(Written in 2020)
Three movements for solo piano
Commissioned: Rachel Fryer and the JAM festival
Instrumentation: solo piano
Timing: c.11 – 12 mins
Movements:
Lento Maestoso (c.6.5 mins)
Toccata (c.2 mins)
Canon (c.3 mins)
Information on the Variations Down the Line project:
Variations down the Line is a project which will commission 15 new variations based on Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Sets of three variations are being composed by composers Samuel Becker, Julian Broughton, Michael Finnissy, Alison Kay and Nicola Lefanu.
The project is curated by pianist Rachel Fryer who writes, “After studying, recording and performing Bach’s extraordinary Goldberg Variations over the last few years I would like to extend his vision into the modern world with this new project. This will be a 21st century response to Bach’s original. Involving five contrasting yet complementary composers will ensure it has the diversity of Bach’s original.”
You can find out more at the project’s website
The first live performance on 10 September 2022 was reviewed in Musical Opinion. You can read the full text of the review here:
Performances:
9th August 2020 JAM on the Marsh Festival (online)
21st September 2020 Hurst Festival (online)
6 June 2021 – Lewes
10 September 2021 – St Luke’s, Brighton
20 September 2021 – the Hurst Festival in Hurstpierpoint
21 September 2021 – the Chapel Royal, Brighton
25 September 2021 – Trunch, Norfolk
30 October 2021 – Adur Arts Live in Shoreham
Plus presentations and performances at the Royal Northern College of Music, the University of Sussex and the University of York.