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979-0-57080-102-2 Αίολος - Aeolus – study score Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£16.95)
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Description

"This composition is inspired, like many other works of mine, by Greek mythology. Aeolus was a minor Ancient Greek God, the controller, the ruler, and the keeper of the Four Winds. In my work, Aeolus is depicted with the bass clarinet in a multitude of sonic manifestations and contrasts, while the string orchestra acts mainly as an acoustic filter, reacting to the sounds generated by the clarinet. Sometimes, the orchestra competes for virtuosity and textural space with the clarinet, sometimes is in dialogue with the soloist, and sometimes it is in conflict. Towards the end of the piece however, this relationship becomes more symbiotic, within a soundscape where the string orchestra and the bass clarinet work together to create one unified collective timbre. 

"Aeolus is virtuosic in nature, both in a traditional and a modern sense of the word. The clarinet and the strings play very fast, rhythmically challenging passages. At other times however, a different level of virtuosity is called for, a virtuosity of sound and color, requiring high levels of precision. This virtuosity manifests itself in the form of precise multiphonics, extended techniques and timbral extensions. This dialectic between features found in a traditional concerto and more coloristic elements dominate the formal hierarchy of the entire composition, and ultimately give this piece its final shape" - Evis Sammoutis.

Details

Categories
Duration
17 minutes
Premiere

George Georgiou (bass clarinet), Cyprus Symphony Orchestra (cond. Thomas Herzog), Markideio Municipal Theatre (Pafos, Cyprus).

Scoring
1 Orchestral Strings, 1 Bass Clarinet in B-flat
Composition date
2024