Fünf Wüstenlieder
(Five Desert Songs) (1999)for solo cello, with own voice and sizzle cymbal (with chain)
Duration: 7'
Publisher
Boosey & Hawkes / Bote & Bock
Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes
for the world.
World Premiere
7/10/1999
Hoxton Hall, London
Matthew Barley, cello /
Hoxton Hall, London
Matthew Barley, cello /
Programme Note
In these five short pieces, each one blending into the next, the sound material of the cello is joined by that of two others: the cellist’s voice and a sizzle cymbal.
The tonal range of the cello, however, is strictly limited to a few chords, series and ‘patterns’, all of which are played con sordino.
The general mood of the piece is that of contemplation, like a conversation with oneself. Loops, circles and standstills extend the otherwise linear development of the music, while individual parts break away and begin to take their own path; fullness and emptiness alternate rapidly.
Thomas Tangler