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979-0-57036-618-7 The Four Last Things – Score Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£8.95)
979-0-57036-619-4 The Four Last Things – Parts Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£14.95)
979-0-57036-615-6 Firewheel Anthology – Score Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£29.95)

Description

Part of the Firewheel Anthology collection

Vibrant chamber ensemble pieces and songs by emerging composers, written for Dark Inventions.

Find out about the collection

Commissioned by Dark Inventions for their Firewheel project, part of the Sound and Music ‘Composer Curator Scheme’. Premiered by Dark Inventions at The Engine House, Manchester, 8th May 2014.

The Four Last Things takes its title from Hieronymus Bosch’s painting ‘The Seven Deadly Sins and The Four Last Things’, a work of art that depicts its religious subject matter in the visceral style associated with its artist. Bosch’s work has always fascinated me: its detail, immediacy and sometimes grotesque subject matter keep me coming back to it.

There is no direct parallel with the painting in this piece, but inspiration has been taken from the manner in which Bosch juxtaposes images whilst creating consistency and continuity between individual parts. The simultaneous discreteness and dependency of separate elements is mirrored in the treatment here of instruments as both soloists and part of the group. Each player has moments of overt dominance, but even whilst providing more of an accompanying role, they still present material that is striving to be heard above the rest.

Details

Categories
Duration
8 minutes
Premiere

Dark Inventions, The Engine House, Manchester, 8th May 2014

Scoring
1 B-flat Clarinet, 1 Percussion, 1 Violoncello
Composition date
2014

Recordings

Firewheel Dark Inventions, cond. Christopher Leedham, soprano Stef Conner 26th February 2016

Performances

16 May 2014

Capstone Theatre, Liverpool

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

12 May 2014

The Lit & Phil

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

11 May 2014

Left Bank, Leeds

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

10 May 2014

National Centre for Early Music, York

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

8 May 2014

The Engine House, Manchester

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham