Hymns And Dances II - J. Slothouwer

In 1990 Jochem Slothouwer composed Hymns and Cances II. This work for symphonic band and harp (ad libitum) is based on Hymns and Dances I for piano, mixed choir and percussion. The compostition is based on the contrast between hymnlike melodies and dance music episodes. The work, in five connected parts, seems to look for a reconciliation of both melodic and rythmical elements. The initial theme with the horns and the answer of the band form the base of the first part.The second part, charcterized by a vitorous dance rhythm, is dominated by the percussionn and syncopated motifs with the brass. A melody with the euphoniums almost imperceptibly slips into the ensemble and gradually gets to the foreground. The dance and the hymn reach a real climax interrupted by a short and dark intermezzo (part three). The clear sonority of part four, a fiery tarantella with many small byt virtuoso solos, is a new contras. The final adagio reuses the previously developed ideas of part one and ends in sheer ecstasy.

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