w1843
| Title | Of Fire And Water |
| Contributors |
Gareth Clemson aka CHEZZ (composer) |
| Composition date | 1985 1985 |
| Duration (mins) | 16 |
| Category | chamber quartet string |
| Instrumentation | 2 Vn Va Vc |
| Commissioned by | |
| Key signature | |
| First line | |
| First performed | |
| Notes | |
| Programme Note | Composed in 1985 after attending a concert given in Edinburgh by the Layfield Quartet. The elements of Fire and Water are treated symbolically. At its simplest, Fire is represented by loud music and Water by soft. At a deeper level Fire suggests energy, joy, exuberance, excitement, affirmation, reality and violence. Whilst Water is associated with peace, serenity, tranquility, oblivion, dreams and the passing of time. In the score the two elements are shown geometrically as a line representing Water and a half diamond or triangle representing Fire. The musical material is evolved from a theme of 13 notes, sensed as a unifying factor at a subconscious level rather than consciously heard, which uses the usual serial techniques of inversion and retrograde. There are three movements: Introduction leading to fast, slow, fast. In each of the movements the elements of Fire and Water are treated differently. In the first movement, after a soft start, Fire predominates. In the second, Water predominates supporting an ethereal 1st violin which continues sublimely even when violently disturbed in the middle. In the third, Fire gives way to Water only to return climactically at the end. |
This work is associated with the following collection items:
|