' (Symbol dust) is a composition for

string trio A string trio is a group of three string instruments or a piece written for such a group. From at least the 19th century on, the term "string trio" with otherwise unspecified instrumentation normally refers to the combination violin, viola and cell ...

in four movements by

Graham Waterhouse Graham Waterhouse (born 2 November 1962) is an English composer and cellist who specializes in chamber music. He has composed a cello concerto, ''Three Pieces for Solo Cello'' and ''Variations for Cello Solo'' for his own instrument, and string ...

, written in 2010. It was first performed in

Arnstadt Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the river Gera about south of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. Arnstadt is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia, and has a well-preserved historic centre with a partially preserved town ...

, Germany, on 18 September 2010, with the composer playing the cello part.

History, structure and music

The work was commissioned by the Hepp family. Damian Hosp (pen name of Kaspar Hepp) wrote a poem which reflects a black and white photograph of a skier. The poem describes the tracks left in the snow and the powdery snow thrown up in the air, described as "". The composer writes: "The idea of clear lines set against blurred textures as suggested by this intriguing word was a starting point in the composition of the piece." The work for violin, viola and cello is in four movements, with the dedication to the family reflected in their initials: * Halcyon – * Ethereal – * Pointilliste – * Perpetuum – Each movement is dedicated to "its own sound-world". The first movement in Doric mode, opens with rising fifths, set against syncopated open fifths. The second movement is in harmonics,

pizzicato Pizzicato (, ; translated as "pinched", and sometimes roughly as "plucked") is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument : * On bowed ...

and

glissandi In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the co ...

. The third movement reflects the painting technique of

Pointillism Pointillism (, ) is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term "Pointillism" wa ...

in pizzicato. The final movement is a , "the material continually transforms and re-invents itself with an urgency and rhythmic drive that finally leads the work to an energetic close".

Performances and publishing

The premiere was played in Arnstadt on 18 September 2010, with the composer as the cellist. The UK premiere was performed and first recorded on 9 October 2012 at

Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgate ...

by members of the

Münchner Philharmoniker The Munich Philharmonic (german: Münchner Philharmoniker, links=no) is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Rad ...

Clément Courtin and

Konstantin Sellheim Konstantin Sellheim (born 1978) is a German classical violist, who has appeared internationally with a focus on chamber music. He is a violist of the Münchner Philharmoniker, and lecturer of viola at the Universität der Künste Berlin. Career ...

, with the composer, celebrating his 50th birthday. ' was published by Robert Lienau Musikverlag, Frankfurt, in 2013. The trade journal ''ensemble'' reviewed the work as "" (The new work).

References

External links

Graham Waterhouse
website {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2013 String trios by Graham Waterhouse Contemporary classical compositions 2010 compositions