Now available on CD! Commissioned by the Oregon Bach Festival Composer's Symposium in celebration of George Crumb's 75th birthday, the String Trio for George Crumb was premiered by Third Angle in July 2004. The work is in three movements. The second movement is heard here from the premiere performance. The first movement on this page is from the February 8, 2008, performance by Teo Benson, violin, Sarah Bass, viola, and Brendan Kellogg, cello. The Langroise Trio has released the complete work on their new CD, Volante.
The three movements of the Voyageur Suite for brass quintet are each based on a melody sung by the French Canadian voyageurs as they paddled their canoes carrying explorers and fur traders west from Quebec in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. The Suite was premiered by the Alaska brass in February 2007. The first movement, Quand J'Etais Chez Mon Pere, is heard here from the Seattle premiere performance on February 8, 2008, by Brian Chin & Matt Swihart, trumpets, Becky Miller, horn, Patrick Raichart, trombone, and Kevin Pih, tuba. The completed performance may be heard at gregbartholomew.com.
On the Ground Where We Live, Greg Bartholomew's first work for full orchestra, was awarded the "Masterworks Prize" by ERM Media and recorded by the Czech Philharmonic for release on the "Masterworks of the New Era" CD series. The piece evokes the sense of walking through the community of an old town or city, where new sights and experiences are discovered around each corner. We sense a generally benign social-political environment in which individuals and small groups may interact harmoniously, although at times the world becomes ominous or chaotic. Individual voices are at turns confident, reflective, insistent or celebratory. As the ensemble builds, we may be entering a popular plaza. When the crowd gets too boisterous, we follow a pair of individual voices as they retreat for refuge in a quiet passage, but soon the larger forces return and build to a climatic conclusion. Listen to an excerpt of their 12-minute recording on this page. You may buy the CD with the Czech Philharmonic's recording of the complete work at gregbartholomew.com or download the complete work from the SNOCAP store above.
Watch this film setting of excerpts from On the Ground Where We Live
Suite from Razumov (Act One), for clarinet and string quartet, was premiered by the OdeonQuartet at Seattle's Town Hall in October 2003 and was subsequently recorded by the Kiev Philharmonic for release on the "Masterworks of the New Era" CD series. Listen to the first of three movements as performed by the OdeonQuartet on this page. You may buy the CD with the Kiev Philharmonic's recording of the complete Suite at gregbartholomew.com.
On the Trunks of Strong Trees was premiered by Vanessa Rose Ament, Tracy Hagen, Samantha Bosch and Jessica Andrews at the Pleasure for the Ear Concert on February 15, 2006.
For more info visit gregbartholomew.com, where you may listen to many performances and/or buy scores and CDs.
Sorry Greg, took me a while to check out your new piece. Interesting texture, horn and tuba... what's the background of the piece? For me, it kinda oozes a contemplative feel, though I'm not sure, if that's what you intended. Maybe it's just the sound of two low brass instruments. Nice idea in the beginning, to have a kind of "eternal melody" that swicthes back and forth between the two instruments as if it were one.
Sorry for taking some time before getting back. Haven't been much online lately, so I didn't see your comment before today.
Love the sonoriy of the tuba-lines. Should maybe give it to some tubaist friends of mine. See if they catch on to it. I realise the sircumstances around the recording wasn't the best, but listening past that there should be something to delve into. Is there a way for me to download the duet,that I could play it for some people I have in mind?
Danish is impossible and akward in every aspect! Even the Danes find it quite hard to understand sometimes..... Actually, I think, I shall post the blog in English soon. It is, in fact, a small quotation from the English author Melvyn Bragg, that I attempted to translate. It's immensely beautiful, and, I think, says a great deal about the power of music.... Hang on, I shall bring it ;-)
Seems like things are going well! And that you have enough to do. I shall check in and listen to the music. Right now, I am composing a piece for the combined ensembles Seatte ChamberPlayers and FIGURA. They are going to perform it together in Copenhagen this September, and next january, 2010, FIGURA and I will come to Seattle to perform with the ChamberPlayers. I am already looking forward to coming to Seattle and seeing you all, even if it is still a bit far away in the future. Let's keep in touch, yours P
All is well here Greg. Wrapping up the last few tracks for a new CD. Spring and summer so hit and miss this year....similar weather patterns here. Love the new duet...moving and provoking! Best wishes, James
The Duet for Tuba and Horn is great. What inspired it? The music sounds to me like there is a personal story or maybe a certain scenario being represented here. I would love to know more!