| ← Back to Works Index | |||
|
Work Title Party Pieces |
|||
|
Alt. Title Party Pieces ("Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses") |
|
Date Composed in c. 1945. |
|
Ensemble Type Quintet |
|
Instrumentation fl, cl, bsn, hn, pf |
|
Comments This work comprises 20 short pieces composed collaboratively with Henry Cowell, Lou Harrison, and Virgil Thomson. Their method of composition was that of the poet’s “Exquisite Corpse,” i.e. one composer would write a bar of music plus 2 notes, fold the paper at the bar, and pass it to the next composer, who would use the 2 notes as a base for continuing the composition. The pieces comprising the composition are: Vivace (Cage-Harrison) Adagio (Thomson-Cage-Harrison) Grazioso (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Allegretto (Thomson-Cage-Harrison) Slowly, yet flowing (Thomson-Cage-Harrison) Flowing-broad (Thomson-Cage-Harrison) Allegro (Cage-Harrison) Majestic-broad (Thomson-Cage-Harrison) Vivo (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Flowing-rubato (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Waltz tempo (Thomson-Cage-Harrison) Flowing (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Allegro (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) A slow, walking tempo (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Maestoso, ma teneramente (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Allegro preciso (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) March tempo (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Pastoral-softly-legato (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) A slow 2-walking tempo (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) Allegro (Cowell-Cage-Harrison) In 1982, Robert Hughes arranged the work for flute (& piccolo), clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano. |
|
Arranger Robert Hughes |
|
Publication Peters Edition EP 66500 |
