Living Toys
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Living Toys, Op. 9, is a composition for chamber ensemble by the English composer
Instrumentation
The work is scored for a chamber ensemble of 14 players, which consists of:
whip), trumpet (doubling piccolo trumpet), trombone, percussion, piano, violin I & II, viola, cello and double bass
.
Ades makes use of a wide variety of timbral colours available. Often this involves players using
extended techniques
, such as the double bass player and pianist hitting the back of their instruments.
Structure
The work is divided into five main sections, with three additional parts whose names are anagrams of each other.
- Angels
- The opening of the piece involves a horn solo over which glittering, ethereal figures are played on high gongsand string harmonics.
- The opening of the piece involves a horn solo over which glittering, ethereal figures are played on high
- Aurochs
- Inspired by a now-extinct bull of humongous size. The bullfight, with members of the ensemble (including the conductor) clapping along to frantic castanetswhich accompany bass clarinet, bassoon, trombone, cello and bass.
- Inspired by a now-extinct bull of humongous size. The
- BALETT
- A long, smooth melody unwinds over more shimmering accompaniment. BALETT ends with a tutti B natural.
- Militiamen
- This section is mainly a soli for the piccolo trumpet and percussion. The trumpet plays a carefully calculated big-bandinterjections. The music builds and ends with a short tutti figure. The oboe has a short, sharp rising figure which pushes the music forward to the next part.
- This section is mainly a soli for the piccolo trumpet and percussion. The trumpet plays a carefully calculated
- H.A.L.'s Death
- In the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the on-board computer was referred to as 'Hal'. Near the end of the film when Hal is deactivated, he is heard to be singing the song "Daisy Bell". Here, Adès replays the song using the contrabassoon, double bass and other low-sounding instruments over sustained chords. The quote is incredibly well-disguised, and features a prominent solo for the Sopranino Recorder.
- In the film
- BATTLE
- Fast, technical passagework for every player and frequent time changes create a frenzied atmosphere.
- Playing Funerals
- A climax of the piece, where all the music before it degenerates into complete dissonance. The music unwinds and settles into a slow tempo, where subtle changes of timbre and register transform the colour of the music.
- TABLET
- This is the concluding section of the composition. It consists of haunting chords played in the strings and winds, with the gongs from earlier creating a lifeless sound. The piece finishes with 3 final splashes of colour, before the horn and violin fade into nothing.
Recordings
London Sinfonietta with Markus Stenz: (From Amazon.com)
References
- ^ Oliver, Michael (May 1998). "Adès Living Toys". Gramophone. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
External links
Information on Living Toys at Faber Music can be found here
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