composer
Edward Top was born in Ommen, the Netherlands, in 1972. Top has lived and worked in London, Bangkok, and Rotterdam. He now lives in Vancouver, Canada. Top studied composition and ...
related works
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal Ensemble (2-12) and large ensemble
Scoring:
sopr recit 1111 1110 perc vibr hp pf 2vl vla vc cb
Concerto da camera : opus 10, (1960) / Peter Schat
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
0020 0000 perc pf str
Divertimento : voor strijkorkest en 4 blaasinstrumenten / Herman Strategier
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
1111 0000 str
An overture : to William Shakespeare's Twelfth night, for orchestra, 1950 / Sas Bunge
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3222 4231 timp 2-3perc hp str
composition
Symphony : Golden dragon, for orchestra, 2001 / Edward Top
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