Elisabeth Lutyens writes:
Of these three works the String Quartet was written
first, in 1952, and the Bagatelles the last, in 1963.
| had written three string quartets (scrapping the
first) in 1938; part of an intention to write a ‘classic’
set of six, which the outbreak of war prevented my
realising.
Fourteen years later | planned a set of three quartets.
| wrote Nos. 5 and 6, though | have since scrapped
them.
No. 6 is the only work (apart, of course, from film
scores and musical ‘journalism’) that | have written at
‘a sitting’. | remember starting at 2.30 one afternoon
and not moving from my table till it was finished.
| had thought, on starting, it would become a four
movement work but on finishing the first movement
the only procedure my ear, mind and logic was
demanding was a reprise of the first movement—
which, to me, now sounded different—and, being
convinced, this is what | did.
| also had at the back of my mind something that
Vegh (of the Vegh string quartet) had said, in reference
to a Bartok quartet about the relative ‘heat’ and ‘cold’
that contrast movements. In this instance, the first
movement is all ‘heat’, appassionata and movement
including glissandi between notes—nothing is still.
The second movement, in contrast, is frozen, senza
espress—and pianissimo.
The Wind Quintet was written at the request of the
BBC for the début of its newly formed BBC Chamber
Ensemble (now called the Leonardo Ensemble and
consisting of the present players) at an Invitation
Concert on January 1961.
| remember, initially, having no wish to write for
this combination but, having accepted the com-
mission, | had to achieve a metamorphosis in myself
to want to do it and, moreover, write a strong, clear
work which, | felt, the medium demanded. The phrase
‘ich muss’ was in my mind and | even looked at the
Beethoven quartet thus prefaced wondering if | could
base the work on this motif—so descriptive of my
intentions. Though this proved impossible, the
‘character’ of the idea remained with me and dominates
the mood of the first movement. This is in four parts:
a first statement in moderate tempo of the basic
material; a slow section followed by a palindrome of
the opening and ending with a palindrome of the
first slow section.
The second movement has the character of a
scherzo but without trio and the last movement, after
a slow interlude, consists of statement, three variations
(the second being a chorale) and a coda which is a
palindromic reprise of the beginning of the work.
The Quintet is dedicated to Catherine Lacey, an
actress of lace made with steel—as | wished the work
to be!
The five short Bagatelles for piano were written for
Katharina Wolpe, who plays them here.
To be briefly autobiographical, | had just returned
from the Holland Festival (where | had had a work
performed by the Danzi Ensemble) and during the
course of my stay | had visited the Van Gogh Exhibition.
In one of the rooms there was a series of paintings all
done during the months preceding his death; landscapes
dated May-August-November, etc.
| was deeply impressed with this apparent sim-
plicity of approach—just each day—each month—
painting what one sees in front of one; the tiresome
fret over ‘style’, being ‘in the mood’, ‘something to say’
and other obfuscations seemingly absent.
On my return home | just put Monday, the so and
so date, on a piece of manuscript paper and wrote
what | wanted to write that day; and so the next and
the next (then, of course, | was interrupted by the
writing of a film score). With the eventually completed
five pieces | had my ‘entity’.
fain Hamilton writes:
The Three Pieces for Piano Op. 30, were written in
1955 for an album of piano music by various composers
which was intended for the moderately accomplished
pianist. For this reason they employ little of the virtuoso
technique to be found in the earlier Piano Sonata of
1951 or the later Piano Concerto (1960) and Nocturnes
with Cadenzas of 1963. The pieces are marked a//egro,
lento and vivo and the short work is in the nature of a
serenade or divertimento. It is the first of my works
which uses a series but there are strongly tonal
influences throughout.
The Sonata for Cello and Piano was composed in
1958 for Joan Dickson; it was commissioned by the
University Court of the University of Glasgow under
the regulations governing the McEwen Bequest. The
first performance took place at the University of
Glasgow with Joan Dickson and myself. Written at the
same time as the Sinfonia for Two Orchestras, it bears
certain resemblances to that work. Both are cast in
several short sections which are played without a
break; in the case of the sonata there are Seven SECUONS.
The first, third, fifth and seventh are cadenzas, the other
are movements of a less improvisatory nature. The
outer cadenzas are for both instruments; the second
for cello alone; the third for piano alone. The various
sections bear very close relationship to each other
regarding basic compositional material, this having
however nothing to do with interrelated thematic or
motivic material but rather with intervallic relationships.
©) Argo Record Company Limited, London, 1965
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿