related works
My Skeletonized Portrait : for violin and orchestra / Edward Top
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Violin and orchestra
Scoring:
vl-solo 3fl 2ob eh 2cl cl-b 2fg cfg 4h 3trp 2trb trb-b tb timp 3perc hp cel str
Akoetest : voor symfonieorkest / Jan Masséus
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3333 4331 timp perc hp pf str
Valses sentimentales : opus 21, 1946 / orkestversie, Marius Flothuis
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
2222 3000 timp str(vl vc cb)
Caprice pour orchestre : 1994 / Piet Kingma
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3222 4331 timp 2perc 2hp str
composition
Symphony : Golden dragon, for orchestra, 2001 / Edward Top
Other authors:
Top, Edward
(Composer)
Description:
Program note (English): There are three main elements onto which this piece is constructed. 1) Sound: this is often created by successions of clusters; I shall call them cluster-chorales, hissing sounds (strings), chromatic walls, and/or modal sound fields. - 2) Motives: there are a number of motives of different character forming the basis of the composition, either tonal-melodic or harmonic and chromatic. - 3) Traditional gestures: a lot of gestures in the piece originate from traditional symphonic music. The final chorale towards the end of the work is some sort of blown up Tchaikowski. The three elements join each other in a fourth element: Layers. On many occasions there are different elements sounding simultaneously and in different instrumental groupings. An important feature in the Symphonys orchestration is the particular octave doubling, or being 'on the verge of octavation'. Idea is to create extra tension by not resolving dirty octaves, i.e. major sevenths and minor ninths. One could say
the orchestration has become part of compositional ideas, even with finding pitches. After its original setting including Wagner tubas and contrabass trombone, the symphony was revised in 2001 and the orchestration was reduced. - EDWARD TOP