Gregory Rose – Three Studies 2015

Live, St Mary Aldemary, October 26th 2017 (Preludes and Vollenteries V)

Recording courtesy of Colin Still (Optic Nerve Productions)

Gregory Rose writes”I heard Peter playing at a concert at Goldsmiths, University of London, earlier this year.  We had met sometime in the 90s and had lost touch, and I saw he was doing repertoire that I love, including pieces by Nono and Cage that I hadn’t heard before, and I remembered how struck I had been by his playing when we first met.  I was immediately struck by Peter’s wonderful playing in this recital, particularly on two levels: his deep attention to detail at every level and his beautiful sound.  Here is, clearly, a player who has tremendous respect for the composers and scores on which he works.  After the concert I immediately asked if I could compose him a new piece, and, fortunately, he was very positive, even though he would have had very little knowledge of my type of music.  Over the following weeks I kept on hearing snippets of him playing in my head, and it didn’t take me long to formulate a short group of three studies for him that I felt would explore some of his magic!  I played the violin from the age of 6 until I was about 26, so have a long-standing fondness and good knowledge of the instrument.  The movements, being studies, explore one aspect of sound in each movement; the first (marked “Expressively, but always soft”) concentrates mainly on the middle and low parts of the instrument, always on the soft end of the spectrum, in a meandering, rhapsodic stream, with a tiny, high group of notes acting as a miniature refrain.  (You could play this, if you want?)  The second movement (“Skittishly”) uses fast, high notes in a fragile world at the top end of the instrument.  The third study (“Warmly”), finally uses all of the instrument, with much more scope for expression, and ending with a fast flourish.  Peter’s input into this small collection of pieces was so wonderful that I now want to write more and more for him!”

With the wonderful composer Gregory Rose(and Handel’s foot) after the premiere of his exquisite ‘3 Studies’, in the company of Fuseli, Burney, Pope, Johnson, Piozzi, Loutherberg and all the gang at the NPG this evening. A real honour to play these pieces, and to feel the audience get caught up in their spell. Photos: Malene Sheppard Skaerved

On the 28th August, I premiered Gregory Rose’s ‘Three Studies’ (2015) at the National Portrait Gallery. I have known Gregory for many years, but this is our first collaboration.

My working score of Gregory Rose, Three Miniatures 2015.

Work-August 26th

Today, a wonderful, morning, working on these pieces together, exploring colour, syntax, phrasing and language. The conversation veered around from Byrd to Stockhausen, from Satie to Hummel.

Working with Gregory Rose-Wapping 26th August 2015

I will post more on this work, with recordings etc, as the work progresses.

It’s in conversation, experimentation, story-swapping, hanging out-that collaboration happens. With Gregory Rose, and lots of great tea 26 8 15