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979-0-57020-132-7 Réflexions, Rose Nord – Score Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£12.00)

Description

The three great rose windows of Chartres cathedral have hypnotised me for over sixty years, but only in 1991 did I even begin to feel ready to respond to them musically.  Réflexions is the first of the triptych of pieces for woodwind and percussion I have now written in celebration of them.  It reflects upon the north rose window’s massive calm and rhythmic simplicity - rings of Kings of Judah and minor prophets (twelve of each), then doves and angels surrounding virgin and child.  All is symmetrical, all is light in that window and all reflects upon imagery in the lancets below the south and west roses.  So my piece is circular, ending as it begins:  six very slow, simple inward-curving shapes reflecting upon a Sanctus plainchant (or Hebrew Kadosh chant), each shape a reflexion on the one before, and with pitch-content in vibraphone reflecting that in bass clarinet.

Commissioned by Duo Contemporain.

Details

Categories
Duration
5 minutes
Premiere

Brussels, March 1997

Scoring
1 Bass Clarinet in B-flat, 1 Vibraphone
Composition date
1996

Recordings

Steep Steps Andrew Uren (bass clarinet), Lenny Sakofsky (vibraphone). 1st December 2012 Atoll ACD212

Performances

5 July 2013

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Trevor Bartlett (vibraphone), Hannah McCabe (bass clarinet)

17 February 2012

Carole Nash Recital Room, Royal Northern College of Music

Equilibrium Duo (Spotlight Concert)

21 June 2007

IAMIC Conference Open Day, Wellington, New Zealand

Andrew Uren (bass clarinet), Arnold Marinissen (vibraphone)