w16742
| Title | Caves of Padirac, The |
| Contributors |
Derek Ball (composer) |
| Composition date | 2006 |
| Duration (mins) | 8 |
| Category | Brass chamber quintet |
| Instrumentation | 2 Tpt Hn Trb Tu |
| Commissioned by | |
| Key signature | |
| First line | |
| First performed | |
| Notes | To the Ottini Ensemble |
| Programme Note | The 'Gouffre de Padirac' in south-west France is not quite the largest cave system in Europe, but for sheer mystery and grandeur it's hard to beat. Mystery and grandeur are words I associate with brass ensembles, which goes some way to explain how it was that I happened on this subject when I decided to write a piece for the Dublin-based Ottoni Ensemble. I visited Padirac a number of years ago and it made a strong impression on me. Without slavishly following in the music the exact sequence of amazing geological features presented by the caves, I have included my impressions of the visit : the long descent into the 'gouffre' itself, a huge hole in the ground from the floor of which you can still see the sky; the boat journey along an underground river ; the 'salle du Lac de la Pluie' with its dripping stalactites; the 'Salle des Grands Cours'; the climb up to the cathedral-like 'salle du Grand Dome' with its suspended lake; and of course the climb back to the surface. |
This work is associated with the following collection items:
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