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Alchymic Quartet

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Alchymic Quartet
String quartetbyGraham Waterhouse
The composer in 2020
Performed4 November 2022(2022-11-04):Gilching
Movements4

Alchymic Quartetis astring quartet by Graham Waterhousecomposed in 2022, inspired by chemical experiments of his teacherAndrew SzydloatHighgate School.It was premiered inGilchingand Munich, in celebration of the composer's 60th birthday, with Szydlo attending and performing.

History

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Waterhouse composedAlchymic Quartetin the autumn of 2022,[1]: 7 inspired by hisHighgate Schoolchemistry teacherAndrew Szydlo.[2][3][1]: 7 When Waterhouse was a student at the school, and a cellist in the school orchestra, he approached the teacher who played violin and viola to make music together.[2]

He invited Szydlo to the concerts celebrating his 60th birthday in 2022, and Szydlo not only came, but also performed chemical experiments alongside the world premiere of the music on 4 November 2022,[3]and gave a speech (in German) at the main concert the following day.[1]: 4 

Structure and music

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The work is structured in fourmovementswith the titles naming chemical experiments, which are ideally performed at the same time.[1]: 11 [4]

  1. Chain Reaction
  2. Wave Patterns
  3. Colour Transformations(with hommage)
  4. Alchymic Cauldron

Wave Patternsare reflected in moving soundscapes (bewegte Klangflächen). The movements have characteristic intervals, clear themes and motifs.[4]The third movement features a quotation fromWilliam Byrd[4]who wrote funeral music forElizabeth I,as an homage toElizabeth IIwho died while the piece was being composed. The finalAlchymic Cauldronwas described as an "organic, purposeful sound development" ( "organische, zielgerichtete Klangentwicklung").[4]

Performances

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Szydlo performing experiments at theRoyal Institute of Chemistryin 2009

Alchymic Quartetwas first performed at theGilchingtown hall on 4 November 2022 in a concert namedTransformationen.[3]It was played by the Philharmonisches Streichquartett München,[4][5]formed by musicians from theMünchner Philharmoniker,Clément Courtin,Bernhard Metz,Konstantin Sellheimand Manuel von der Nahmer.[1]: 5 Szydlo presented the experiments at the same time.[3]

The quartet was played again the following day by the same performers as part of GW60, a concert at theAllerheiligen-Hofkirchein Munich to celebrate the composer's 60th birthday.[1]: 5 [4][6]Szydlo addressed the audience in a laudatio[1]: 4 [6]in German, with details from his early contacts with Waterhouse, making music together with the teacher as the violinist.[1]: 3 

References

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  1. ^abcdefgh"GW60 – Festkonzert"(PDF).Graham Waterhouse(in German). 2022. pp. 4, 11.Retrieved8 December2022.
  2. ^abAndrew, Szydlo(2022)."Andrew Zbigniew Szydlo / Musician".andrewszydlo.com.Retrieved28 December2022.
  3. ^abcd"Landpartie mit" neuer "Musik".Gilching(in German). 26 October 2022.Retrieved28 December2022.
  4. ^abcdefBlaumeiser, Martin (February 2023)."Standing Ovations in der Allerheiligen-Hofkirche".Neue Musikzeitung(in German).Retrieved9 February2023.
  5. ^"Musik und Chemie / Transformationen".Kunstforum Gilching(in German). 4 November 2022.Retrieved28 December2022.
  6. ^ab"Pinnwand – Veranstaltungen / Projekte /GW60"(in German). MunichTonkünstlerverband[de].November 2022.Retrieved16 December2022.
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