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a set of three solo pieces for piano (12') cello (15') trombone (8') |
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| These three solo pieces were written for musician friends back in England just as I had moved to Amsterdam. The intension was that they would be played together in a concert in York at the end of the year, but due to circumstances - people moving away - too little time - difficulty of the parts - this never transpired.
The pieces are like studies exploring certain physicall aspects of playing the instrument - aspects which would normally remain on a subconcious level. In the piano piece (written for Tom Armstrong) the performer has to actively engage in restraining signals to the hands- to touch but not play half the notes that are notated. The result is partly theatrical - what you hear the pianist playing is only a fraction of what their movements are implying. In the cello piece (written for Verity Sharp)- their is a connection made between the bowing hand and the right foot. A rhythmic relation. The piece uses scordatura tuning GGDG - and was partly inspired by Pontic folk music (the lyra). The trombone piece (written for Pascal Wyse) explores breathing. Breathing is notated throughout the score in such a way that it begins to intrude on the musical line. Notes must be played sometimes while breathing in. At other times the duration of breath is explored in its extremes. |
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| performance history:
The Piano monologue has been performed by Nicolette Heerema at the MEI-festival at the royal conservatory in Den Haag 5-93]. The other two pieces have yet to be performed. |