Alexander, Debussy, Funk, Garcia, Perez and Rae

SYRINX Book 2
Double Bass Solo

2018 marks the centenary of the death of the great French composer Claude
Debussy (1862-1918) and the 'Syrinx Project' is an international initiative
inviting composers to write a new work for unaccompanied double bass, lasting
around three minutes, and inspired in some way by Debussy's masterpiece
Syrinx for solo flute. Inspired and directed by David Heyes, the 'Syrinx
Project' has brought together 28 composers from across the world with the aim
of creating an exciting year-long programme of commissions, performances and
recordings. All the pieces in the 'Syrinx Project' will be published by
Recital Music, alongside a transcription of Debussy's original Syrinx, in a
series of innovative and evocative books which deserve to find a permanent
place in the concert repertoire for unaccompanied double bass. ASHLEY JOHN
LONG (UK) - Syrinx 'Syrinx was written at the request of David Heyes to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Claude Debussy in a series
of short pieces for solo Double Bass inspired by the Debussy's work for solo
Flute from which the title is taken. My piece takes the form of an extended
lyrical line which is subject to several brief interruptions before returning
to the original melodic content, gradually expanding the range over which the
melody traverses. The core harmonic material is similarly gradually expanded
throughout and is reflective of the heavily chromatic tonal language used by
Debussy in his work. The work has an improvisation character and gradually
reveals itself through the continual unfolding of small motifs which are
quickly expanded into more substantial melodic lines before gradually ebbing
away.' [Ashley John Long 8 January 2018] ERIC FUNK (USA) - Syrinx's
Century-Late Echo 'This short piece for unaccompanied double bass solo is a
'response' to Debussy's well-known solo flute work 'Syrinx'. The piece was
composed at the request of internationally known double bassist, David Heyes,
as part of a project acknowledging the 100th anniversary of Debussy's death
(2018). As a 15-year old school student, my school music program had an
inordinate number of very fine flautists, the four top players having formed
a flute quartet well-known throughout the Northwestern United States music
scene. All these young women, at some time, played 'Syrinx' as a contest
piece. I heard it so many times during my young years that I nearly have it
memorized. I found it interesting to write a piece in homage to Debussy and,
particularly, Syrinx, for the double bass, an instrument at the lowest end of
the musical staff, in contrast to the flute, an instrument at the highest
end. To that end, I rather reversed the direction of Debussy's opening motive
and created at least the gesture of an ascending line in contrast to his
descending line. But my central purpose was to capture the mythic ethos I
felt Debussy created with his music depicting the nymph from classical Greek
mythology at the river's edge seeking assistance from the river nymphs. In
answer to her plea, she was turned into hollow water reeds that made a
haunting sound when god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the
reeds to make his Pan Pipes, from that point forward known as syrinx. My
title suggests Syrinx 'voice' is now echoed back through the air from a more
'center of the earth' instrument, the double bass. It is composed to act as
an answer to her questioning voice.' [Eric Funk] JOHN ALEXANDER (UK) -
roseaux dans anches 'For his play 'Psyché', playwright Gabriel Mourey asked
Claude Debussy to compose incidental music depicting 'the last melody that
Pan plays before his death', the composer delivered 'La Flûte de Pan, or
Syrinx' for unaccompanied flute. In Debussy's day, shepherds could still be
heard playing panpipes to their flock in the Southern French countryside. In
actual fact, the panpipe is an extremely ancient wind instrument and bears
the name that evolved from the Greek legend of the god Pan pursuing the nymph
Syrinx, of her being saved and changed in the nick of time by the Naiades
into a bunch of reeds. Pan noticed how the wind made these musical, and he
cut them down into different lengths, bound them together and began to play.
In the French language, there are two words for our single English one for
'reed': 'roseau', for the botanical meaning, and 'anche', for the musical.
And so I had my title, of some singular entity transforming into something
else whilst maintaining a similar and recognisable structure. This work,
'roseau dans anches', composed for unaccompanied double bass, is a variation
on Debussy's model and is warmly dedicated to Dritan Gani.' [John Alexander]
PREMIERE: Saturday 4 August 2018 - Boccherini Institute, Lucca, Italy
(Bass2018) - Dritan Gani (double bass) TURKISH PREMIERE: Tuesday 30 October
2018 - Yasar Kemel Hall, Contemporary Arts Centre, Ankara - Dritan Gani
(double bass) LUIS GUILLERMO PEREZ (Venezuela) - Ascencion 'Ascensión' is a
monothematic piece structured in three parts. The first part is in the key of
E minor until bar 18. The first phrase starts with the interval of a
descending fifth played pizzicato, which represents the material life,
immediately followed by a melody with the bow in harmonics, which always ends
in high-pitched sounds and forte, hence the name of the piece, the second
phrase is also 4 bars long and is a variation of the first, same goes to the
third and fourth phrase until bar 16, and the last two bars are codettas
corresponding to this section. The second part with the initial theme in
variation goes by G, Eb and Db, and the descending fifth motifs come back in
pizzicato as well as new motifs with descending scales (veloce) appear. This
section ends in the bar 41. The third part is a re-exposition of the first 8
bars from the beginning, and from bar 50 to 54 is the final codetta, which is
a melody elaborated by four notes of the double bass in three registers and
ascending to the highest notes, symbolizing the arrival to heaven, finishing
with three strikes from the destiny in diminishing pizzicatos.' [Luis
Guillermo Perez] Ascencion was premiered on Saturday 12 May 2018 at Vicente
Emilio Sojo Conservatoire, Barquisimeto, Venezuela by Gennaro Marchese
(double bass) MARY RAE (USA) - Syrinx 'When David Heyes requested works for
double bass inspired by Debussy's Syrinx for the 2018 centenary of his death,
I thought of what honoring Debussy could mean to me. I've listened to Syrinx
since I was young, returning over and over to reside for a while in it's
shimmering beauty, and I can't think of any tribute that can finish the job
of honoring a composer capable of such work. Writing in the style of Debussy
would seem natural, but it is not natural for me, though I wish it were. So,
it seemed best to listen again, and then to sit down to write what came to
mind and heart. I'd like to think there are moments in my composition which
are intersections of Debussy's Syrinx and myself, moments that show the mark
which his music has left on me. Syrinx is small in scope, just under two
minutes, and written in G minor for unaccompanied double bass.' [Mary Rae]
Syrinx was premiered at by David Heyes Green Hammerton Hall (York, UK) on
Sunday 18 March 2018. SIMON GARCIA (Spain) - Syrinx 'The Syrinx Project is a
wonderful idea by David Heyes to commemorate the centenary of the death of
Claude Debussy. With my Syrinx piece I wanted to tell about the original
story of Syrinx and Pan. The piece has five sections and in the first I
present Syrinx with a lyrical and elusive melody that defines the beauty and
sensuality of the nymph. The second part describes the atmosphere of the
enchantment that Pan feel when he sees her and immediately falls in love.
Then she realises that Pan is following her...In this third section Syrinx?s
melody is heard again but now it sounds a little more intense because Pan
chases her until she reaches the river and vanishes.The fourth section tells
of the moment when Pan arrives at the river and cannot find her anywhere. He
looks to one side, then to the other, searches among the reeds (Cadenza) and
does not find her, but only hears the whisper of the wind and the sound of
the reeds (Vivo). Tired of looking, Pan decides to cut the reeds and tries to
reproduce the whisper of the wind that reminds him of the beauty of the
nymph. In this last section Pan leaves the river playing a melancholy melody
on the reed flute while thinking of his beloved as he slowly loses himself in
the forest. I tried to create a mystical atmosphere throughout inspired me by
the sonority of Debussy's piece.' [Simon Garcia] Syrinx was premiered at
Galicia Graves (Conservatorio de Culleredo, Spain) on Saturday 10 March 2018
by Petru Iuga to whom it is dedicated.

Recital Music

18.80 EUR

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GN番号：GN479791

出版番号：RM987