Contemplations

Contemplations For Solo Violin

Movements

I - Prelude

II - Gigue

III - Nocturne

IV - Postlude

Duration: 10'

Please note: This work can be performed as a set, or as individual movements.

First performed by Fenella Humphreys, to whom this work is dedicated too.

Programme note:

Contemplations is a set of miniatures that seeks to explore the wide variety of tonal, and timbral, colours available on the violin. When approaching this seemingly daunting idiom, given it’s existing rich repertoire, I wanted to draw inspiration from the lineage of baroque suites, or partitas, in order to explore (and combine with) the Welsh-folk music of my heritage. Over the course of the four movements entitled: Prelude, Gigue, Nocturne & Postlude, I wanted to combine the rich singing quality of the violin with the broad range of colour and timbral intricacies decorate melodic lines. Whilst a prelude and postlude book-end this personal work, the four movements share the same thematic material of the minor third interval, highlighting my ambition to create large scale structures from small-scale motifs