Informationen zu "David Heyes The Last Poppy Double Bass Quartet"
Verlag: Recital Music
Verlagsnummer: RM562
EAN: 9790570455621
ISMN: M-57045-562-1
Beschreibung
Originally written for double bass trio, this new version for quartet was
created in 2015. The melodic material is essentially the same although
rescored and slightly expanded for the new ensemble. 'Great piece, very
effective and moving work for double bass trio.' [Chris Clark, Double Bass
Professor at The College of New Jersey, USA] ' It went over very well - a
few people in the audience said it was their favorite piece.' [Michael
Cameron, Professor of Music, University of Illinois] '...a dark and poet
lamentation' [Steve Wragg] The Last Poppy was inspired by the momentous and
evocative poppy installation 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' at the Tower
of London in 2014. Created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, 888,246
ceramic poppies progressively filled the Tower's famous moat, each poppy
representing a British military fatality during the First World War. More
than 4 million people visited the poppies and my third visit, a few days
before 11 November, was at 6.30am and just as the City of London was
awakening. The site was almost empty and there was an eerie stillness which
enhanced the beauty and poignancy of the poppies and what each one
represented. Driving back to Somerset a few ideas emerged and the form of
the trio slowly took shape. The slow introduction, with its solemn and slow
moving melody is set against a high harmonic drone, evoking the stillness of
the early morning as London slowly awoke. The soloist then becomes the
accompanist providing a grounding drone contrasting the more lyrical
melodies, played in thirds, as the drama and futility of war is evoked with
simple and evocative textures and themes. The final section, played entirely
in harmonics, is gently unsettling as bass 1 challenges the melodic unity of
the other basses, the music gently fading into the distance as a few notes of
the Last Post are heard in the far distance. A brief silence is broken by a
strong and positive D major chord, in six parts, which offers a chord of hope
and reconciliation. The Last Poppy was premiered on 31 January 2015 at Wells
Cathedral School (Somerset, UK) by Joe Prindl, Matthew Green and David Heyes.
The Last Poppy had it's US premiere on 12 April 2015 at The College of New
Jersey (Ewing, New Jersey) by Victoria Weniger, Tom Littwin, and Ryan
Wickham, students of Chris Clark. David Heyes studied double bass with
Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish and later at the Royal College of Music in
London. He completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with Frantisek Posta
(Principal Double Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). He has given recitals
and masterclasses in 13 countries over the past few years and has been a
juror at a number of international competitions, twice as chairman. David
has been Specialist Double Bass Tutor at Wells Cathedral School for 17 years
and received a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of
New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher and
commissioner of new music for double bass. He works with composers throughout
the world and is particularly interested to expand the double bass
repertoire, by commissioning new works and by rediscovering forgotten ones.
Over the past 30 years he has commissioned more than 500 works, from beginner
to virtuoso, and from one to twenty basses. David has transcribed more than
200 works for double bass, many published by Recital Music, and in recent
year has also composed a number of original works for double bass which have
been performed in Britain, America and Czech Republic. David is self-taught
as a composer and his music has been described as lyrical and accessible, but
certainly of the 21st-century. In recent years he has had premieres and
performances in Britain, America, Spain and the Czech Republic, was a
Featured Composer at Galicia Graves 2015 (Spain) and composed 'Sahara' as the
imposed work for the competition.
