''Incantations'', subtitled ''Concerto da camera'' (chamber concerto), is a composition for piano and ensemble by

Graham Waterhouse Graham Waterhouse (born 2 November 1962) is an English composer and cellist who specializes in chamber music. He has composed a cello concerto, '' Three Pieces for Solo Cello'' and '' Variations for Cello Solo'' for his own instrument, and str ...

, composed in 2015 and first performed in Birmingham.

History

wrote the composition as part of studies at the

Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

. The work was premiered at the

CBSO Centre The CBSO Centre is the administrative home and rehearsal centre of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Choruses ( City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus and City of ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, on 26 March 2015, played by pianist

Huw Watkins Huw Thomas Watkins (born 13 July 1976) is a British composer and pianist. Born in South Wales, he studied piano and composition at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, where he received piano lessons from Peter Lawson. He then went on to r ...

and the

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) is a British chamber ensemble based in Birmingham, England specialising in the performance of Contemporary classical music, new and contemporary music. BCMG performs regularly at the CBSO Centre and Symph ...

, conducted by Richard Baker. The first performance in Germany was played at the

Allerheiligen-Hofkirche The Allerheiligen-Hofkirche (Court Church of All Saints) is a Catholic church in the Munich Residenz designed by Leo von Klenze and built between 1826 and 1837. The church was badly damaged from bombing during World War II and for decades remaine ...

in Munich on 4 October 2015 by pianist Michael Schöch and the ensemble Blauer Reiter with the composer playing the cello part, conducted by Armando Merino. The concert was dedicated to

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

for his 90th birthday, and featured works by him and by

Isabel Mundry Isabel Mundry (born 20 April 1963) is a German composer. Life and work Isabel Mundry was born in Schlüchtern, Hesse in 1963 and studied composition at the Berlin University of the Arts, Hochschule der Künste and electronic music, musicology and ...

Peter Maxwell Davies Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music. As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music ...

and Arnold Schönberg's '' Pierrot Lunaire''.

Music

The chamber concerto is structured in five

movement Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger co ...

s named ''Canto'' (chant): # Canto 1 – Moderato e Maestoso # Canto 2 – Allegro mosso # Canto 3 – Adagio # Canto 4 – Vivace assai subito # Canto 5 – Poco più mosso The instruments in the ensemble are flute, clarinet, violin, cello and percussion.

References

External links

* {{italic title Compositions by Graham Waterhouse Piano concertos Contemporary classical compositions 2015 compositions