Holloway, Robin: Ode op. 45 (1980) 14'
for four winds and strings
Scoring
0.2(II=corA).0.0-2.0.0.0-strings
Composer's Notes
The Ode was written early in 1980 as a tribute for Peter Pears’s 70th birthday in June of that year. It is a serenade-like piece and plays continuously, though falling into three main movements with an epilogue.
The first movement (andante) twice alternates flowing strings with pastoral winds; then turns through running figures to a dark and troubled return of the opening, rising at its climax to a vision of the ‘Sick Rose’ of Britten and Blake. The next movement is adagio, at first calm, later impassioned. Then follows a scherzo, very fast and empty until it suddenly froths up and fills out at the end. The epilogue returns to the first movement (untroubled version) and winds down into a horn-motif, also out of Britten/Pears, from which the whole work has, closely or loosely, derived.
Robin Holloway
Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer
for four winds and strings
Scoring
0.2(II=corA).0.0-2.0.0.0-strings
Composer's Notes
The Ode was written early in 1980 as a tribute for Peter Pears’s 70th birthday in June of that year. It is a serenade-like piece and plays continuously, though falling into three main movements with an epilogue.
The first movement (andante) twice alternates flowing strings with pastoral winds; then turns through running figures to a dark and troubled return of the opening, rising at its climax to a vision of the ‘Sick Rose’ of Britten and Blake. The next movement is adagio, at first calm, later impassioned. Then follows a scherzo, very fast and empty until it suddenly froths up and fills out at the end. The epilogue returns to the first movement (untroubled version) and winds down into a horn-motif, also out of Britten/Pears, from which the whole work has, closely or loosely, derived.
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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