GWYN PRITCHARD

(VNM) = Published by Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin
(CE) = Available from Camerata Editions, London

ORCHESTRAL WORKS

THE FIRMAMENT OF TIME (VNM) Listen: extract 1    extract 2    extract 3    extract 4    extract 5    extract 6    extract 7
     3.3.3.3:4.3.3.1:tmp:4perc:hrp:strings (20') 2008
            Commissioned by the BBC
            1st perf: BBC Studio 1, Maida Vale, London; January 2009; BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Garry Walker
            …purposeful, even ceaseless transformation…the correlation of incidental detail within the overall picture was
            finely controlled…expressive immediacy (classicalsource.com)

LA SETTIMA BOLGIA (VNM)     Listen: extract 1     extract 2     extract 3     extract 4 
     3.3.3.3:4.3.3.1:tmp:5perc:2hrps:strings (14'30") 1989
            1st perf: Southampton International New Music Week 1989; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, 
            conducted by Kees Bakels
            .. always in fluctuating, often turbulent motion...brilliantly scored. (The Guardian) 
           A firm sense of direction...vividly imagined and realised. (Independent)

MERCURIUS (VNM)     Listen: extract 1     extract 2
     1.1.1.1:1.0.0.0:hrp:strings (9') 1989 (adapted from chamber ensemble version of 1979) 
            1st perf: Southampton International New Music Week 1989; Bournemouth Sinfonietta, conducted by Kees Bakels
            A piece of many layers, shades, contrasts and transformations, as unpredictable as quicksilver, and just as
            captivating in its elusive manner (Contact)
            Austere, delicate patterns... (Sunday Times)

IN THE SILENCE OF TURNED EARTH (VNM)    
      solo soprano, solo violin & strings (11') 2010
            Commissioned for the Sofia Soloists, Bulgaria
            1st perf: Sofia, Bulgaria, September 2010; Vania Vatralova-Stankov, Ivo Stankov, Sofia Soloists, 
            conducted by Plamen Djouroff

SPRING MUSIC (CE)    
      1.1.1.1:0.2.1.0:3perc:pno:hrp:strings (16') 1972
            Commissioned by The BBC

CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND ORCHESTRA (CE)  
     viola solo:2.1.2.1:2.1.0.0:timp:celesta:strings (16') 1967, revised 1984
            1st perf: Royal Scottish Academy of Music 1968; soloist James Durrant
 

HARMONIEMUSIK (VNM)  
     2.0.1.2sax:1.1.2.1:1perc:pf:e-gtr.b-gtr (12') 2009
            1st perf: Musis Sacrum, Arnhem, Netherlands; October 2010; Orkest 'de ereprijs', conducted by Wim Boerman

THE FRUIT OF CHANCE AND NECESSITY (VNM)     Listen: extract 1     extract 2     extract 3    View pages
     solo 'cello:1.1.1.1:1.1.1.0:accrdn.:solo strings (16') 2004
            Commissioned by Barry Noble
            1st perf: City Theatre, Basel, Switzerland; November 2004 at the ISCM World Music Days; soloist Beat Schneider 
            with Ensemble Phoenix conducted by Jürg Henneberger

MERCURIUS (CE)  
     wind quintet, string quartet, harp (9') 1979
            1st perf: University of York 1979; conducted by Peter Wiegold
            Sparkling fragments of dialogue tossed about in explosive flashes...constantly changing mood (The Times)

KOMMOS (VNM) 
     oboe, 2 violins, viola, 'cello, doublebass, piano (10') 2011
            Commissioned by Daegu Contemporary  Music Festival, S Korea
            1st perf. scheduled June 2011; Eclat conducted by Jin Soo Kim

STRATA (CE)  
     2 flutes, 2 clarinets, string trio (12') 1977
            Commissioned by Hotwells Music Workshop
            1st perf: SPNM's 'Alive and Composing', London 1980; conducted by Buxton Orr

ENSEMBLE MUSIC FOR SIX (CE)       Listen: extract 1     extract 2     extract 3
     flute, clarinet, piano, violin, viola, 'cello (6') 1976
            1st perf: Arnolfini, Bristol 1976; conducted by Peter Wiegold

            ...wonderfully idiomatic (musicalpointers.co.uk)

NEPHALAUXIS (CE)  
     string quartet, 2 percussionists (15') 1977
            1st perf: Warsaw Autumn Festival 1979; Royal Lazienki Quartet, Marta Ptaszynska, Hubert Rutkowski
            A striking piece (Contact)

LOLLAY, LOLLAY (CE)  
     cor anglais, bass clarinet, piano, percussion, viola, 'cello (13') 1983
            Commissioned by Uroboros Ensemble
            1st perf: 1983; Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard
            .. cunningly evoked the terrifying conception of a lilting lullaby, and the darkness behind its apparent innocence.
             (Robert Saxton on Music in Our Time, BBC Radio 3)

MADRIGAL (VNM)       Listen:extract 1     extract 2 
     flute/piccolo/alto, oboe/cor anglais, clarinet/bass, percussion, harp (12') 1987/8
            Commissioned by Uroboros Ensemble
            1st perf: The Michael Tippett Centre, Bath 1989; Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard
            ..discipline and formal simplicity ... dryly expressive, like neo-classical Stravinsky. (The Times)

WAYANG (CE)      Listen:extract 1     extract 2    extract 3
     flute/alto/piccolo, clarinet/bass, piano, percussion, 'cello (13') 1993
            Commissioned by The Basle Soloists
            1st perf: Quebec, Canada 1993; The Basle Soloists, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard

NEBULAE AND EPISODES (CE)      Listen: extract 1      extract 2      extract 3      extract 4
     alto sax., violin, 'cello, percussion, piano (13'30") 2005
            1st perf: The Warehouse, London 2007; Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard
            ...as the music breathed gently...it found an elusive dialogue...(New Notes)

DEMISE (VNM)       Listen: extract 1     extract 2     extract 3
     percussion trio, piano, live electronics (18'30") 1994
            Commissioned by The Basle Percussion Trio
            1st perf: Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 1994; The Basle Percussion Trio, Daniel Cholette,
            Alex Buess
            ..made a strong case for further airings. (The Independent)

NIGHTFALL (VNM)  
     flute/alto, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, 'cello ( 11'00")  2011
            Commissioned for Ex Novo Ensemble, Venice, Italy
            1st perf. scheduled October 17th, 2011; La Fenice, Venice.

ARIEL DREAMING (CE)  
     recorders, cimbalom, percussion, accordion (9') 2010
            1st perf:  Weimar Spring Contemporary Music Days, 2010; Ensemble Kozmosz

OBJECTS IN SPACE (VNM)       Listen: extract 1     extract 2
     clarinet, harp, percussion (12') 1978
            1st perf: Purcell Room, London 1978; Gemini, conducted by Peter Wiegold
            ..a taught and well pointed structure, and sonorities that were never arbitrary or redundant. (The Guardian)

RES (VNM)  
     vioolin,'cello & piano (4'15") 2011
            1st perf:  Scheduled Salzburg, November 2011;  Members of oenm

 INSTRUMENTAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: HOMOGENEOUS

JANUS (VNM)    Listen: extract 1     extract 2    extract 3       View pages
     flute/piccolo/alto & clarinet/Eflat/bass (13'30") 1991
            Commissioned for Philippe Racine & Ernesto Molinari and performed by them at the Huddersfield Contemporary 
            Music Festival 1994
            1st perf: West of England tour 1991; Ingrid Culliford & Roger Heaton
             ..highly entertaining, brilliantly written, captivating virtuosity. (Dreh Punkt Kultur, Salzburg)

POUR LE MUSICIEN DE SAINT-MERRY 
      solo flute (5'15")  2011
            (Included in an anthology of short pieces for solo flute, to be published in 2011 by Edizioni Sconfinarte, Italy)
            1st perf: Blackheath Halls, London October 2011; Jenni Hogan (flute)

EPYLLION (VNM) 
     solo oboe (5'15") 2011
            1st perf: Randspiele, Zepernick, Berlin  2011; Yu-Pei Wang

NOVELETTE   
     solo violin (4') 2011 
            (Included in an anthology of short pieces for solo violin, published in 2011 by Edizioni Sconfinarte, Italy)

SONATA FOR GUITAR (VNM)    Listen
     solo guitar (16') 1982
            1st perf: Festival 'Il Tempo Sospeso', Abruzzo, Italy 2005; Maurizio Grandinetti

All the pieces entitled Micropus may be played individually or, in any order, as a continuous set.
      A collection of six meticulously elaborate miniatures of varying length and style; fragment to sophisticated character 
      piece, of considerable compositional diversity.... The first volume of these imaginative micro-pieces [nos.1-6] 
      shows the hand of an experienced and professional composer  (Neue Musikzeitung)