After The Requiem (ECM, 1991) collects four chamber works:
After The Requiem (1990), a slow-motion elegy for string quartet
(with the first violin replaced by
Bill Frisell's electric guitar),
which is one of his most moving pieces;
Allegrasco (1983) for seven instruments, an ethereal ambience built
out of an unassuming "repetitive" pattern;
the saxophone quartet Alaric I or II (1989), very close to the most
angst-ridden of Schoenberg's and Webern's scores, despite the minimalist
undercurrent and "jazzy" solos;
The Old Town of Loebenicht (1987) for a seven-piece chamber ensemble,
another mournful piece but that fails to create pathos.
These works prove that, while so many minimalist composers turned to the
scales and styles of Asia, Nyman remained fundamentally faithful to the
western canon.
After his second opera, Doctor Ox's Experiment (1988), directed by Atom Egoyan, and revisions of his masterworks with improved sonic quality and cast performances,
including a live recording of the Sinking of the Titanic (Disques du Crepuscule, 1990),
a new version of Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (Point Music, 1993) and
a new version of The Sinking of the Titanic (Point Music, 1994),
and even a remix album with Aphex Twin, Raise the Titanic (Japan, 1995),
Bryars returned to chamber music.
Vita Nova (ECM, 1994) collects four chamber pieces: Glorious Hill (1988) for voices, Incipit Vita Nova (1989) for voice, violin, viola and cello, the lengthy and melancholy Four Elements for large chamber ensemble (one of his most blatantly minimast works), and Sub Rosa.
The Black River was released on The Black River (ECM, 1993) with works by other composers.
His quartets were collected on several releases:
The Last Days (Argo, 1995) has String Quartet no.1 and String Quartet no.2;
Three String Quartets (Black Box, 2002) has the dramatic
String Quartet No.1 (1986), the confused
String Quartet No.2 (1990),
and the mournful String Quartet No.3 (1998);
Gavin Bryars (Dapheneo, 1998) includes new versions of Allegrasco for saxophone and strings, and Alaric I or II for saxophone quartet, plus 3 Elegies for Nine Saxophones;
A Man in a Room Gambling (Point, 1997) and
Cadman Requiem (Point, 1998), which also includes
the song cycle Adnan Songbook (1996), were named after two of his most
ambitious vocal/chamber compositions, particularly the
Cadman Requiem (1989), inspired by medieval music.
Overall, Bryars' chamber works reveal how he fused his jazz roots and the
classical/avantgarde techniques. His preference for jazz settings and jazz
instruments is wed to patterns that hark back to John Cage, Steve Reich and Brian Eno.
In the late 1990s, the emphasis shifted towards larger-scale orchestral
compositions. His shimmering Cello Concerto "Farewell to Philosophy" (1994), a robotic process of melodic counterpoint, appears on
Farewell to Philosophy (Point, 1996),
together with a piece for pitched percussion (the Nexus ensemble),
One Last Bar Then Joe Can Sing (1994),
and an orchestral solo for jazz bassist Charlie Haden, By the Vaar.
I Have Heard It Said That A Spirit Enters (CBC, 2002 - Naxos, 2003) contains three songs for voice and chamber orchestra (including the title-track) but its highlights are the orchestral works: The Porazzi Fragment (1999), the ecstatic Violin Concerto (2000) and the less convincing Double Bass Concerto "By the Vaar" (2002).
A Portrait (Universal, 2003) is a sort of "greatest hits" that includes
"rarities" such as the saxophone concerto The Green Ray (1991), which ranks as one of his most poetic works,
Adnan Songbook (1996), Titanic Lament, The North Shore (1994),
besides the Cello Concerto and One Last Bar then Joe Can Sing.
Biped (GB, 2001), the music for a Merce Cunningham dance performance, was
scored for electric keyboards, double bass, electric guitar, cello, violin and hand-held percussion.
G (2002) is his fourth opera.
The The First Book of Madrigals (2000) and Second Book of Madrigals (2002) are still unreleased.
Bryars' unique art is best represented by works such as
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971),
String Quartet No.1 (1986),
Cadman Requiem (1989),
After The Requiem (1991),
The Green Ray (1991),
Cello Concerto (1994),
Violin Concerto (2000),
which reveal the naive romanticism of his soul. They are
moving but in a quiet way.
In a sense, he is the Hindemith of minimalism.
The Sinking Of The Titanic (Touch Tone, 2008) documents a performance with Italian chamber ensemble Alter Ego and turntablist Philip Jeck.
The Church Closest To The Sea (Delphian, 2010) collects Eight Irish Madrigals (2004), Epilogue From Wonderlawn (1994) and The Church Closest To The Sea (2007), all performed by a small string ensemble.
|
(Translation by/ Tradotto da Claudia Parma)
After
The Requiem (ECM, 1991) racchiude quattro pezzi per
musica da camera: After The Requiem (1990),
lenta elegia per quartetto d’archi (col primo violino sostituito dalla chitarra
elettrica di Bill Frisell) probabilmente uno dei brani più emozionanti; Allegrasco (1983) per sette strumenti,
dall’atmosfera eterea costruita su una struttura “ripetitiva” modesta; il
quartetto di sassofoni Alaric I or II
(1989), simile ai maggiori tormenti angosciosi di Schonenberg e Webern,
nonostante gli influssi minimalisti e gli assoli in stile jazz; The Old Town of Loebenicht (1987) per
orchestra da camera a quattro elementi, altro pezzo triste che però non riesce
a creare pathos. Queste opere provano che, mentre molti esponenti del
minimalismo guardano con interesse a scale e stili del mondo asiatico, Bryars
rimane sostanzialmente fedele ai canoni occidentali.
Successivamente alla sua seconda opera Doctor Ox’s Experiment del 1988, diretta
da Atom Egoyan ed alla revisione dei suoi capolavori che migliora
qualitativamente suono e prestazioni, compreso il live Sinking of the Titanic (Disques du Crepuscule, 1990), una nuova
versione di Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me
Yet (Point Music, 1993), di The
Sinking of the Titanic (Point Music, 1994) e pure un remix con Aphex Twin Raise The Titanic (Japan, 1995), Bryars
ritorna alla musica da camera. Vita Nova
(ECM, 1994) include quattro brani: Glorious
Hill (1988) per sola voce, Incipit
Vita Nova (1989) per voce, violino, viola e violoncello, la lunga e
melanconica Four Elements per ensemble
cameristico (uno dei suoi lavori più rumoristicamente minimalisti) e Sub Rosa. The Black River fu pubblicato in The Black River (ECM, 1993) con lavori di altri compositori. I suoi
quartetti furono inclusi in varie pubblicazioni: in The Last Days (Argo, 1995) ci sono String Quartet no. 1 e String
Quartet no. 2; in Three String
Quartets (Black Box, 2002) c’è la drammatica String Quartet no. 1 (1986), la confusa String Quartet no. 2 (1990) e la mesta String Quartet no. 3 (1998); Gavin
Bryars (Dapheneo, 1998) comprende anche una nuova versione di Allegrasco per sassofono ed archi, ed Alaric I or II per quartetti di
sassofoni, nonché Elegies for Nine
Saxophones; A Man in a Room Gambling
(Point, 1997) e Cadman Requiem
(Point, 1998) che include il ciclo Adnan
Songbook (1996) furono chiamati così in onore di due delle sue più
ambiziose composizioni vocali/cameristiche, in particolare Cadman Requiem (1989), ispirato alla musica medievale. Nel
complesso i lavori cameristici di Bryars rivelano quanto siano fusi fra loro
radici jazz e tecniche classiche/avanguardistiche. La sua inclinazione per
cornici e strumentazione jazz si sposa perfettamente con strutture che
rimandano a John Cage, Steve Reich e Brian Eno.
Alla fine degli anni 90, l’attenzione si
concentrò sulle composizioni orchestrali di più ampio respiro. La sua luminosa Cello Concerto “Farewell to Philosophy”
del 1994, un processo robotico di contrappunto melodico, appare in Farewell to Philosophy (Point,
1996) con un pezzo per percussioni
determinate (the Nexus ensemble), One
Last Bar Then Joe Can Sing (1994), ed un assolo per orchestra del bassista
jazz Charlie Haden, By the Vaar. I Have Heard It Said That A Spirit Enters
(CBC, 2002 – Naxos, 2003) include tre pezzi per voce ed orchestra da camera
(compresa la title track) ma la parte migliore è senza dubbio l’orchestra: The Porazzi Fragment (1999), l’estatica Violin Concerto del 2000 e la meno
convincente Double Bass Concerto “By the Vaar” (2002). A Portrait (Universal, 2003) è una
sorta di “rassegna dei successi”che include rarità del calibro di The Green Ray, concerto per sassofono
del 1991, considerato uno dei suoi pezzi più poetici, Adnan Songbook (1996), Titanic
Lament, The North Shore (1994),
oltre a The Cello Concerto e One Last Bar then Joe Can Sing.
Biped (GB, 2001) è colonna sonora per una performance di danza di Merce
Cunningham per tastiere, contrabbasso, chitarra elettrica, violoncello, violino
e percussione portatile.
G (2002) è la sua quarta opera.
The First Book of Madrigals (2000) e Second Book of Madrigals (2002) devono ancora essere pubblicati.
Il talento unico di Bryars è sicuramente ben
rappresentato da lavori come Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me (1971), String
Quartet no. 1 (1986), Cadman Requiem (1989), After The Requiem
(1991), The Green Ray (1991), Cello Concerto (1994), Violin
Concerto (2000), rivelatori della componente naive e romantica della sua
anima. Commoventi ma in maniera dolce. In un certo senso Hindemith del
minimalismo.
The Sinking of the Titanic (Touch One, 2008) documenta un’esibizione con un’orchestra da camera
italiana l’Alter Ego ed il turntablista Philip Jeck.
The Church Closet To The Sea (Delphian, 2010) racchiude Eight Irish Madrigals (2004),
Epilogue From Wonderlawn (1994) e The Church Closet To The Sea (2007),
tutti eseguiti da un piccolo complesso di soli archi.
|