Alexander, Byrom-Smith, D'Angelo, Garcia, Kinsella and Long

Da Vinci 500 Book 2
Double Bass Solo

Leonardo da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the
Renaissance whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting,
architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy,
geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. He is widely
considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and is credited
with inventing the parachute, helicopter, and tank. Many historians and
scholars regard Leonardo as a unique ?Renaissance Man? and he is widely
considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived.
DA VINCI 500 is an international project bringing together composers to
write a work for unaccompanied double bass to commemorate the 500th
anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. Each work is inspired in some
way by the great man or one of his paintings or inventions and Dritan Gani
(Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Ankara, Turkey) recorded all the pieces for
YouTube. Concerts on Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West in Frome
(Somerset) and Sunday 5 May 2019 at Village Hall, Templecombe (Somerset)
featured performances of all the works in the project by David Heyes (double
bass), Dritan Gani (double bass) and Alexander Heather (double bass).
Composers taking part in Da Vinci 500 are: David Heyes (UK), Bernard Salles
(France), Eric Funk (USA), Mary Rae (USA), Graham Boag (Oman/UK), James
Marshall (USA), Tony Osborne (UK), John Kinsella (Republic of Ireland), Adam
Booker (USA), Luis Guillermo Pérez (Venezuela), James D'Angelo (UK/USA),
Peter Byrom-Smith (UK), Simón García (Spain), John Alexander (UK), Michael
Montgomery (USA), Ashley John Long (UK), Michal Bylina (Poland), Teppo
Hauta-aho (Finland) and P. Kellach Waddle (USA). Peter Byrom-Smith
(UK): Lighting Our Darkness ?You only have to look through the numerous
publications, or better still, visit an exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's
work. Whatever type you choose, art, scientific, technical, you see, and feel
what a true genius this human being really was. Not only was he a painter,
but also an inventor, and great thinker, who sought out everything around
him, things he could see, and things he only imagined. He tried to understand
it all, and with this knowledge develop new ideas, and creations, which for
all of us are certainly as relevant now as in his lifetime, maybe more so.
Through his art, biological drawings, scientific and technological ideas,
astounding at that point in European history, which was pretty scary I would
imagine to people around him, he truly led us from darkness into the light,
helping the development of humanity from total control of church, state, and
other powers. He continued his striving for knowledge throughout his life,
thus encouraging us all to choose our own paths, develop our own thoughts,
and free to explore the universe through our own creative imaginations -
indeed 'Lighting Our Darkness?. The actual piece starts with a recurring
expressive theme, building up and dying away, as light struggles to gain an
opening in our ears. Then enters a more relaxed, although slightly dark
melodic theme, bouncing around your head, and the soloist?s fingers, which
being continuously interspersed by the ?light? theme, before the sun bursts
through with a final reprise and the piece finishes.? [Peter Byrom-Smith]
Lighting Our Darkness was premiered by David Heyes (double bass) on Thursday
2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West, Frome, Somerset. Ashley John Long (UK):
Dreams of Flight 'I was delighted when David Heyes asked me asked me to
compose for this project as I have always been fascinated by da Vinci's work
and find his drawings in particular to be most beautiful. Serendipitously,
Cardiff Museum (a stone's throw from my house) was holding an exhibition of
da Vinci's work at the time of my composing this piece which allowed me to
examine some of his work close-up. I was struck by the finesse of his lines
and the strange feeling of simultaneous calm and vitality that his work
exudes. My piece is divided into three short movements, each of which explore
specific techniques or sonic ideas and are broadly inspired by da Vinci's
drawing. The first is a long, slowly unfolding melodic line which traverses
the range of the instrument. The second explores harmonic resonance and is
predominantly meditative in character. The third movement uses softly
billowing textures which are achieved by the rapid alternation of natural
harmonics. It is from this sound world, and inspiration from da Vinci's
famous 'flying machines', that my work takes its title.' [Ashley John Long]
Dreams Of Flight was premiered by David Heyes (double bass) on Thursday 2
May 2019 at Silk Mill West, Frome, Somerset. Simón García (Spain): La
Gioconda 'La Gioconda is one of the most famous paintings in the world and
contains many mysteries. My vision of this piece is through one of them ...
Why did Leonardo never sell the painting and, taking it with him to every
city where he lived until his death? Today we all carry portraits of the
people we love on our phones but this was not possible at the Leonardo?s
time... Would this be an answer to the mystery? My La Gioconda is a piece
played only with harmonics because I wanted to describe the feelings of an
old Leonardo remembering this woman in his portrait every day. Using the
mixture of major and minor keys I tried to describe the cheerfulness of this
mysterious woman and the nostalgia that her memories brought to Leonardo. The
theme is repeated in the minor, as if imitating the visual game that the
painter does with the smile of his model. Like Leonardo?s secret codes there
is a hidden mystery in the reason I only wrote eight different notes
throughout the piece and in the same way that in the original it is not clear
at all the identity of the model my piece is dedicated to an unknown woman.'
[Simón García] La Gioconda was premiered by David Heyes (double bass) on
Saturday 23 February 2019 at St. Laurence?s Church, East Harptree, Somerset.
John Kinsella (Republic of Ireland): Da Vinci 500: Three Miniatures 1.
Bobbin Winder: The first of these pieces recollects one of Leonardo?s many
inventions the bobbin winder. Using a variety of arco and pizzicato
techniques I try to set up a repeating mechanical pattern to imitate the
movement of such a piece of equipment. 2. Aria: In the second piece I chose
a tenor recorder line from an arrangement of a folk song by Josquin, who
lived at the same time as Leonardo. It is very possible he would have heard
this music. The performer is requested to play a light flautando bowing in an
attempt to produce a sound somewhat akin to that of a tenor recorder. 3. Da
Vinci's Tank: The final piece recollects another of Leonardo?s inventions,
the tank. His sketch shows a four wheeled vehicle with a round top which
swivelled to allow the firing of shots in many directions. An ungainly piece
of equipment made for destruction. The music seeks to copy the mindlessness
of such a weapon. [John Kinsella] Bobbin Winder and Aria were premiered by
David Heyes (double bass) on Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West, Frome,
Somerset. Da Vinci?s Tank was premiered by Dritan Gani (double bass) on
Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West, Frome, Somerset. James D?Angelo
(UK/USA): Neptune (after da Vinci) A Tone Poem 'The drawing entitled
?Neptune? (c.1504) by Leonardo da Vinci consists of the fierce looking Roman
god Neptune arising out of the tempestuous sea as though riding on a chariot
pulled in different directions by three wild horses. The tone poem begins
with a musical pun. That is, the opening tremolo middle C = the ?sea.? After
that the portrayal of a restless sea is given over to a series of
accelerating descending semi-quavers. Neptune himself has his own keynote E,
in the very depths of the bass (his home) and his own theme, a series of
broadening rising 5ths. Other passages feature unrelated broken triads in
sets of three which symbolize the three horses. These three creatures could
be a kind of substitute for Neptune?s traditional trident. At the end the
music returns to the tremolo middle C and then plunges via a glissando back
to the bottom of the sea and Neptune?s keynote E. Overall it is a very
rhapsodic piece to reflect the wild atmosphere of da Vinci?s magnificent
drawing.' [James D?Angelo] Neptune (after da Vinci) was premiered by Dritan
Gani (double bass) on Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West, Frome, Somerset.
John Alexander (UK): 3 for da Vinci 500 When I composed these three short
pieces - 1) man, 2) machine, and 3) nature - I had images in my head that
were remembrances of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, and which veered towards
the scientific side of his vast and astonishing output. I feel that I do not
need to be specific, so I am leaving the titles in a generic form to allow
the listener of these pieces to utilise their own imagination and memory.
Appreciating art frequently involves trying to understand meaning through
representation. Whilst listening to organised sounds that are attempting to
express pictorial art work, what we are perhaps trying to do is understand
the chosen representation - reflected in a particular piece of music ? via
our individual imaginations and memories. These three compositions for
unaccompanied double bass are warmly dedicated to David Heyes and Dritan
Gani.' [John Alexander] 3 for da Vinci 500 were premiered by Dritan Gani
(double bass) on Thursday 2 May 2019 at Silk Mill West, Frome, Somerset.

Recital Music

18.80 EUR

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GN番号：GN476861

出版番号：RM1055