Composer

:

Jonathan Harvey

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1984

Average_duration

:

11:26

Jonathan Harvey's 'Ricercare una Melodia' is a contemporary composition for trumpet and tape-delay system. It was composed in 1984 and premiered in the same year at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. The piece is divided into three movements, each exploring different aspects of the trumpet's sound and the tape-delay system. The first movement, titled 'Ricercare', is a slow and contemplative exploration of the trumpet's sound. The tape-delay system is used to create a sense of space and depth, with the delayed sounds echoing and overlapping with the live trumpet. The trumpet plays long, sustained notes, with occasional bursts of faster, more virtuosic passages. The second movement, 'Una Melodia', is more melodic and lyrical. The trumpet plays a simple, haunting melody, which is then repeated and echoed by the tape-delay system. The trumpet's sound is transformed and distorted by the tape-delay, creating a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere. The final movement, 'Ricercare una Melodia', brings together the themes of the previous movements. The trumpet plays a complex, virtuosic melody, which is then echoed and transformed by the tape-delay system. The trumpet and tape-delay engage in a dialogue, with the trumpet's live sound interacting with the delayed sounds in unexpected ways. Overall, 'Ricercare una Melodia' is a challenging and innovative composition, which explores the possibilities of the trumpet and tape-delay system. Harvey's use of the tape-delay system creates a sense of space and depth, and transforms the trumpet's sound in unexpected ways. The piece requires a skilled and sensitive performer, who can navigate the complex rhythms and virtuosic passages with ease.

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