Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp
Encyclopedia
Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp op. 36 are two independent compositions of Graham Waterhouse
for string orchestra
, which were published together in 1998 by Hofmeister, Leipzig. Celtic Voices was written in 1995, Hale Bopp was written in 1997 inspired by Comet Hale-Bopp
, and scored for an additional boy soprano
.
refers to a definite style of decoration, the sources of Celtic music
, being less clear, incorporate folk traditions from the Western fringes of the British Isles. This piece explores a predominantly lyrical vein." Ivan March wrote in his review for the Gramophone magazine:
treble voice
(or horn
) was composed in 1997, inspired by the Comet Hale-Bopp
, which was discovered on 23 July 1995 and dubbed the Great Comet
of 1997.
The piece in one movement of about 7 minutes begins with tremolandi
, glissandi
and wide spaced scoring and ends with a quote of the chorale
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star, sung by a boy soprano accompanied by a string quartet. In German the hymn
of Philipp Nicolai
begins: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern and was published in 1599. The composer comments: "Although strictly speaking the comet is not a star, each has its own place in the celestial firmament and has exercised a like fascination on man over the ages." The piece was premiered in 1997 with the Swiss Orchestre d'Yverdon, conducted by the composer.
, conducted by Yaron Traub
, as part of the CD Graham Waterhouse Portrait 2 for Meridian Records
with music for string orchestra and wind ensemble. Between them appears Hymnus for winds, which also quotes a hymn tune, but only one line instrumentally like a refrain.
Hubert Culot commented:
Graham Waterhouse
Graham Waterhouse is an English composer and a cellist. He is known for chamber music and for unusual scoring, such as Piccolo Quintet, Bright Angel for three bassoons and contrabassoon, Chieftain's Salute for Great Highland Bagpipe and string orchestra, and works for speaking voice and cello,...
for string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
, which were published together in 1998 by Hofmeister, Leipzig. Celtic Voices was written in 1995, Hale Bopp was written in 1997 inspired by Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale–Bopp was perhaps the most widely observed comet of the 20th century, and one of the brightest seen for many decades...
, and scored for an additional boy soprano
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
.
Celtic Voices
Celtic Voices op. 36/1 for string orchestra, a piece in one movement of about 5 minutes, was written in 1995. The composer comments: "While Celtic artCeltic art
Celtic art is the art associated with the peoples known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre-history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient peoples whose language is uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic similarities with speakers of Celtic...
refers to a definite style of decoration, the sources of Celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
, being less clear, incorporate folk traditions from the Western fringes of the British Isles. This piece explores a predominantly lyrical vein." Ivan March wrote in his review for the Gramophone magazine:
Celtic Voices similarly balances virtuosity with lyricism and dips into the Phrygian modePhrygian modeThe Phrygian mode can refer to three different musical modes: the ancient Greek tonos or harmonia sometimes called Phrygian, formed on a particular set octave species or scales; the Medieval Phrygian mode, and the modern conception of the Phrygian mode as a diatonic scale, based on the latter...
to establish its underlying harmonic flavour.
Hale Bopp
Hale Bopp op. 36/2 for string orchestra with an obbligatoObbligato
In classical music obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified...
treble voice
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
(or horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
) was composed in 1997, inspired by the Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale–Bopp was perhaps the most widely observed comet of the 20th century, and one of the brightest seen for many decades...
, which was discovered on 23 July 1995 and dubbed the Great Comet
Great comet
A Great Comet is a comet that becomes exceptionally bright. There is no official definition; often the term will be attached to comets that become bright enough to be noticed by casual observers who are not actively looking for them, and become well known outside the astronomical community. Great...
of 1997.
The piece in one movement of about 7 minutes begins with tremolandi
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
, glissandi
Glissando
In music, a glissando is a glide from one pitch to another. It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French glisser, to glide. In some contexts it is distinguished from the continuous portamento...
and wide spaced scoring and ends with a quote of the chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star, sung by a boy soprano accompanied by a string quartet. In German the hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
of Philipp Nicolai
Philipp Nicolai
Philipp Nicolai was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer, author of two famous hymns: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern...
begins: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern and was published in 1599. The composer comments: "Although strictly speaking the comet is not a star, each has its own place in the celestial firmament and has exercised a like fascination on man over the ages." The piece was premiered in 1997 with the Swiss Orchestre d'Yverdon, conducted by the composer.
Publication and recording
The two pieces for a similar instrumentation were published together by Hofmeister, Leipzig, in 1998. They both were recorded in 2002 by the English Chamber OrchestraEnglish Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
, conducted by Yaron Traub
Yaron Traub
Yaron Traub is an Israeli conductor and pianist.Throughout the 90s he served as Daniel Barenboim's assistant at the Bayreuth Festival and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After being prized at the 1998 Kirill Kondrashin Competition, Traub has internationally active as a guest conductor before he...
, as part of the CD Graham Waterhouse Portrait 2 for Meridian Records
Meridian Records
Meridian Records is a British independent record label based in London. It is a long established company having been founded in 1977 and has celebrated 34 years of recording in its reveered classical music 'natural sound'....
with music for string orchestra and wind ensemble. Between them appears Hymnus for winds, which also quotes a hymn tune, but only one line instrumentally like a refrain.
Hubert Culot commented:
Hale Bopp Op.36/2 ... opens with wide-spaced chords suggesting some other-worldly atmosphere and ends with a treble voice singing How brightly shines the Morning Star, accompanied by a string quartet. Though shorter and, on the whole, less astringent, this lovely piece may compared to Georges LentzGeorges LentzGeorges Lentz is a contemporary composer and sound artist, born in Luxembourg in 1965, and is that country's internationally best known composer. Since 1990, he has been living in Sydney, Australia...
’s Caeli enarrant...Caeli enarrant...Caeli enarrant... is the name given to a large-scale cycle of musical works by composer Georges Lentz . Parts II and VI of the cycle are as yet unpublished. Part VII is still in progress....
III.