Chinese Whispers (Waterhouse)
Chinese Whispers is a composition for string quartet in three movements by Graham Waterhouse, which premiered in 2010. It combines elements of Chinese music with Western classical composition techniques. The title refers to the Children's Chinese whispers, in German Stille Post. The work in 2011 was awarded the prize BCMS Composition Prize of the Birmingham Chamber Music Society,
Music
The composition has the following three sets:
The plant uses Chinese elements, such as pentatonic scales, from the perspective of European classical composers. The title literally means "Chinese Whispers " and English is a no-brainer, that is, to German Stille Post. The rule of the game, after a phrase is whispered from child to child and changed it, is in some places of the piece to the principle of composition.
The composer writes about his work: " The first movement begins with the imitation of a large imaginary temple bell, as if all those present called to attention. " Theme of the following Moderato use partially pentatonic melodies, which showed the composer by a player of the Chinese string instrument Jinghu got. Unlike in the Chinese music, the thematic material is developed.
The second set corresponds to a Scherzo and Trio in doppeldeutigem triple and two -stroke. With the exception of ten bars in the center, it is consistently played pizzicato. The composer tries in this sentence, " to combine the fragile Pizzicato the E side of the violin with the deep resonant sides of the cello ".
The last sentence of converts from the rondo form, with the main theme is constantly changing. A short cadenza holds on the flow of work and surprised by changes in tempo and rhythm.
History, performances and reception
The impetus for the composition came from a European family that lived in Shanghai and their two older children wanted to play with two Chinese musicians string quartets.
The work was first tried out in the opening concert of the 2010 National Chamber Music Course, a Summer School of Chamber Music in Preston, Hertfordshire, where the composer has worked as a teacher. The first professional performance was on 14 November 2011 in Gasteig, in conjunction with the Piccolo Quintet of the composer. In a concert in the Art Forum Gilching that presented chamber music by Beethoven and Waterhouse, it was listed along with Macabre Rhapsody for piano and string quartet, played by the pianist Valentina Babor. A review of the Süddeutsche Zeitung described the rich oriental flavor.
The work was awarded the Chamber Music Prize BCMS Composition Prize of the Birmingham Chamber Music Society ( BCMS ) awarded in 2011, the year of the 60th anniversary of the society. It was performed 18 February 2012 by the Poggi String Quartet in the Adrian Boult Hall of Birmingham Conservatoire, along with works by Schubert ( Trout Quintet ), Britten ( Lachrymae ) and the premiere of the Berceuse by John McCabe, a work commissioned by the BCMS.