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+ programmes available for 2009
+ feedback from promoters and composers
+ fee notes
+ booking contact
PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE for 2009
Golijov clarinet quintet
Stephen Stucky - Nell'ombra, nella luce (17')
Osvaldo Golijov - Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (34')
Black Angels programme
Matthew Sansom - 'muraqabah' for electroacoustic tape
(prelude to concert as people take their seats)
Dai Fujikura - Poison Mushroom (8')
Julian Grant - Strike Opponents Ears With Both Fists (8')
John Cooney - Songlines (6')
Arlene Sierra - Surrounded Ground (8')
George Crumb - Black Angels (25')
review of CHROMA's Cardiff performance of this programme, Feb 2009:
"George Crumb's seminal work Black Angels began as an examination of the polarity between the devil and God and ended up as an anti-war statement. In a programme exploring the nature of conflict, Chroma have used Crumb's quartet as the backdrop for four new pieces. It was thought-provoking, not least because it came just days after Guantánamo detainees had spoken at Cardiff University.
Matthew Sansom's calming electro-acoustic prelude, muraqabah, made the tone of Dai Fujikura's Poison Mushroom for solo flute and electronics all the more potent. Kathryn Thomas's sharply focused playing conveyed the terror of the Hiroshima bombing, with the pitter-patter of contaminated raindrops and the flute's dying breaths the most potent of all.
Julian Grant's septet, Strike Opponent's Ears With Both Fists, based on a fundamental of Taijiquan martial arts, moves from a point of stillness to a powerful engagement of his forces. By contrast, John Cooney's sextet, Songlines, progressed from the unison of strings, flute and clarinet to more independently asserted lines.
Arlene Sierra's sextet Surrounded Ground was a 2008 commission by the exemplary Chroma. Sierra reflects her disquiet at the militarism of her native US by using instruments to mirror a strategy from Sun Tzu's military treatise The Art of War. In the fast-firing Egress, the last of the three movements, the conviction reaches an intense peak.
All four works reinforced the impact of the Crumb quartet, hauntingly delivered by the Chroma players, its ghostly quotations a gentle chiding of man's inability to learn from the past.
"
Rian Evans, The Guardian February 2009
Mozart Quartet
(
oboe, violin, viola, cello)
Mozart - Oboe Quartet (18')
Skempton -Winter Sunrise for string trio (8')
Britten - Phantasy Quartet (13')
Mozart - adagio + fugue in (F major) (5') string trio
Messiaen Quartet
(clarinet, violin, cello & piano)
Arvo Pärt - Fratres for violin & piano
John Tavener - Threnos for solo cello
Huw Watkins - Dreams
Olivier Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time
Mozart Quintets
(violin x2, viola x2, 'cello, horn, clarinet)
for example:
Horn quintet in Eb Major (12')
Clarinet quintet in A major (20')
String quintet in C Major (32')
Tango programme:
(violin, double-bass, clarinet, piano, accordion & guitar)
Piazzolla - Concierto para quinteto (9.30')
Michael Zev Gordon - On the Other Hand - A New Tango (4')
Piazzolla - Celos (5.30')
Ross Lorraine - Tango X (2.30')
Piazzolla - Histoire du tango - Cafe 1930 (8')
Edward McGuire - Prelude 12 for solo accordion
Petersburski - El Sol Sueño (3.30')
Piazzolla - Muerte & Milonga del Angel (8.30')
Graham Lynch - Milonga Azure (6')
Piazzolla - Libertango (4.30')
Skempton Septet:
Claude Debussy (arr. Kenneth Hesketh) - Deux Arabesques
Howard Skempton - Eternity's Sunrise
Phillip Neil Martin - Shifting Mirrors
Gabriel Jackson - Lunae Glaciales
Elizabeth Maconchy - Clarinet Quintet
Howard Skempton - Winter Sunrise
Maurice Ravel - Introduction and Allegro
Nonet programme:
(string quintet; clarinet; oboe; flute; harp)
Prokofiev – Quintet (oboe, clarinet, violin, viola & double-bass) G minor Op 39 (22’)
Bax – Nonet (flute, oboe, clarinet, string quintet & harp) (18’)
Howard Skempton – Eternity’s Sunrise (flute, clarinet, string quartet & harp) (10’)
Phillip Neil Martin – Shifting Mirrors (flute, clarinet, string quartet & harp) (8’)
Elizabeth Maconchy – Reflections (oboe, clarinet, viola & harp) (12’)
Ravel – Introduction & Allegro (flute, clarinet, string quartet & harp) (10’)
JS Bach - Goldberg Variations
(violin, viola, 'cello)
Arranged for string trio by Dmitri Sitkovetsky
"The contrapuntal interplay of parts and the canonical bouncing of ideas from one player to another were a constant source of delight in the musical conversation, for audience as much as for performers. There were smiles on all sides."
Richard Black reviews the 2002 London concert of this arrangement, given by Sitkovetsky's own trio.
Schoenberg Programmes
Programme One
(violins x2; violas x2; 'cellos x2)
Schoenberg - Verklärte Nacht (28')
Tchaikovsky - Souvenir de Florence (34')
"This concert featured two masterpieces of the string sextet repertoire -
Tchaikovsky's 'Souvenir de Florence' and Schoenberg's 'Verklarte Nacht' -
written within ten years of each other but well contrasted in mood and
style. We listened to very fine ensemble playing, full of commitment and
attention to detail and also showing a delightful rapport between the
players: it was as if a group of friends had sat down to play music that
they all loved. A memorable evening." David Sumner, WestFest 2006
Associated education project: "Musical Postcards", suitable for primary-age schoolchildren. inspired by Souvenir de Florence, creating musical versions of postcards describing cultures from around the world.
"Clare, Ruth, Rose and Emily did a great job in the school on Wednesday and today, I was so impressed with what they achieved with the children ! - undoubtedly the best schools work I've seen" David Sumner, WestFest 2006
Please enquire for details.
Programme Two
(voice, clarinet, flute, violin, 'cello, piano)
Thea Musgrave - Perriot
Gabriel Jackson - French Song
Elizabeth Maconchy - L'horloge
Paul Cooper - Rondels bergamasques
Schoenberg - Pierrot Lunaire
Piazzolla and Golijov:
(x4 violins, x2 violas, x2 cellos, double bass, accordion, guitar, clarinet)
Astor Piazzolla - Concerto for Accordion and Guitar with strings (17')
Osvaldo Golijov - Last Round for two string quartets and double bass (13')
Osvaldo Golijov - The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (32')
Astor Piazzolla (arr. Ian Watson) - Muerte del Angel (3')
Astor Piazzolla (arr. Ian Watson) - Milonga del Angel (7')
Astor Piazzolla (arr. Ian Watson) - Libertango (4')
Associated education project: based on tango and/or Jewish klezmer, suitable for students aged 14+ please enquire for details.
Outreach and education
CHROMA's musicians are experienced in education/outreach work, and are always keen to include this alongside concerts - this work can be as simple as a lecture/recital; or more involved sessions with primary schools or secondary schools; workshops with youth groups or homeless groups; or a composer's workshop such as those we frequently do with university students.
For more information on our education work, please see the EDUCATION section.
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Comments from composers and promoters we have worked with:
David Sumner, WestFest - on the Schoenberg/Tchaikovsky programme:
"This concert featured two masterpieces of the string sextet repertoire -
Tchaikovsky's 'Souvenir de Florence' and Schoenberg's 'Verklarte Nacht' -
written within ten years of each other but well contrasted in mood and
style. We listened to very fine ensemble playing, full of commitment and
attention to detail and also showing a delightful rapport between the
players: it was as if a group of friends had sat down to play music that
they all loved. A memorable evening."
John Metcalf, Vale of Glamorgan Festival - BMIC Cutting Edge Tour
" CHROMA's concert to a capacity audience was one of the highlights of the
Festival. The playing was authoritative, technically excellent and
inspirational."
Peter Sotheran, Kirkleatham Music Society
"Many thanks to you all for a super day and a beautifully balanced and
wonderfully executed programme. The pleasure was all ours."
Gabriel Jackson
"CHROMA are such a pleasure to work with - easy-going, friendly and fiercely committed. I am very excited by virtuosity and they have it in spades. It's a great feeling for a composer to know that whatever you write for them it will sound fantastic."
Alastair Stout
"The Classic Fair Isle Festival was a success simply due to CHROMA. It is not often a composer gets to work with such a friendly, focused, accurate and energetic ensemble. Their enthusiasm for contemporary music brought the whole island alive and indeed, the northern community still rave about them today."
Phillip Neil Martin
"CHROMA have been a delight to work with! They were both sensitive and passionate about my music.. Full of life and great to collaborate with as the constant dialogue opened up many new possibilities and kept the rehearsing process fresh. I hope that I may work with them again very soon..."
Graham Fitkin
"The CHROMA players were excellent, rhythmic accuracy (often a problem
I find) was spot on and they worked well together as a unit with real attention to detail."
Paul Smith, Cheltenham Arts Festivals
"I thought CHROMA were very good indeed - what struck me most was the way that they were completely on top of contemporary and sometimes demanding pieces, their ensemble was excellent and there was that rapport between the players that one associated with very good chamber groups.
They played with great conviction and were very communicative. They obviously enjoyed playing the music and their pleasure and commitment came through very strongly. I was impressed by the way they held the audience throughout given the preponderance of unfamilar works.
The informal introductions from the platform were very nicely judged, friendly and informative and not at all patronising. I'd like to see them back in Cheltenham."
Alexandra Scott, Keele Concerts Society
"CHROMA's concert at Keele was fantastic and people are still talking about
the Beethoven Septet, so a great success and many thanks to everyone."
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FEES
As fees will depend on rehearsal requirements for a programme, please contact us for a quote.
Education sessions
These are costed seperately from the concert fees, and depend on length of workshop(s); number of participants; number of instrumentalists; preparation time etc. Please contact us to talk about the education work you would like to do.
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BOOKING CONTACT
For more information, or to express an interest in booking CHROMA,
please email chroma.admin@mac.com thankyou!
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