
emotional impact. The
quartet is pervaded by a
sense of seriousness,
even mournfulness.Â
The second
movement’s scherzo
is an aggressively
animated piece of musical
machinery. The third
movement’s
Variations unfold into a
greater variety of moods
than the others –
but the moments of
lyricism are countered by
aggressive or ironic
outbursts. The final
movement’s attempt
at triumph quickly
subsides into a return of
the first movement,
before being transformed
onto a sense of
resignation and
acceptance as the
chromaticism of the
opening theme is
transformed into a pure
and diatonic C-Major.The
work received its world
premiere by the Shanghai
Quartet at the 100th
Anniversary Congress of
the National Federation
of Music Clubs at the
Congress Hotel in Chicago
on August 19th 1998.
Chamber Music String Quartet SKU: PR.144404550 Composed by Sydney F. Hodk...(+)
Chamber Music String
Quartet
SKU:
PR.144404550
Composed
by Sydney F. Hodkinson.
Set of Score and Parts.
With Standard notation.
Composed 2002.
53+20+16+16+16 pages.
Duration 22 minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#144-40455. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.144404550).
UPC:
680160030859.
After
finishing a serious
woodwind quintet in the
fall of 2001 [Tela
Lacerata], I found, in
the ensuing months, that
its cinders/ashes were
still impregnating my
eardrums. Therefore, when
I set out to write the
present string piece, I
realized that the musical
veins of the quartet,
like related cousins,
were sharing the same
blood as the earlier wind
composition. The
resultant Fifth Quartet
evolved into two large,
extended movements, each
one containing seven
parts that are played
without pause. As the
list of the various
sub-sections clearly
indicates, the formal
structure of the
movements appear to be
identical: each with
three main parts
enveloped by interludes,
plus an introduction and
coda. However, the
principal segments of the
first (slow) movement
gradually decrease in
length, while those of
the second (fast)
movement increase. In
addition, there is a
goodly amount of sonic
material stolen from the
first movement which
reappears -- stitched
together in a new guise
-- into the world of the
second. for example, the
bulk of Parts B and C of
Movement II are lifted
bodily, although
elaborately modified,
from their first
appearances in the
Introduction and Part A
of the fist movement.
This offers, I suppose at
least a hint of a
traditional
recapitulation. As was
true in the earlier
woodwind piece -- both
harmonically and
melodically -- the
embryonic growth of the
musical fabric (primarily
the tritone and perfect
fifth) is omnipresent,
almost obsessively,
throughout the course of
the whole work. These two
intervals, not unlike
plasticine, habitually
transform themselves into
the scales, chords, and
melodic lines that
pervade the texture of
the quartet. Owing to the
largely unrelieved
dramatic flow, the
shifting speed, and the
often fervent intensity,
the quartet places
considerable demands on
the dexterity,
virtuosity, and stamina
of the four performers.
String Quartet No. 5 is
approximately 22 minutes
in duration and
affectionately dedicated
to my violinist wife
Elizabeth, as a gift for
our 47 years together. It
was commissioned by the
Corigliano String
Quartet, New York, NY. --
Sydney Hodkinson.
Chamber Music String Quartet SKU: PR.14440455S Composed by Sydney F. Hodk...(+)
Chamber Music String
Quartet
SKU:
PR.14440455S
Composed
by Sydney F. Hodkinson.
Large Score. With
Standard notation. 53
pages. Duration 22
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #144-40455S.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.14440455S).
UPC:
680160030873.
After
finishing a serious
woodwind quintet in the
fall of 2001 [Tela
Lacerata], I found, in
the ensuing months, that
its cinders/ashes were
still impregnating my
eardrums. Therefore, when
I set out to write the
present string piece, I
realized that the musical
veins of the quartet,
like related cousins,
were sharing the same
blood as the earlier wind
composition. The
resultant Fifth Quartet
evolved into two large,
extended movements, each
one containing seven
parts that are played
without pause. As the
list of the various
sub-sections clearly
indicates, the formal
structure of the
movements appear to be
identical: each with
three main parts
enveloped by interludes,
plus an introduction and
coda. However, the
principal segments of the
first (slow) movement
gradually decrease in
length, while those of
the second (fast)
movement increase. In
addition, there is a
goodly amount of sonic
material stolen from the
first movement which
reappears -- stitched
together in a new guise
-- into the world of the
second. for example, the
bulk of Parts B and C of
Movement II are lifted
bodily, although
elaborately modified,
from their first
appearances in the
Introduction and Part A
of the fist movement.
This offers, I suppose at
least a hint of a
traditional
recapitulation. As was
true in the earlier
woodwind piece -- both
harmonically and
melodically -- the
embryonic growth of the
musical fabric (primarily
the tritone and perfect
fifth) is omnipresent,
almost obsessively,
throughout the course of
the whole work. These two
intervals, not unlike
plasticine, habitually
transform themselves into
the scales, chords, and
melodic lines that
pervade the texture of
the quartet. Owing to the
largely unrelieved
dramatic flow, the
shifting speed, and the
often fervent intensity,
the quartet places
considerable demands on
the dexterity,
virtuosity, and stamina
of the four performers.
String Quartet No. 5 is
approximately 22 minutes
in duration and
affectionately dedicated
to my violinist wife
Elizabeth, as a gift for
our 47 years together. It
was commissioned by the
Corigliano String
Quartet, New York, NY. --
Sydney Hodkinson.
30th
Anniversary Edition
Score. By Brodsky
Quartet and Elvis
Costello. Edited by
Jacqueline Thomas and
Paul Cassidy. Music for
String Quartet.
Classical. Softcover.
Published by Hal Leonard
(HL.4492993).
ISBN
9781705186459. UPC:
196288119197. 9.0x12.0
inches.
Elvis
Costello was inspired to
create this song sequence
for string quartet and
voice after discovering
that a Veronese academic
had been replying to
letters addressed to
â??Juliet Capulet.â?
The delicate and personal
nature of the
correspondence inspired a
wonderful and poignant
set of songs, written,
arranged and originally
performed by Elvis
Costello and the Brodsky
Quartet. Released in
1993, the album was met
with critical acclaim for
its creative mix of rock
and classical style
influences and
intelligent sense of
melody. Hal Leonard is
proud to publish this
30th Anniversary Edition
of the work, edited by
Brodsky Quartet members
Jacqueline Thomas and
Paul Cassidy.
String Quartet (2vl,va,vc) SKU: BR.EB-9243 Full Score. Composed by...(+)
String Quartet
(2vl,va,vc)
SKU:
BR.EB-9243
Full
Score. Composed by
Christian Mason. Chamber
music; stapled. Edition
Breitkopf. World premiere
of the original version:
London, May 10, 2016World
premiere of the string
orchestra version:
Clermont-Ferrand, October
8, 2020. New music
(post-2000). Full score.
Composed 2016/2020. 40
pages. Duration 19'.
Breitkopf and Haertel #EB
9243. Published by
Breitkopf and Haertel
(BR.EB-9243).
ISBN
9790004185438. 9 x 12
inches.
It was the
practice of Khoomii
(throat singing) -
following several
workshops with Michael
Ormiston - that first
attracted me to Tuvan
music. Composing this
Songbook, the first in a
series commissioned by
the Ligeti Quartet, I
took the chance to
reflect on compositional
questions around
transcription and
arrangement of existing
music, and frequently
found myself asking:
where is the boundary
between the source
material and the new
substance? Of course the
relationship varies from
piece to piece, and
moment to moment:
sometimes we seem to
glimpse the pure source,
but most of the time
there are differing
degrees of distance,
working towards or away
from it. This new version
for string orchestra
corresponds closely to
the original quartet
version, with an
additional part for
double basses.The
traditional Tuvan songs
that I have transcribed
and recomposed are all
known to me from the Ay
Kherel CD The Music of
Tuva: Throat Singing and
Instruments from Central
Asia (2004, Arc Music).
According to the notes
from that CD, this is
what the songs are
about:1. Dyngylday: If
you have come on a horse
in blue, it doesn't mean
that you are the best. My
heart tells me something
else: my sweetheart
doesn't have such a
beautiful horse, but he
is my darling.An
alternative
interpretation from Alash
Ensemble
(alashensemble.com): The
word dyngylday is a
nonsense term with no
translation. The song
makes good-humored fun of
somebody for being a
good-for-nothing.2. Eki
Attar (The Best Steeds):
The horse is the basis of
our life. It is a magic
creature. Even its step
is full of music and
rhythm. You may not be a
horse rider, but when you
hear this song you will
always remember horses.3.
Kuda Yry: This wedding
song glorifies the
strength of the groom and
the beauty of his
Horse.4. Ezir-Kara
('Black Eagle'): This was
the name of a horse, who
became a legend through
his remarkable strength
and speed.It is not just
overtones that abound
here: there are galloping
rhythms aplenty, and
though I am no horse
rider I tried to keep the
horses galloping in my
imagination while
composing these
pieces.Christian Mason
(with quotes from Ay
Kherel and Alash
Ensemble)
World
premiere of the original
version: London/UK, May
10, 2016, World premiere
of the string orchestra
version:
Clermont-Ferrand/France,
October 8, 2020.