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GWYN PRITCHARD

 
CATALOGUE OF WORKS 2007

 

 


ORCHESTRAL WORKS

 

LA SETTIMA BOLGIA     Listen: extract 1     extract 2     extract 3     extract 4 
     3.3.3.3:4.3.3.1:5perc:2hrps:strings (14') 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     Listen: extract 1     extract 2
     1.1.1.1:1.0.0.0:hrp:strings (12') 1989 (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)

 

SPRING MUSIC
      1.1.1.1:0.2.1.0:3perc:pno:hrp:strings (16') 1972

            Commissioned by The BBC

 

CONCERTO FOR VIOLA AND ORCHESTRA
     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

 

 

INSTRUMENTAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: MIXED

 

THE FRUIT OF CHANCE AND NECESSITY     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 Jurg Henneberger

 

MERCURIUS
     wind quintet, string quartet, harp (12') 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)

 

STRATA
     2 flutes, 2 clarinets, string trio (12') 1977

            Commissioned by Hotwells Music Workshop
            1st perf: Alive and Composing, London 1980; conducted by Buxton Orr

 

ENSEMBLE MUSIC FOR SIX
     flute, clarinet, piano, violin, viola, 'cello (6') 1976

            1st perf: Arnolfini, Bristol 1976; conducted by Peter Wiegold

 

NEPHALAUXIS
     string quartet, 2 percussionists (15') 1977

            1st perf: Warsaw Autumn Festival 1979; Royal Lazienki Quartet, Marta Ptaszynska, Hubert Rutkowski
            A striking piece (Contact)

 

THE VISIONS OF ZOSIMOS
     flute/alto, clarinet/bass, percussion, string trio (18') 1981

            Commissioned for its inaugural concert by Uroboros Ensemble
            1st perf: October Gallery, London 1982; Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard

 

LOLLAY, LOLLAY
    
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)

 

MOONDANCE
     solo clarinet, string trio, percussion (20') 1982

            Commissioned by Angela Malsbury
            1st perf: Arnolfini, Bristol 1982; Angela Malsbury, Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard
            ..ranged from deeply lyrical solos to frenzied 'Pierrot Lunaire' atmospheres, encapsulating in music
everything 
            one could associate with nocturnal adventure. Most definitely the highlight...successfully captivated the 
            audience. (Venue)

 

CHAMBER CONCERTO
     solo piano, flute/piccolo, clarinet, violin, 'cello (14') 1985

            Commissioned for Allan Schiller
            1st perf: St John's Smith Square, London 1986; Allan Schiller, Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn
Pritchard
             ..an accomplished work (Tempo)

 

MADRIGAL     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    Listen
     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
     alto sax., violin, 'cello, percussion, piano (13') 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     Listen: extract 1     extract 2    extract 3
     percussion trio, piano, live electronics (20') 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)

 

FEATURES AND FORMATIONS     Listen     View pages
     solo violin, flute, clarinet, 'cello (10') 2003

            Commissioned by the 1st Reggello International Festival of Music, Italy
            1st perf: Reggello International Festival of Music, Italy 2003; Darragh Morgan solo violin with Uroboros Ensemble,
           
conducted by Gwyn Pritchard

 

OBJECTS IN SPACE     Listen: extract 1     extract 2
    
clarinet, harp, percussion (10') 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) 

 

 

INSTRUMENTAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: HOMOGENEOUS

 

EARTHCRUST
     six percussionists (21') 1980

            1st perf: Potsdam, New York 1982; Crane Percussion Ensemble, conducted by James Petercsak

 

EIDOS
     six percussionists (15') 1990

            Commissioned by International Percussion Workshops, Poland
            1st perf: Bydgoszcz, Poland 1990; directed by Stephen Schic
k

 

TETRAD
     four flutes (7') 1976

 

DAS MYSTERIUM DER HEILIGEN DREIFALTIGKEIT
     three percussionists - theatre piece (2') 1995

            Commissioned by the Basle Percussion Trio
            1st perf: Basle City Theatre 1995; The Basle Percussion Trio

 

BREAK APART
     four percussionists: xylophone & marimba soli, two sets of drums (8') 1995

            Commissioned by Siegfried Kutterer
            1st perf: Festival Schlaglichter 96, Birsfelden, Switzerland 1996; André Morin & The Basle Percussion Trio

 

CONFLUX
     four bassoons (5') 2008

            Commissioned by Quadriga Bassoon Quartet
            1st perf:
Rheinsberg, Germany, 2008

 

 

INSTRUMENTAL DUOS

 

TANGENTS
     'cello & piano (5') 1969

            Commissioned by Paul Pulford
            1st perf: Royal Scottish Academy of Music 1969; Paul Pulford & Stewart Robertson

 

MUSIC FOR DOUBLE BASS AND HARP     Listen: extract 1     extract 2
    
(6'30") 1969

            1st perf: BBC Christchurch Studios, Bristol 1972; Jack Goldzweig & Meinir Heulyn

 

DUO WITH A YOUNG GIRL
    
viola & piano (12') 1980

            Commissioned by Philip Clark
            1st perf: Auckland, New Zealand 1981; Philip Clark & Brian Sayer

 

JANUS    Listen    View pages
     flute/piccolo/alto & clarinet/Eflat/bass (11') 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

 

CANZONETTA ELUSIVA
          mandolin & doublebass (4') 1995

            Commissioned by Sandy Mills

 

IN PASSING
     flute & marimba (6') 2005

            Commissioned by The Corsham Festival
            1st perf: Corsham Festival 2005; Kate Kelly & Amy Kelly

 

SONG FOR ICARUS    View pages
     flute & violin (15') 2006

            Commissioned by Carin Levine & David Alberman
            1st perf: Weimar Spring Contemporary Music Days 2006, Germany; Carin Levine & David Alberman

 

GAME
     flute & percussion (open form 2' to 3') 2007

            Composed for Jeremy Woodruff & Hjörleifur Jónsson

 

 

INSTRUMENTAL SOLOS

 

FIVE MINIATURES
    
solo violin (8'30") 1969

            Commissioned by Gail Harvey
            1st perf: Arbroath, Scotland 1969; Gail Harvey

 

CONTOURS
     solo violin (7') 1972 revised 2002

            1st perf: Bush Hall, London 2002; Darragh Morgan

 

FIVE SHORT PIECES FOR PIANO    Listen: Piece 1    Piece 2    Piece 3    Piece 4    Piece 5
    
solo piano (7') 1975

            1st perf: Brno, Czechoslovakia 1979; Jaroslav Pokorny

 

NOCTURNE
     solo clarinet (6') 1982

 

SONATA FOR GUITAR    Listen
    
solo guitar (13') 1982

            1st perf: Festival 'Il Tempo Sospeso', Abruzzo, Italy 2005; Maurizio Grandinetti

 

DRAMALOGUE    Listen
     solo percussion (11') 1984

            Commissioned by Elizabeth Davis
            1st perf: British Music Information Centre 1984; Elizabeth Davis

 

INTERMEZZO
    
solo flute (3') 1992

            1st perf: London 2002; Nancy Ruffer

 

RAUM GREIFT AUS    Listen: extract 1    extract 2
    
solo piano (17') 1996

            Commissioned by Nicolas Hodges
            1st perf: St Georges Brandon Hill, Bristol 1996; Nicolas Hodges
            A substantial piece, palpably honest in its music-making and most effectively written for the instrument...an 
            ambitious piece... (Tempo)

 

FROM TIME TO TIME   View pages
     solo piano (6') 1999

            Commissioned by Ian Pace
            1st perf: Bristol University 1999; Ian Pace

 

MICROPUS 1
     solo piano (1'30") 2002

 

MICROPUS 2
     solo piano (1'30") 2002

 

CAPRICCIO INQUIETO
    
solo oboe (5') 2006

            1st perf: Kingston University 2007; Christopher Redgate

 

TWO MOVEMENTS FOR SOLO VIOLA
    
solo viola (6') 2007
            1st perf: Sala Filarmonica, Trento, Italy 2007; Maurizio Barbetti

 

 

WORKS WITH VOICE(S)

 

BECOMING
     soprano, mezzo-soprano, flute/piccolo/alto, sax., 2 per, harp, 'cello, bass (13'30") 1974
     Text: various poets

 

TO JARDENNA
     flute, percussion, narrator (10') 1978

            Commissioned by, and text by Renate Kelly
            1st perf: Arnolfini, Bristol 1983; Sebastian Bell, Elizabeth Davis & Renate Kelly
            ..nervously atonal, striving, reflective... (Independent)

 

ENITHARMON
    
mezzo-soprano & piano (8') 1973
     
Text: William Blake

            1st perf: St Giles, Cripplegate, London 1998; Susan Anderson & Nicolas Hodges
            ..extremely appealing and sensitive...a gratifying work to sing and hear...the vocal writing is beautifully supple 
            and idiomatic throughout the piece (Jane Manning in New Vocal Repertory [pub: OUP])

 

FORSE MI STAI CHIAMANDO
    
mezzo-soprano & cello (6') 1997
     Text: Pinuccia Amodei
            1st perf: Banff, Canada 2000


LUCHNOS
    
6 solo voices (s.s.a.t.bar.b.) (3') 2007
     
Text: Paulus Silentiarius

           1st perf: Festival Pramidale 6, Berlin 2007;  Vox Nostra

 

 

ARRANGEMENTS & TRANSCRIPTIONS

 

FOUR PIECES FROM THE 14TH CENTURY
     oboe, clarinet, percussion, harp, viola, 'cello (12') 1983

            1st perf: Arnolfini, Bristol 1983; Uroboros Ensemble, conducted by Gwyn Pritchard

 

THREE PIECES FROM THE 14TH CENTURY
     clarinet, percussion, harp (9') 1985

            1st perf: St Davids Hall, Cardiff 1985; Uroboros Ensemble

 

FIVE POLISH CHRISTMAS CAROLS
     choir (s.a.t.b.), flute, piano, strings (15') 1987

            1st perf: Bristol 1987; conducted by Gwyn Pritchard

 

FIVE THREE-PART INVENTIONS OF J S BACH
    
flute, oboe, marimba

            1st perf: Castle Cary 1987; Uroboros Ensemble

 

STILL GROWING - FOLK SONG
    
voice & piano (3') 1989

 

FOUR SHAKESPEARE SETTINGS AFTER THOMAS ARNE
    
mezzo-soprano, flute/piccolo, clarinet, harp, viola (15') 1991

            1st perf: 1991; Claudia Klasicka & Uroboros Ensemble

 

LEA;  PERCHÈ NON SEI CON ME;  TI VOGLIO ORA
     voice & piano (5') 1995
     3 Italian 'light-popular' songs. Texts & melody by Giuseppe Galli

 

 

For further information, to order scores and performing material send an email or contact:
CAMERATA ARTISTS, 4 Margaret Road, BIRMINGHAM B17 0EU, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)121 426 6208, Fax: +44 (0)121 608 0676

Scores may also be seen at The British Music Information Centre


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