Shadows for ensemble

for flute and clarinet and ensemble

Commissioned by Land Baden-Württemberg

Description

First performance: April 1997 – Budapest
Forrás Ensemble
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Gergely Ittzés, Gregory Vajda

Curiosity about what deviates from the norm is a prerequisite in Peter Eötvös compositions. This is evident from, amongst other things, his renunciation of standard dispositions of the orchestra on the podium. In Shadows, sounds form objects in a space through which they move, stand out against each other, cast shadows and become shadows themselves. The key to understanding this imaginary theatre of “sound movements” lies in the selection of instruments and in their staggered arrangement on the stage, which follows a precise plan.

The small orchestra is divided into four parts. Two groups of strings are placed on the left and right of the stage, forming a distanced stereophonic layer of sound. In front of them, on the left, is the woodwind section, and on the right the brass: both groups face away from the audience and with their backs to the centre of the stage, where the protagonists of this “sound scenario” are to be found: flute and clarinet.

Read further

The instrumental groups act as “shadows” of the two soloists: the woodwind “shadow” the flute, the brass “shadow” the clarinet. Yet the division of instrumental space goes even further. The celeste forms a tonal shroud around the clarinet and the timpani, who are set up in the backgorund and in turn form the “shadows” of the small drum positioned alongside the solo instruments, which acts as a tonal and rhythmic prompt. finally, amplification through loudspeakers extends the differentiated stereophonic sound into the hall and, beyond that, into the listener’s imagination, creating another imaginary space.
When playing pianissimo, the two wind soloists are meant to be audible only through the loudspeakers. This creates an intimate situation in which sounds whisper simultaneously in the listener’s ears. The celeste and drums are assigned exclusively to this imaginary dimension of the speakers’ sound.

A sequence of three strongly contrasted movements locates Shadows within the formal framework of the traditional solo or double concerto. The first movement (‘Breathless, rushed’) twice exposes a rising melody, which finally dissolves into background sounds. The virtuosic second movement, with its motoric rhythmes, has an almost jokey character. The confessional third movement, however, moves further into the ‘Realm of shadows’. It begins with strings playing their lower registers in a ‘Funeral Dance’ (a traditional death ritual in Eötvös’s native land, Transylvania, but also in Indian and Asiatic cultures) before the music flows into a long, intimate dialogue between the two solo instruments, leading to a cadence subtly enveloped in the sound of the celeste and a few other instruments. Here again, as in the two first movements, the final word is had by the small drum and a closing hi-hat: the withdrawal of sound into the shadow realm of noise.
/Max Nyffeler/
Translated by Frank Monaghan

Performances

9 May, 2021

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

Ligeti Ensemble
cond.: Peter Eötvös
Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music

9 May, 2021

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

Durkó: Fire Music
Eötvös: Shadows
Boulez: Dérive 1
Birtwistle:Secret Theatre
Ligeti-Ensemble
cond.: Peter Eötvös
Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music

14 Jul, 2020

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

Ligeti Ensemble
conductor: Zoltán Rácz
Venue: Budapest Music Center, Hungary

24 Nov, 2017

San Sebastián, Spain

Eötvös: Shadows

Pedro Dominguez, viola
Jorge Gallardo, viola
Inga Freyrsdóttir, flute
Noelia Rodríguez, klarinetea

Conductor: Peter Eötvös

5 Nov, 2017

Vienna, Austria

Eötvös: Shadows, Sonata per sei, Chinese Opera

Klangforum Wien ensemble
cond.: Peter Eötvös

1 Nov, 2017

Hamburg, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows, Sonata per sei, Chinese Opera

Klangforum Wien ensemble
cond.: Peter Eötvös

1 Aug, 2016

Salzburg, Austria

Eötvös: Shadows, Sonata per sei, Chinese Opera

Cond: Peter Eötvös
Klangforum Ensemble

25 Apr, 2014

Madrid, Spain

Eötvös: Shadows

Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia
Conductor: Peter Eötvös

30 Mar, 2014

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

UMZE Ensemble
cond.: Zoltan Racz
Budapest Spring Festival
Budapest Music Center

31 Jan, 2014

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

UMZE Ensemble
conductor: Zoltan Rách
Budapest Music Center, Hungary

31 Jan, 2014

Lille, France

Eötvös: Shadows

Orchestre National de Lille
conductor: Maxime Pascal

26 Aug, 2012

Lucerne, Switzerland

Eötvös: Shadows

Luzern Music Festival

Murail: Terre d´ombre
Eötvös: Shadows
Ives: 4th Symphony
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra

26 Jan, 2011

London, UK

Eötvös: Shadows

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Cond: Vladimir Jurowsky
Susan Thomas, flute
Nicolas Carpenter, clarinet
Royal Festival Hall

29 Jan, 2009

New York, USA

Eötvös: Shadows, Encore, Octet plus, Psy, Derwischtanz, Snatches of a conversation

Composer portrait

Cond: Peter Eötvös

Carnegie Hall

16 Mar, 2008

Lyon, France

Eötvös: Shadows

Lyon Biennale
Nouvel Ensemble Modern
Conductor: Daniel Kawka

9 Nov, 2007

Essen, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

Ensemble Folkwang Modern

Conductor: Zsolt Nagy

28 Oct, 2007

Baden-Baden, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

SWR Orchestra

Cond: Eva Fodor

26 Oct, 2007

Karlsruhe, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

SWR Orchestra

Cond: Eva Fodor

19 Mar, 2007

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

UMZE Ensemble
Conductor: Zoltán Rácz

26 Feb, 2007

Salamanca, Spain

Eötvös: Shadows

Orchestra de Conservatorio Superior de Musica Salamanca
Cond: Zsolt Nagy

3 Jun, 2006

Schwetzingen, Germany

Eötvös: Steine, Shadows

Eötvös: Steine
Eötvös: Shadows
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Schubert: Deutsche Tänze
Berg: Kammerkonzert

Cond: Peter Eötvös

Ensemble Modern

16 May, 2006

Paris, France

Eötvös: Shadows

Eötvös: Shadows
Strauss: Metamorphoses
Schönberg: Kammersinfonie

Conservatoire Superieur

27 Nov, 2005

Basel, Switzerland

Eötvös: Shadows

Ligeti: Kammerkonzert
Dallapiccola
Lutoslawski
Webern: Ricercare
Eötvös: Shadows

Cond: Peter Eötvös
Basel Musikhochschule

25 Nov, 2005

Basel, Switzerland

Eötvös: Shadows

Ligeti: Kammerkonzert
Dallapiccola
Lutoslawski
Webern: Ricercare
Eötvös: Shadows

Cond: Peter Eötvös
Basel Musikhochschule

24 Feb, 2005

Hamburg, Germany

Eötvös: Kosmos, Korrespondenz, Shadows

Eötvös: Kosmos (Grau/Schumacher, piano duo)
Eötvös: Shadows (NDR Symph. Orch.)
Eötvös: Korrespondenz (Pellegrini Quartet)

Cond: Peter Eötvös
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester

7 Oct, 2004

Gütersloh, Germany

Eötvös: Chinese Opera, Shadows, Two poems to Polly, Windsequenzen, Snatches of a conversation

Cond: Peter Eötvös
Ensemble Modern

6 Oct, 2004

Dortmund, Germany

Eötvös: Chinese Opera, Shadows, Two poems to Polly, Windsequenzen, Snatches of a conversation

Cond: Peter Eötvös
Ensemble Modern

20 Jul, 2004

Szombathely, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

International Bartók Festival, July 10-21

Csaba Klenyán, clarinet
Márta Szalai, flute
Savaria Symphony Orchestra
Conductors: students and Zoltán Peskó (professor)

18 Jul, 2003

Szombathely, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

International Bartók Festival

Cond: Peter Eötvös
Savaria Symph. Orch.

20 Feb, 2003

Stockholm, Sweden

Eötvös: Shadows

Ensemble concert
Cond: Peter Eötvös

1 Sep, 2002

Strasbourg, France

Eötvös: Chinese Opera, Shadows

Rouen Orch.
Cond: Oswald Sallaberger

Musica Festival

10 Mar, 2002

Brussels, Belgium

Eötvös: Chinese Opera, Shadows

L'Orchestre Léonard De Vinci / Opéra de Rouen
Cond: Oswald Sallaberger

10 Jul, 2001

Avignon, France

Eötvös: Psy, Two poems to Polly, Kosmos, Windsequenzen, Shadows, Korrespondenz

Psy
Two poems to Polly
Kosmos (two piano version)
Windsequenzen (UMZE Ensemble Budapest)
Shadows (UMZE Ensemble Budapest)
Korrespondenz (Arditti quartet)

10-25 July
UMZE Chamber Ensembe Budapest

10 Oct, 2000

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

Budapest Autumn Festival, Hungary
UMZE Ensemble
Conductor: Zsolt Nagy

25 Jul, 2000

Salzburg, Austria

Eötvös: Replica, Shadows

Mozarteum
Camerata Academica
Kim Kashkashian, viola
Conductor: Peter Eötvös

14 May, 2000

London, UK

Eötvös: Chinese Opera, Shadows, 600 Impulse

London Sinfonietta,
Conductor: Peter Eötvös

4 Apr, 2000

New York ,USA

Eötvös: Shadows

Julliard School
New Juilliard Ensemble
Julietta Curenton, flute, Dimitar Moskovsky, clarinet
Conductor: Joel Sachs

9 Oct, 1999

Paris, France

Eötvös: Shadows

Ensemble InterContemporain
conducted by Pierre Boulez

26 Apr, 1999

Los Angeles, USA

Eötvös: Shadows

Los Angeles Philharmony Orch.

17 Apr, 1999

Miami, USA

Eötvös: Shadows

New World Symphony Orch.

5 Feb, 1999

Stuttgart, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

Klangforum Ensemble Wien

31 Jan, 1999

Vienna, Austria

Eötvös: Shadows, Chinese Opera, Steine

Klangforum Ensemble Wien

30 Jan, 1999

Vienna, Austria

Eötvös: Shadows, Chinese Opera, Steine

Klangforum Ensemble Wien

29 Jan, 1999

Vienna, Austria

Eötvös: Shadows, Chinese Opera

Marino Formenti, piano
Florian Müller, piano
Eva Furrer, flute
Bernhard Zachhuber, clarinet

Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Klangforum Wien

29 Jan, 1999

Vienna, Austria

Eötvös: Shadows, Chinese Opera, Steine

Klangforum Ensemble Wien

18 Nov, 1998

Berkeley, USA

Eötvös: Shadows

Berkeley Symph. Orch.
conducted by Kent Nagano

24 Mar, 1997

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows

Radio recording, March 24- April 5

Steve Reich: Tehillim
Eötvös: Shadows

Cond: Peter Eötvös

26 Jan, 1997

Bruxelles, Belgium

Eötvös: Shadows

Carl Ruggles
Roosendal
Harrison Birtwistle

Cond: Peter Eötvös

RKO

25 Jan, 1997

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Eötvös: Shadows

Carl Ruggles
Roosendal
Harrison Birtwistle

Cond: Peter Eötvös

RKO

23 Jul, 1996

Szombathely, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows, Psalm 151

International Bartók Festival

Cond: Peter Eötvös

22 Jul, 1996

Szombathely, Hungary

Eötvös: Shadows, Psalm 151

International Bartók Festival

Cond: Peter Eötvös

15 Mar, 1996

Baden-Baden, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

Soloists: Becker, Meyer

SWF Symph. Orch.

Conductor: Hans Zender

12 Mar, 1996

Ludwigshafen, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

Soloists: Becker, Meyer

SWF Symph. Orch.

Conductor: Hans Zender

11 Mar, 1996

Ludwigshafen, Germany

Eötvös: Shadows

Eötvös: Shadows (world premiere)

Soloists: Becker, Meyer

SWF Symph. Orch.

Conductor: Hans Zender

Details

Genre:

Concerto

Duration:

15 minutes

Date:

1996

Publisher information

Edition Ricordi München (Sy 3352)
https://www.ricordi.com/en-US/Catalogue.aspx/details/441524

Orchestration

TITLE Dur. Soloists & choir fl ob cl bcl bn hn tpt tbn tba perc pf hp vn1 vn2 va vc db Other Tech

Shadows for ensemble
Concerto 15' fl,cl 1 1 0 2 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 2 2 2 sax,cel,timp amp

picc., ob., bcl, cbcl, bassoon/2 horn, trumpet (picc.tr.), trombone, bariton sax./timpani, percussion, celesta/strings: 4.0.2.2.2.
(fl., cl., perc. and cel. amplified)

Sound

Recordings

Video

Concerto Budapest, Cond: Peter Eötvös