Graham Waterhouse, 2010

Actual Concert / Aktuelles Konzert

Samstag, 22. Juli 2018, 11 Uhr
Schloss Nymphenburg, München, Johannissaal

Lieder aus Irland

Werke von Beethoven und Mendelssohn sowie
Graham Waterhouse (*1962): Emerald Springs, Liederzylkus für Sopran und Klavier (UA)

Clare Treacey, Sopran
Yukino Osedo, Klavier
Melanie Gleisser, Flöte
Graham Waterhouse, Cello

Recently published / Veröffentlicht

Thomas Tunes, Thomas the Tank Engine for cello, Breitkopf 2017

Did you know ...

… ... that in his song cycles, Graham Waterhouse has used a cello, a string quartet, or a Pierrot ensemble to complement the singer?

(Wikipedia:Recent additions 13 April 2017)

Recent works / Neue Werke

2018

Scena e Danza Catanesi

Scena e Danza Catanesi (Catanese scene and danse) for solo cello
Scena e Danza Catanesi (Szene und Tanz aus Catania) für Cello solo

Totentanz

Totentanz (Danse macabre), string trio
Totentanz, Streichtrio

UA 20. Januar 2018, Gilching

2017

Emerald Springs

Emerald Springs, cycle of Irish songs for soprano and piano
Emerald Springs (Smaragdquellen), Zyklus irischer Lieder für Sopran und Klavier

Emerald Spring was composed in 2017 in response to a request from the soprano Clare Treacey and her family for a song cycle reflecting Irish connections. In searching for words to set I looked at Irish verse from the earliest centuries after the birth of Christ up to the present day, witness to an immensely rich heritage of literature through the ages. Encouraged by the soprano for whom the work was being written, I eventually decided upon seven texts by women poets, dating from the 8th century to present day.

The poems cover a wide range of subjects and sensibilities, from the radical evangelising of "Eve" and "The Phoenix", through Victorian sentiments of "The Spring", and "Song" to the upbeat, maverick, contemporary proletizing of "News", "Small Breaths" and "The Poetry Bug". The poems share a common attitude to the country of Ireland, to its people, its nature, its religion, its daily life. The vocal part expresses a multitude of different moods and affectations according to the nature of the poem being set.

Kriegslied

Kriegslied (War Song) after a poem by Matthias Claudius, for choir and piano
Kriegslied nach einem Gedicht von Matthias Claudius, für Chor und Klavier

UA 8. November 2017, Berlin

Eight Bagatelles

Eight Bagatelles for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Eight Bagatelles (Acht Bagatellen) für Klarinette, Violine, Violoncello und Klavier

  1. Catapulted
  2. Weightless
  3. Demonic
  4. Otherworldly
  5. Space Lord
  6. Vison
  7. Dopplar
  8. Galactic City

UA 8. Oktober 2017, München

en The initial idea for the Bagatelles came from a picture of an installation entitled Ilya Kabakov, the man who flew into space from his apartment". This sparked off an imaginery science-fiction narrative, appealing for the generation brought up with Dr Who and "Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy". Kabakov encounters various apochrophal characters, situations, states of mind before his journey is finally cut short when he confronts the galactic city.

  • Ilya, sitting peacefully at his place,
    was one sunny Sunday suddenly catapulted into space.
  • On leaving earth's athmosphere far below,
    he found himself weightless, top to toe.
  • His first terrifying encounter was with a demonic extra-terrestial,
    in the shape of a beast most bestial.
  • He soothed his nerves and calmed his mood,
    humming an otherwordly melody from his child-hood.
  • Who should o'er-hear him, hand in laser-Sword,
    but the forbidding, the black-masked Space Lord.
  • They chatted about times present, future and past,
    Ilya's vision of life in the stars grew fast.
  • On he accelerated, past time-warps and nebulae,
    past dopplar effects and meteorae.
  • His progress was halted with dazzling alacrity,
    on coming face to face with the menacing Galactic City. (GW)

    • There are eight shortish pieces, each different in length, scoring and mood. An under-lying current is time-travel, which applies also to the types of music, which encompass a broad spectrum between dissonance and euphony, sophistication and commonplace. The Bagatelles explore one sentiment each; they are fleeting visions of an outlandish imaginery scenario.

    de Die Idee für die acht Bagatellen wurde von einem Bild ausgelöst, das eine Installation zeigt: "Ilya Kabakov, der Mann, der von seinem Appartment ins All flog". Es erweckte die Vorstellung einer Science-fiction-Geschichte seiner Reise, mit Anklängen an Dr. Who und "Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy". Kabakov erlebt verschiedene Begegnungen und Situationen, bevor seine Reise plötzlich in der Galactic City abbricht. Die acht kurzen Stücke variieren in Länge, Instrumentation und Stimmung. Unterschwellig geht es um eine Zeitreise, die auch die Musik betrifft. Ein weites Spektrum umfasst Dissonanz und Wohlklang, Gewöhnliches und Exzentrisches. Jede Bagatelle erforscht eine ihr eigene Ausdrucksart, als flüchtige Vision einer außerirdischen Sphäre.

    Irish Phoenix

    Irish Phoenix for soprano and ensemble: flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, percussion
    Irish Phoenix für Sopran und Ensemble: Flöte (auch Piccolo), Klarinette (auch Bassklarinette), Violine, Violoncello, Klavier, Schlagzeug

    1. Eve (Anon, 8th century)
    2. News (Colette Nic Aodha, late 20th century)
    3. The Spring (Katherine Tynan, early 20th century)
    4. Song (Rebecca Scott, 1870)
    5. Interlude
    6. Small Breaths (Eileen Hulme, 1990)
    7. The Poetry Bug (Colette Bryce, early 21st century)
    8. The Irish Phoenix (Anon, 18th century)
    en Following on from Music of Sighs which set extracts of James Joyce, Irish Phoenix is a cycle of seven songs for soprano and instrumental ensemble setting poems of Irish women poets through the centuries. It was composed in the early months of 2017.
    The subjects of the poems span religious fervour of the Middle Ages, through yearning sentiment of the Victorian Age, disillusionment of early 20th century through to the restless frenzy of the late 20th century. The predominantly lyrical mood of the poems is reflected in the music, which aims to colour and illuminate the words according to their varied expression. Particularly two of most recent poems, "News" and "The Poetry Bug" are filled with far-fetched imagery, as well as being at times biting and sarcastic. These call for virtuosic treatment from the singer, who uses at times a quasi-parlando style, associated formerly with vaudeville or music-hall.

    UA 1. April 2017, München

    en Following on from Music of Sighs which set extracts of James Joyce, Irish Phoenix is a cycle of seven songs for soprano and instrumental ensemble setting poems of Irish women poets through the centuries. It was composed in the early months of 2017.
    The subjects of the poems span religious fervour of the Middle Ages, through yearning sentiment of the Victorian Age, disillusionment of early 20th century through to the restless frenzy of the late 20th century. The predominantly lyrical mood of the poems is reflected in the music, which aims to colour and illuminate the words according to their varied expression. Particularly two of most recent poems, "News" and "The Poetry Bug" are filled with far-fetched imagery, as well as being at times biting and sarcastic. These call for virtuosic treatment from the singer, who uses at times a quasi-parlando style, associated formerly with vaudeville or music-hall.

    Quam celerrime

    Quam celerrime (As fast as possible), string quartet
    Quam celerrime (So schnell wie möglich), Streichquartett

    UA 5. Februar 2017, Grünwald