Universal Edition - Sir Harrison Birtwistle – Silbury Air | for chamber ensemble

Sir Harrison Birtwistle
*15.07.1934

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Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Silbury Air | for chamber ensemble

Work Details
Year of composition: 1977
Scored for: for chamber ensemble
Composer: Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Instrumentation: 1 1 1 1 - 1 1 1 0 - perc(1), hp, pno, str(1 1 1 1 1)
Instrumentation details: flute (+picc; alto fl); oboe (+c.a); clarinet in Bb (+bass cl(Bb)); bassoon; horn in F; trumpet in C; trombone; percussion (1 player); harp; piano; 1st violin; 2nd violin; viola; violoncello; contrabass
Commissioned by: Commissioned by The Koussevitzky Music Foundation in The Library of Congress for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre to honour the centenary of the birth of Serge Koussevitzsky
Duration (min): 15
Dedication: Dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitzsky

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World Première
Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall London / Great Britain
Date: 09.03.1977
Orchestra: London Sinfonietta
Conductor: Elgar Howarth
Work Introduction

Silbury Air is named after Silbury Hill, a prehistoric mound in Wiltshire, the biggest artificial mound in Europe, being 125 feet high and covering more than five acres. Its use and purpose, after centuries of speculation, still remain a mystery. The music of the Air is not in any way meant [...]

Reviews

“No British composer today has a more distinctive voice than Harrison Birtwistle. The measured period, the blocks of sound, the processional intensity all make for instant identification, a composer who goes his own way relentlessly and in his own time. His latest work, Silbury Air, given [...]

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