Programme Notes: Instrumental Ensemble
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Pianos
String Quartets
Brass
PIANOS
SONATA FOR TWO PIANOS 'The Lord will be a Refuge for the Oppressed; a Refuge in times of trouble' Opus 40 (1987)
Duration 20'
3 movements
The Interdenominational Society for Soviet Jewry existed during the years of the communist regime in the USSR. It campaigned in the west for the release of Jews who were held in the USSR against their will. Andrew Downes saw in the plight of the “Refusniks” parallels with the tribulations and persecution suffered by the Jews throughout their history. In his Sonata for Two Pianos he turned mainly to the Old Testament and particularly to the Psalms for his inspiration.
The opening of the work is inspired by Psalm 10 verse 1:
“Why standest Thou afar off, O Lord, why hidest thou thy face in times of trouble?”
The music begins full of yearning and has at the same time a Jewish character. A more comforting mood then takes over, inspired by Psalm 69 v.33:
“For the Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not His prisoners.”
The movement moves into a long, energetic and agitated section before the yearning of the opening re-emerges. The end of the movement is full of pathos, but at the same time optimism.
The second movement is for the most part meditative in mood, inspired by Psalm 80, which likens the Jewish people to a vine which God brought out of Egypt and planted. It grew and spread, but its enemies cut it down. Twice in the movement the music becomes excited and perturbed, each time returning to the predominantly reflective spirit.
The music moves into the third movement without a break and by means of a jubilant passage, which wants to herald a future of great hope. There immediately follows, however, a passage of sinister foreboding. The movement swings from the one mood to the other, but the final coda is a return to jubilation, like an announcement from God beckoning his people and their turning to him. In its final version the theme goes into “slow motion” as they walk to their refuge of eternal peace:
“Open the gates of Righteousness. I will go into them and I will praise the Lord.” (Psalm 118, verse 19)
CYNTHIA DOWNES
SONATA FOR EIGHT PIANISTS PLAYING FOUR PIANOS Opus 76 (1999)
Duration 20'
3 movements
Andrew wrote a number of works for like instruments, the Sonatas for Flute Choir and 8 Horns, for example, and I suspect that the clarity of texture and freedom to concentrate on other aspects of his musical language that this provides, was for him a liberating experience. A directness of expression was a common feature of his work in general.
The first movement opens with a simple yet dramatic statement of octave Cs, before the dominating first theme enters. Andrew's works often combine lyricism and austerity, and this dichotomy is present throughout the movement. A gentle middle section conveys a sense of calm, the opening material returns, and the movement closes in a serene manner.
The second movement has a desolate opening, with sparse textures, before a more aggressive mood begins to take hold, the movement ending in dramatic fashion.
The finale has a playful, child-like quality at times, particularly at the opening. Gradually the music builds into exhilarating climaxes, before, almost as a complete surprise, the work is taken to its conclusion by a section of haunting beauty, with just a distant memory of children's technical exercises perhaps.
NEIL ASTON
STRING QUARTET No.1 Opus 14 (1977)
Duration 17'
3 movements
The first movement of this quartet opens with a broad, song-like melody on cello, over a busy spiccato accompaniment on the upper instruments. The violins and viola, in a strident bridge passage, carry the movement through to a second subject which is at first full bodied and then meditative in character. The cello melody which opened the movement then becomes the central feature of a frenzied fugato development which comes to its climax in an inverted and emotionally heightened version of the second subject. The strident bridge passage which linked the first two subjects now reappears to lead the movement into a jubilant recapitulation of the broad theme of the opening.
The second movement opens romantically with a serene, lilting melody played in octaves by the violins, with a lazy Alberti accompaniment. The relaxed atmosphere seems to lead naturally into a jazz-like middle section, where each instrument appears to be improvising and yet is forming part of a tightly knit contrapuntal texture. The serene, lilting melody reappears to close the movement.
Jubilant in mood and dance-like in character, the third movement also has a strong element of jazz. The first theme has strong links with the opening melody of the second movement, but here it is attacking and rhythmical, with syncopated dialogue and double stopping. The cello then takes on the role of the jazz-band double bass, and leads with a pizzicato accompanying theme into the main dance-like tune of the whole movement. The opening theme returns briefly, but is quickly interrupted by a reappearance of the cello pizzicato theme, which becomes dominant, building up to a frenetic climax, and leading back to the big dance tune. Here the first violin indulges in a soaring jazz-like descant. The movement comes to its climax with a fugato-like development of the opening theme. The viola and the cello, now with strident bowing, take up the cello's former pizzicato theme, while the violins punctuate with high triads, to bring the work to a jubilant conclusion.
CYNTHIA DOWNES
ANDREW DOWNES: STRING QUARTET No.2 Opus 41 (1987)
Duration 25 minutes
3 movements
This quartet opens with a plainsong-like duet on violins over a drone in the viola and cello, and quickly grows into a passionate development. The movement swings back and forth from simple to frenzied sections, the slower passages becoming firstly dreamlike and at the end of the movement celestially pure.
The second movement is a Scherzo, but one which is passionate and profound. This movement too leads into legato contemplative transitions, but its ending is loud and vivace.
The third movement is an Andante, in which each instrument has its own song to sing, now on its own, now in harmony with the others. The mood is plaintive and beautiful.
Dynamic semiquaver flourishes characterise the last movement, along with vigorous fugue-like passages, interspersed again with calmer moments. In a central section, long discords in the top 3 instruments are punctuated by menacing repeated pizzicato notes on the cello. The cello eventually joins the other 3 instruments in warm, heartfelt harmony, before the movement leads back into an exciting and dramatic recapitulation to end the work with intense energy and verve.
ANDREW DOWNES: STRING QUARTET No.3 Opus 54 (1994)
Duration 25 minutes
One continuous movement
Programme note to the first performance
This single
movement work is dedicated to Kolkata-born composer, John Mayer, and has a
strong Indian influence. The work
contains three strongly contrasting musical ideas, each of which develops
organically throughout the work. It is
this organic growth, whereby very different themes evolve from each other,
which allows such a long movement to remain whole and logical in structure,
whilst at the same time giving full vent to the development of passion and
feeling. The first of the three main
ideas is slow, melancholic and plainsong-like.
This is later accompanied by a thematically linked, harmonised arpeggio
figuration, which develops into an important thematic idea in its own right. The second main idea is violent, rhythmically
and harmonically ragged, but still linked to the first. The violence of this section culminates in triumph,
but is then replaced by a reflective transformation more suggestive of the
opening idea. The final main idea of the
work, again organically originating from the others, is obviously and strongly
influenced by Indian classical music, and was conceived immediately after the
composer visited Bengal in February 1994.
The drone of the tampura is suggested by the lower instruments, and the
sitar-like flourish of the opening of an Indian raga is played by the
violins. Later the pizzicato on the
second violin suggests tabla rhythms.
The section concludes with a passage of furious, multi-tempo music,
evocative of the final, improvisatory section of the Indian raga. This material is transformed into a
triumphant coda at the end of the work.
As always, the composer finds it impossible to convey through words the
heartfelt passion, tragedy and joy which can only be experienced through the
sound of music, but he fervently hopes that these few words, inadequate though
they may be, help his audience to enjoy this new work.
ANDREW DOWNES
BRASS
BRASS QUINTET No.2 Opus 57 (1995)
Duration 20'
This 4 movement work, commissioned by 'Brass Pages', was completed in March 1995. In common with several of the composer's other pieces, the Quintet attempts to create a stylistic atmosphere reflective of the musically multi-cultural society in which we live today. The influence of jazz and its African roots are to the fore in this work, but the melodic and rhythmic patterns of Indian music are also sometimes in evidence, as is the composer's own background in the performance of English choral music.
Movement 1, 'Blazon', is extrovert and virtuosic in character and contains some African-like multi-rhythmic passages. These are interspersed with homophonic chorale-like ideas, and some plainsong-like melodic lines which, to the composer, seem to bear a striking resemblance to African melody. There is a great deal of jagged dialogue between seemingly unrelated rhythms, brought about through pivotal common denominators. The overall effect owes much to the influence of jazz and American Big-Band music.
The Second Movement, 'Queen Elizabeth's Fantasy', begins slow and dignified, rather in the manner of stately Tudor dance. The striking similarities between European Renaissance and Afro-Gospel harmony become evident as the movement develops, and false relations later in the movement are again common both to these traditions and to Blues style Jazz. the movement ends in reflection and mystery.
The Third Movement begins fast and scherzo-like, in the style of a ceremonial fanfare. The material then becomes an accompaniment to a much more sustained melodic passage, which itself then becomes more homophonic and reflective. The fanfare-like opening is briefly developed, but the movement ends slowly and with poignancy.
The beginning of the Finale returns to the rather brash jazz-like character of the First Movement, with a bright Lydian Mode melody in the foreground. This is followed by a sustained Chorale-like passage, over which grows a very deeply felt theme, whose character owes much to the glowing sadness of African and Gospel melody. The development provides music of transition between the two extremes of the movement, and the emotional climax of the whole work is a simple and direct recapitulation of the profoundly felt melody, heard earlier in the movement.
ANDREW DOWNES
FANFARE FOR A CEREMONY
Andrew Downes was asked to compose this Fanfare for the Brass Ensemble of the Birmingham School of Music (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), directed by Frank Downes, to play at Graduation Ceremonies of the Open University in Great Britain.
The Open University has existed since 1970 in the UK. It was set up by the then Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Harold Wilson, to cater for mature students who for one reason or another (often because of World War II) had missed out on Higher Education. The students of the Open University study mainly at home by correspondence, listening to special radio and TV broadcasts and attending occasional weekend or summer residential courses.
The Graduation Ceremonies are held in various parts of the country, and from 1977 when this work was composed, most opened with this Fanfare for a Ceremony for many years. Following the retirement of Frank Downes, and then his successor Reg Reid, the Fanfare has often been played on the organ, by Marcus Huxley and Paul Carr.
Fanfare for a Ceremony has also been performed at numerous Graduation Ceremonies of Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham City University.
The work is scored for 13 brass instruments: 6 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones and tuba. A solo trumpet begins the motif, immediately followed by the 2nd trumpet and then one instrument after another. Each take their turn in the tune and then hold their note. Thus a chord is formed and held. The 2nd subject is rhythmic and full of splendour. A central monumental and dignified section on lower instruments followed by rhythmic jubilant triplets on trumpets leads back into the theme of the opening. The piece is designed to be repeated as necessary and stop at the end of sections as and when the procession of dignitaries arrives at the platform at the graduation ceremony.
CYNTHIA DOWNES
More info on this work
SONATA FOR THIRTEEN BRASS INSTRUMENTS Opus 14 (1978)
6 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones, tuba
Duration 18'
3 movements
This Sonata was composed for the Brass Ensemble of the Birmingham School of Music (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). At the time of writing, Andrew was 28 and had been teaching at RBC for 4 years. The brass students at the college were well known for the high standard of their playing.
The group, directed by Frank Downes, first performed the work in the Recital Hall of the Birmingham School of Music on 3rd March 1978, with numerous subsequent performances including Hereford Cathedral, Worcester Cathedral and Lyon Conservatoire.
The first movement of the work, marked Maestoso, begins with an aggressive introduction on lower brass featuring Scottish snaps and taken up by the 6 trumpets playing in sparkling but sinister harmony. The horns lead off with marching crotchets and a smoother, purposeful solo on horn 1, then tuba and solo trumpet 3, followed by trumpets 1& 2 in canon. Both of these subjects move around each of the instruments. A slower offbeat central section leads to a full impassioned developed recapitulation. Full jubilant chords end the movement.
The second movement is marked "smooth and calm". Trumpet 2 begins with a bluesy laid-back tune. Horn 1-3, in harmony take it up, then the trombone and tuba. A molto legato second subject follows, with interjections of phrases from the first theme. The ideas are developed and then the mood of the movement slows down to create a contemplative ending
The opening motif of the Finale is full of energy and syncopation. As it develops, it is swapped from instrument to instrument. In contrast, a grandiose 'chorale' takes over, but is interrupted by brilliant outbursts on trumpets and horns, and gives way to the main rhythmic themes. The chorale returns towards the end, but rhythmic exuberant interruptions have the last word and the close of the work is jubilant.
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