The Three Faces of The Moon, Sonata for 2 Flutes & Orchestra (May 2000)
Dedicated to Jane Carter
The Sonata was written at the request of a local flute teacher (Jane Carter) for two of her pupils (Louise Taylor & Ruth Hopkins) who were preparing to take Grade 8. The style was to be romantic and the first performance was to be in May 2000.
The sonata was orchestrated in May/June 2000. Click here for more details.
1) Hecate: Ruler of the Underworld
2) Artemis the Virgin Huntress
3) Puck the Mischievous
Programme notes:
I had wanted to write a full-scale work for a long time and so set my mind on a complete sonata. I also wanted the composition to be free from rigid set form - this is why the first movement is not in the conventional sonata form. Instead of a pre-planned form, I began formulating ideas on images, choosing to pick these images from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I had previously studied the work and had always like the many images and associations with the moon found in the play. I set about finding three contrasting images/portrayals of the moon for the basis of a pictorial sonata.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream the moon is a very important image with many contrasting portrayals with its associated gods/goddesses. The moon is sometimes portrayed in a sinister way being linked with Hecate who ruled the underworld. Secondly the character Puck is often linked with the moon carrying out much of his mischief by moonlight. Thirdly there is the more traditional romantic image of the moon. In composing the sonata, I decided to use this last image for the middle movement with a slow romantic theme.
Click here if you wish to find out more about the orchestral version.
Selected Performances:
-(20/5/00) Egham, UK. Premiere performance. At the Egham and District Music Societies Young Persons' Concert. Performed by Louise Bunce (née, Taylor), Ruth Hopkins, & me.
-(24/6/06) Slough, UK. To be performed by the same people as above at a lunchtime concert at St. Mary's Slough. See the advert on my homepage for more details.
The Sonata was written at the request of a local flute teacher (Jane Carter) for two of her pupils (Louise Taylor & Ruth Hopkins) who were preparing to take Grade 8. The style was to be romantic and the first performance was to be in May 2000.
The sonata was orchestrated in May/June 2000. Click here for more details.
1) Hecate: Ruler of the Underworld
2) Artemis the Virgin Huntress
3) Puck the Mischievous
Programme notes:
I had wanted to write a full-scale work for a long time and so set my mind on a complete sonata. I also wanted the composition to be free from rigid set form - this is why the first movement is not in the conventional sonata form. Instead of a pre-planned form, I began formulating ideas on images, choosing to pick these images from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I had previously studied the work and had always like the many images and associations with the moon found in the play. I set about finding three contrasting images/portrayals of the moon for the basis of a pictorial sonata.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream the moon is a very important image with many contrasting portrayals with its associated gods/goddesses. The moon is sometimes portrayed in a sinister way being linked with Hecate who ruled the underworld. Secondly the character Puck is often linked with the moon carrying out much of his mischief by moonlight. Thirdly there is the more traditional romantic image of the moon. In composing the sonata, I decided to use this last image for the middle movement with a slow romantic theme.
Click here if you wish to find out more about the orchestral version.
Selected Performances:
-(20/5/00) Egham, UK. Premiere performance. At the Egham and District Music Societies Young Persons' Concert. Performed by Louise Bunce (née, Taylor), Ruth Hopkins, & me.
-(24/6/06) Slough, UK. To be performed by the same people as above at a lunchtime concert at St. Mary's Slough. See the advert on my homepage for more details.
