Music archive entry |
|
Composer: Catherine Nelson Title: Dances for Spartacus Instrumentation: fl, ob, cl, hn, bsn Duration: 5 minutes Difficulty: Harder Technical Issues: 'Dances for Spartacus' would suit players of Grade 8 standard. Although the notes are technically not too difficult, the markings of dynamics and expression are extremely important in capturing the essential character of the dances. The changing time signatures of the second dance might at first appear daunting, but the same rhythmic patterns crop up again and again, making the piece easier to learn. In both dances, there are many phrases in which two or more instruments play in rhythmic unison - these are marked in the parts. Programme note: When I began writing this piece (in February 2001), I was five months pregnant, and 'Spartacus' was the nickname we gave to my growing bump while we tried to come up with a more sensible alternative. Hearing music would set Spartacus off into a kind of squirming, wriggling dance, so I wrote this pair of dances with him in mind. The first is a skittish interplay between phrases in simple and compound metres and the second makes use of constantly changing time signatures as the angular 'dance' is passed between the players, broken up by a more lyrical central section. Availability: From the composer |
More on London Chamber Group Forum London Composers' Group 24th May 2001 |