Music Resource Item Type Metadata
Composer
Bassett, Leslie (b. 1923).
Gender
Male
Work
Metamorphoses. New York: Peters.
1. Plaintive. (Stravinsky: Rite of Spring)
2. Assertive, robust. (Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf)
3. Lyrical, expressive. (Tchaikovsky: Symphony #4)
4. Very fast. (Beethoven: Symphony #3)
5. Brilliant. (Beethoven: Symphony #1)
6. Smooth, flowing. (Beethoven: Symphony #8)
7. Tremolos with solo. (Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy)
8. Dance. (Chabrier: España)
1. Plaintive. (Stravinsky: Rite of Spring)
2. Assertive, robust. (Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf)
3. Lyrical, expressive. (Tchaikovsky: Symphony #4)
4. Very fast. (Beethoven: Symphony #3)
5. Brilliant. (Beethoven: Symphony #1)
6. Smooth, flowing. (Beethoven: Symphony #8)
7. Tremolos with solo. (Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy)
8. Dance. (Chabrier: España)
Duration
14 minutes
Description
This composition is aptly described by the notes provided with the score:
Metamorphoses was commissioned by friends, colleagues and students of L. Hugh Cooper, Professor of Music (Bassoon) at the University of Michigan, on the occasion of his retirement and in appreciation of his many contributions to performance, teaching and research. The premiere performance was by Gwendolyn (Wendy) Rose at the University on February 12, 1991, with immediate subsequent performances by Richard Beene. Each of the eight Metamorphoses emerges and unfolds from a brief source, a fragment drawn from the orchestral bassoon literature. Tempos, pitches and rhythms may be substantially changed from the original, yet the sources remain clearly recognizable, giving rise to the new music which follows; homages rather than quotations.
Although challenging, and technically demanding up to D5, the emphasis is on lyricism. Suggested fingerings are provided for timbre changes and timbral trills, the only extended techniques called for. The fifth movement was a required piece for the 2002 Fernand Gillet Competition sponsored by the IDRS. References:
Metamorphoses was commissioned by friends, colleagues and students of L. Hugh Cooper, Professor of Music (Bassoon) at the University of Michigan, on the occasion of his retirement and in appreciation of his many contributions to performance, teaching and research. The premiere performance was by Gwendolyn (Wendy) Rose at the University on February 12, 1991, with immediate subsequent performances by Richard Beene. Each of the eight Metamorphoses emerges and unfolds from a brief source, a fragment drawn from the orchestral bassoon literature. Tempos, pitches and rhythms may be substantially changed from the original, yet the sources remain clearly recognizable, giving rise to the new music which follows; homages rather than quotations.
Although challenging, and technically demanding up to D5, the emphasis is on lyricism. Suggested fingerings are provided for timbre changes and timbral trills, the only extended techniques called for. The fifth movement was a required piece for the 2002 Fernand Gillet Competition sponsored by the IDRS. References:
Discography
HHR 002 (CD) Nicolasa Kuster
Reference
IDRS Journal 23 (1995), p. 104.
Date Range of Work
1990