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
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Two or more different solo instruments and orchestra
Scoring:
2222 2000 timp perc str vl-vla-cb-solo
Runner : for bassoon and piano / Chiel Meijering
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Bassoon and keyboard instrument
Scoring:
fg pf
Kruiswegmeditaties : for mixed choir (SATB) or quartet / Christian Blaha; text - Peter van den Ouden
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK4
composition
Schietgebedjes : = (Ejaculation prayers), for reed quintet, 2005 / Edward Top
Description:
Program note (English): The work Ejaculation Prayers ('Schietgebedjes' in Dutch) consists both of virtuosic music with different passages that follow each other up in quick successions, as well as serene and spread out sections. The contrast these two counter poles indicate is a generally recurring theme in my work. Originally a string player, it was challenging for me to enter the realm of woodwinds. Prior to finalising the composition, a rough version was played through in the rehearsal studio, providing me with valuable insights about the not so common combination of oboe d'amore, clarinet, basset horn, soprano sax and bassoon. Of course there is an experimental side to it, but in general the work is quite straightforward with every now and then references to music from the 1920s such as Webern's and jazzbands'. Like in many of my compositions, expression through sound colouring plays an important role in Ejaculation Prayers. It is harmonic colour, from the close-harmony and Ligeti-like movement in
the virtuosic sections, to the widely spread out clusters in the quieter parts. Towards the end melodic features appear, where extreme register leaps maximise expression. - EDWARD TOP