Holloway, Robin: Five Haydn Miniatures (1999) 12'
on flute-clock originals
Scoring
2fl(II=picc).cl-pft(=optional cel)-2vln.vla.vlc
World Premiere
6/12/1999
Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh
Composers Ensemble / Andrew Parrott
Composer's Notes
This set of five little pieces for small ensemble was written in 1999 at the suggestion of John Woolrich to go in a concert inspired by "mechanical music" - machines, clocks, music-boxes, etc. He drew all the contributors' attention to the volume in Haydn's collected works of chimes, tootles, sonneries, for the mechanical organs in domestic clocks, and suggested, rightly, that we would find suitable and charming material there to play with. My choice fell upon a sort of toy "march"; a fragile "arietta"; a solid/stolid "menuetto"; a tender "adagietto"; and a mock-academic "fugue". All have been deconstructed and re-assembled in cubistic fashion (and the fugue is more than twice as long as its source): but the letter of the originals is always recognisable, and their spirit lovingly preserved.
Robin Holloway
Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer
on flute-clock originals
Scoring
2fl(II=picc).cl-pft(=optional cel)-2vln.vla.vlc
World Premiere
6/12/1999
Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh
Composers Ensemble / Andrew Parrott
Composer's Notes
This set of five little pieces for small ensemble was written in 1999 at the suggestion of John Woolrich to go in a concert inspired by "mechanical music" - machines, clocks, music-boxes, etc. He drew all the contributors' attention to the volume in Haydn's collected works of chimes, tootles, sonneries, for the mechanical organs in domestic clocks, and suggested, rightly, that we would find suitable and charming material there to play with. My choice fell upon a sort of toy "march"; a fragile "arietta"; a solid/stolid "menuetto"; a tender "adagietto"; and a mock-academic "fugue". All have been deconstructed and re-assembled in cubistic fashion (and the fugue is more than twice as long as its source): but the letter of the originals is always recognisable, and their spirit lovingly preserved.
Robin Holloway
Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer
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