Informationen zu "David Heyes Passchendaele - a Meditation Viola, Double Bass & Piano, Double Bass & Other Instruments"
Verlag: Recital Music
Verlagsnummer: RM966
EAN: 9790570459667
ISMN: M-57045-966-7
Beschreibung
This edition is for double bass in Orchestral Tuning. Passchendaele - a
Meditation was inspired by an iconic photograph of Australian gunners on a
duckboard track in Château Wood near Hooge taken by by Frank Hurley on 29
October 1917. It is the fifth of a growing body of works by David Heyes which
commemorate the centenary of the First World War. No Man's Land for double
bass & piano or double bass & violin octet The Last Poppy for double bass
trio, double bass quartet or 2 double basses and piano the poppies blow...
for double bass & piano Beneath the Stars for double bass & piano The Battle
of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was a campaign of
the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The
battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, for
control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres in West
Flanders, as part of a strategy decided by the Allies at conferences in
November 1916 and May 1917 Now spelt Passendale, this small village five
miles north-east of Ypres is the name by which the final stages of the Third
Battle of Ypres is known. It is the name, along with the Somme, which has
come to symbolise the Great War for many. Passchendaele church was totally
destroyed by shellfire in 1917 but has since been reconstructed and now
dominates the village square. Within the church are memorial windows in
honour of the 66th Division. There are three windows. The left states '1914'
at the bottom, with the names and shields of several northern towns above,
including Bury, Accrington, Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan. David Heyes writes:
'My very first work to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First
World War (No Man's Land) was dedicated to the memories of my two
grandfathers who both fought in the war. They survived the conflict, living
into the 1970s, but rarely spoke about their experiences. My paternal
grandfather, John Heyes, fought at the Somme and Ypres and it is more than
likely took part in the Battle of Passchendaele, and was originally from
Wigan and the town is now commemorated in a window in Passchendaele church.
The music is simple and slow moving, contrasting strong and powerful emotions
from the two soloists, set against a simple and repetitive accompaniment
which subtly underpins the melodic lines. There are opportunities to display
the lyrical and sonorous qualities of the double bass, whether as a duet or
in the two solo soliloquies, which eventually die away into nothingness and
into the mists of time...' Passchendaele - a Meditation exists in four
versions, for 2 double basses and string quartet (or string orchestra), for 2
double basses and piano, for viola, double bass and piano and for double bass
sextet. The orginial version was premiered at Lanlivery Church (Lanlivery,
Cornwall) on Saturday 17 July 2015 by David Heyes (double bass), Joe Prindl
(double bass) and the Liskeard Chamber Players. It is dedicated to Joe
Prindl, who studied with David at Wells Cathedral School (Somerset) and is
now a student at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The version for 2
double basses and piano was premiered on Sunday 25 October 2015 at Clifton
College (Bristol, UK) by David Heyes (double bass), Ben Groenevelt (double
bass) and Rustom Battiwalla (piano). It received its Mexican premiere on 20
November 2015 by Marco Antonio Quiñones Martinez (double bass), Hector Tirado
(double bass) and Patricia Miravete (piano). The orchestral premiere of
'Passchendaele - a Meditation' was on Saturday 18 March 2017 at St
Bartlomew's Church, Bath (UK) by David Heyes (double bass) and Thea Sayer
(double bass) with Bath Concertino, conducted by Tim Robb. 'Passchendaele is
a wonderful piece...' (Marco Antonio Quiñones Martinez, Mexico) 'What a
privilege to share the stage with you both. It was a thoroughly enjoyable
evening. I have rarely seen an audience, adults and young children alike, so
visibly moved as during Passchendaele - a Meditation. Extraordinary stuff.'
[Ruth O'Shea, violinist] 'Passchendaele was extraordinary both as a piece
and as a performance by you both. I haven't heard something as wonderful as
that for some time.' [Luke, member of the audience] 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 19 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, Venezuela, Turkey,
Spain, Mexico, Germany and Czech Republic. David is self-taught as a composer
and his music has been described as lyrical, evocative and accessible, but
certainly of the 21st-century. See
http://contrabassconversations.com/2016/10/24/264-david-heyes-leaving-legacy/
