And now to the first work I wrote in – when was it? – must have been late 70s – when I decided that it was time to start really writing music, not just for film soundtrack and for singing with guitar but – well, music for performance. The result was 2 chamber works that were recorded by top musicians who kindly accepted payment by me to do the job – and for the result to be released on a CD title “Today-Yesterday” – the String Quartet reflecting a personal relationship of mine that then lasted on and off for ten years – mostly off – and the Clarinet Quintet written as a portrait in music of one of Beethoven’s most prominent supporters. For convenience I ’m repeating the links to my String Quartet, following by links to my Clarinet Quintet with explanations of the motivations behind each.
The String Quartet represents “Today” firstly because it uses modern harmonies.
This means both chords and melodic passages use notes additional to those of classical harmony that are based on notes derived from the basic major or minor scales. Both modern concert music and jazz use “modern” harmonies!
Secondly because it represents a woman of “Today”, as shown on the cover picture of both the CD and LP that these works were released on. Thanks to the lady who kindly agreed to pose for the photo seen on that cover.
Please enjoy studio performance by John Gould, Irene Donohoe, Jane Hazelwood, David Pereira playing Strahan’s String Quartet No. 1 (The Key).
1st Movt . “Fever” – settings of increasing rhythmic heat driven by and embroiled in statements of the The Key, a 5-note motif, an Idée Fixe.
2nd Movt. “Rhapsody” – successively varied statements of a rhapsodic theme are entangled with re-statements of the The Key.
3rd Movt. “Love-Hope” – statements of 2 contrasting themes, each an extended melody, are disturbed by re-statements of the The Key.
4th Movt . “Dance” – continuing fragments from the 3rd Movt. Morph into a dance rhythm. A new melody builds momentum until stalled by intrusions of The Key.
The Clarinet Quintet represents “Yesterday” and is a musical portrait of one of Beethoven’s most significant patrons, and her husband, from his early years in Vienna to his last years. Thus is why the work is written in a strict 4 movement format, as described below, and employing the basic harmonies that all composers used in what is called the “classical” period in which both Beethoven and Mozart lived and worked. The only departure from this format is my use of jazz rhythms, as you may hear.
I wrote my Clarinet Quintet in strict classical format of 4 movements,
1st Movt. Sonata Form, exposition (2 melodies), development & recapitulation
2nd Movt Adagio (slow & melodic)
3rd Movt. Minuet & Trio
4th Movt. Rondo (fast).
Both works also have strong elements off jazz in them.
The images that accompany the music provide continuing images both of Beethoven’s patrons and of the Vienna of that time.
Please enjoy studio performance by John Gould, Irene Donohoe, Jane Hazelwood, David Pereira and Alan Vivian playing Strahan’s Clarinet Quintet No. 1 in D.
And now a warning: Times have changed since the days of classical music when composers were supported in their work by wealthy lovers of music. In their place are cliques who represent academia. Away from them the creative arts are like farming. An inverted pyramid. On top are those who process, distribute and sell product, and they have organisations and people representing them and all such profit from the business. On the bottom are those who grow (create) the produce/product and sell for little or nothing in return. And are supposed to do it for love! Oh well. Try asking your local brain surgeon to remove your tumour for love, not money. Doesn’t take much brain to guess his response.