Richard Emsley – The Juniper Tree – scrolling score

Описание: for shadow puppet theatre and ensemble

‘The Juniper Tree’ is one of the less well known of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and, like many of its companion tales, has its origin in Greek Mythology – in this case in the Greek myth of Bacchus, the god of Natural Regeneration. This Music-Theatre treatment of ‘The Juniper Tree’, by using neither sung nor spoken text, attempts to release both music and theatre from any narrative duties, allowing them instead to concentrate on the non-linear relation of elements, which is often such an intriguing aspect of Folk Tale.

Musically the work aims at the simultaneous awareness of a hyper-detailed surface with a monolithic architecture of overall stillness. If the work were a building it would probably be accused of ‘horizontalism’ – in a deliberate homogeneity of structuring, everything from the material of the individual instruments and voice to large-scale form is generated in terms of ‘parallel lines’, that is, as infinitely flowing, concurrent streams of sound.

“Richard Emsley’s world is one of textures, delicate like filigree, sharp edged, shimmering bright like the surface of slow moving water that keeps catching a radiant light, the sheen changing constantly and vanishing just as swiftly.” (Music & Vision, November 2002)

Score and parts available at http://www.composersedition.com/richa...

Recorded by Topologies (Clare Lesser - mezzo-soprano, Nancy Ruffer - flute/piccolo/alto flute, Christopher Redgate -oboe/oboe d’amore/cor anglais, Julian Warburton - percussion, Ian Pace - piano, Mikel Toms - conductor)
MSVCD92044, Divine Art/Metier Sound and Vision Ltd.

http://www.richardemsley.com
https://divineartrecords.com