Aurora (orchestral tone poem)

Aurora (orchestral tone poem)

"Aurora" is an orchestral tone poem by William Lloyd Webber which is acknowledged to be among the composer's finest works. Written in 1948 it lay unperformed for many years. When a recording was issued in 1986 the Guardian newspaper's reviewer, Edward Greenfield, described the work as: " Music as sensuous as any you will find by a British composer". William Lloyd Webber himself had this to say in a programme note about Aurora:

“Arriving from the East in a chariot of winged horses, dispelling night and dispersing the dews of the morning. Aurora was the Roman Goddess of the dawn. This short tone poem attempts to portray in reasonably respectable sonata first movement form, the inherent sensuality of her nature. Consecutive 6/4 chords introduce a bit of night music soon to be dispelled by the dawn theme, announced by the flute. Aurora’s theme forms the second subject and (it is hoped) is of a suitably lyrical nature, as befits such a beautiful goddess. Her amorous adventures can possibly be imagined in the development section, and in the recapitulation her theme occurs twice – the first time with a light textured orchestration, and then with all the instruments that were available at the time of writing the piece.At the moment of climax, the night music returns again, and Aurora has to leave us. However the final cadence has a hint of her theme, and there is always the promise of a new day.” [William Lloyd Webber: "Aurora", CD booklet notes, Philips Classics 420 342-2 1986]

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-DRoD4Jh2A Recording of Aurora]
* [http://www.williamlloydwebber.com William Lloyd Webber site]

Notes


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • William Lloyd Webber — Infobox musical artist Name = William Lloyd Webber Img capt = Background = non performing personnel Birth name = Born = birth date|1914|3|11|df=y London, England, UK Died = death date and age|1982|10|29|1914|3|11|df=y London, England, UK… …   Wikipedia

  • Matthew King (composer) — Matthew King (born 1967) is a British composer and pianist. His works include opera, piano and chamber music, choral and orchestral pieces. Matthew King Contents 1 …   Wikipedia

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

  • Europe, history of — Introduction       history of European peoples and cultures from prehistoric times to the present. Europe is a more ambiguous term than most geographic expressions. Its etymology is doubtful, as is the physical extent of the area it designates.… …   Universalium

  • Appalachian Spring — is a ballet score by Aaron Copland that premiered on 1944 and achieved widespread popularity as an orchestral suite. The ballet, scored for a thirteen member chamber orchestra, was created at the request of choreographer and dancer Martha Graham… …   Wikipedia

  • Andrew Lloyd Webber — Infobox musical artist honorific prefix = The Right Honourable name = Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber honorific prefix = KBE, PC Img size = Img capt = Background = non performing personnel Birth name = Born = Birth date and age|1948|3|22|df=yes… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”