Steve Elcock
Steve Elcock (born 1957) is an Anglo-French composer.
Life
In 2009 his orchestral piece Hammering (op. 15) was performed by the
In 2017 Toccata began to issue recordings of Elcock's works, beginning with a disc of orchestral works including his Symphony no. 3.[6] In the same year, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra broadcast his Choses renversées par le temps ou la destruction[7] Elcock's Symphony no. 8 was premiered at the 2021 Three Choirs Festival.[8] and later recorded by Nimbus Records, together with his Violin Concerto. [9] In 2024 his Piano Quintet op. 34 was premiered at the Elgar Festival, Worcester, as was his Concerto Grosso op. 12.[10][11]
Elcock is presently Composer in Residence for the English Symphony Orchestra.[12]
Music
Andrew Mellor, reviewing the first recording of Elcock's music in
Amongst the characteristics of Elcock's music is the use of unusual scales or modes. His one-movement Fourth Symphony has been described by the composer as "a recyling plant for
Elcock's earliest acknowledged works are for the French amateur orchestra he conducted, and include works, such as his Suite bien temperée (op. 1) and Haven (op. 4), inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach. Some of his later works are adaptations of earlier compositions; for example his First Symphony op. 6b (2001, rev. 2015) was based on a Concerto for clarinet and bassoon op. 6a written in 1995–96.[18] (Bach is also invoked in the later orchestral work Choses Renversées par le Temps ou la Destruction, op. 22 (2013), where a Bach prelude on the harpsichord is interrupted and ousted by the orchestra).[19]
Elcock has given titles and subtitles to a number of his works but the meaning of these is not always transparent. Of the subtitle to his Fourth Symphony (2013: rev. 2017) "A golden rose fallen from the flat sea of time", he has said "you must make of it what you can,"[20] although he has commented of his string quartets that "I find so many quartets to be dry and unapproachable. Giving them titles hopefully gives the listener something to hang on to."[21] Of An Outstretched Hand, which was partly written as a response to the 2015 European migrant crisis,[22] the composer has written: "Gerald Finzi once compared composing to shaking hands "with a good friend over the centuries". It was perhaps this that first brought the idea of the outstretched hand into my mind, and no sooner had it lodged there than I became aware of the ambiguity of the image: is this hand appealing for help, or is it extended to offer help? [...] The tensions between these two interpretations – cry for help and solace – were sufficient to generate this 19 minute piece for six instruments".[23] The reviewer in The Gramophone found "the music cunningly embodying [this] notion in the development of its musical material".[24] Elcock's Symphony no. 6 (2017–18) carries the subtitle "Tyrants Destroyed" and a dedication to "the everlasting execration of self-serving politicians, the obscenely rich and the system that allows them to remain so."[25]
Works
Elcock's works are listed at his website, where most of them are accompanied by performance recordings or computer realizations, as well as comments by the composer.
Symphonies
- Symphony No. 1, op. 6b
- Symphony No. 2, op. 14
- Symphony No. 3, op. 16
- Symphony No. 4, op. 19
- Symphony No. 5, op. 21
- Symphony No. 6, op. 30
- Symphony no. 7, op. 33
- Symphony no. 8, op. 37
- Symphony no. 9, op. 39
- Symphony no. 10, op. 40
Other orchestral works
- Une Suite bien Tempérée, op. 1
- Elegy for oboe, timpani and strings, op. 2
- Serenade for flute and strings, op. 3
- Haven, op. 4
- Wedding day, op. 5
- Double concerto for clarinet and bassoon, op. 6a
- Festive Overture, op. 7
- Wreck, op. 10
- Concertino for clarinet and strings, op.11a
- Concerto Grosso, op. 12
- Violin Concerto, op. 13
- Hammering, op. 15
- Choses renversées par le temps ou la destruction, op. 20
- Manic Dancing, op. 25
- Incubus, op. 28
- Viola concerto, op.29
- Fermeture, op. 38
Chamber works
- String Trio no. 1, op. 8a and b
- Sextet for clarinet and strings, op. 11b.
- The girl from Marseille (string quartet), op. 17
- The Cage of Opprobrium (string quartet) op. 22
- Song for Yodit, op. 23
- An Outstretched Hand, op. 24
- The shed dances, op. 26
- Night after Night (string quartet) op. 27
- String Trio no 2, op. 31
- Piano Quintet, op. 34
- Conversation pieces / Sonatina for viola and piano, op. 35
- The Aftermath of Longing (string quartet), op. 36
- Rain, op. 41
- Variations sur un thème de Francis Popy (string quartet), op. 42
Vocal music
- Spei Cantus, op. 9
- Three motets for Christmas, op. 18
- Os justi for female choir, op. 32
References
Citations
- ^ Elcock (2017), p. 2
- ^ Farnsworth (2020), p. 16
- ^ Elcock (2019), p. 2
- ^ Elcock (n.d.)
- ^ Elcock (2019), pp. 2 -3
- ^ "Steve Elcock: Orchestral Music Vol. 1". Toccata. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Steve Elcock, Bach & Berg". BBC. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Whitehouse (2021), p. 6
- ^ Buja, Maureen (27 May 2024). "The New and the Old: Steve Elcock's Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 8". Interlude. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Elgar's Piano Quintet at Henry Sandon Hall". Elgar Festival. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Russell (2024)
- ^ "Steve Elcock – John McCabe Composer in Residence". English Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Mellor (2017)
- ^ Lacroix (2020)
- ^ Pott (2022), p. 2
- ^ Whitehouse (2021), p. 8
- ^ Mann (2017, p. 4)
- ^ Whitehouse (2021), p. 4
- ^ Elcock, Steve (2024). "Choses Renversées par le Temps ou la Destruction". Steve Elcock Composer. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Pott (2022), p. 5)
- ^ Whitehouse (2021), p. 4
- ^ Graves, Ralph. "Steve Elcock Chamber music Series Celebrates Original Talent". University of Virginia. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Elcock, Steve (2024). "An Outstretched Hand, op. 24". Steve Elcock Composer. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Rickards (2019)
- ^ Whitehouse (2021), p. 8
Sources
- Elcock, Steve (2017). "An Autobiographical Outline", in Liner Notes, Steve Elcock: Orchestral Music Vol. 1, Toccata Classics, pp. 2–3, accessed 12 June 2024
- Elcock, Steve (n.d.). "Biography", in British Music Collection website, accessed 12 June 2024
- Farnsworth, Barry (2020). "Recognition – at long last – for composer Steve", in Reflections Magazine, 5 March 2020, pp. 16–18, accessed 12 June 2024.
- Lacroix, Jean (2020). "La musique symphonique flamboyante de Steve Elcock", in Crescendo Magazine, 10 June 2020 (in French), accessed 15 June 2024
- Mann, Paul (2017). "Craftsmanship and Raw Emotion: Steve Elcock's Symphonic Works", in Liner Notes, Steve Elcock: Orchestral Music Vol. 1, Toccata Classics, pp. 4–10, accessed 12 June 2024
- Mellor, Andrew (2017). "Elcock Symphony No 3. Festive Overture", in The Gramophone, September 2017. Accessed 15 June 2024.
- Pott, Francis (2022). "Steve Elcock – Symphonist", in Liner Notes – Steve Elcock: Orchestral Music vol. 3, Tocatta Classics, pp. 2–19, accessed 15 June 2024
- Rickards, Guy (2019). "Elcock Chamber Music Vol. 1", in The Gramophone, April 2019. Accessed 15 June 2024
- Russell, Nathan (2024). "Worcestershire's Elgar Festival to feature British composing great", in Worcester News, 9 April 2024, accessed 12 June 2024.
- Whitehouse, Richard (2021). "A Symphonic Odyssey", in Musical Opinion, issue 1528 (July–September 2021), pp. 4–9.