Magnetite (composition)
Magnetite is an orchestral composition by the British composer Emily Howard. Scored for large orchestra, the work was commissioned by the Liverpool European Capital of Culture for 2008 for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra; it received its premiere under the baton of the orchestra's then-principal conductor, Vasily Petrenko, on 6 December 2007. The work has subsequently been widely performed in the UK and Europe. It received its German première on 6 June 2011 at the Dortmund Konzerthaus, with Lancelot Führy conducting the Dortmund Philharmonic; its Austrian première by the Tonkünstler Orchestra under Andrés Orozco-Estrada at the Musikverein in Vienna and its Swedish Premiere with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra at the Gothenburg Concert Hall on 3 October 2018, with Jakub Hrůša conducting.[1]
Composition
Magnetite is composed in one continuous movement and has a duration of roughly 10 minutes. Howard describes the work as the 'journey to the centre of a crystal', with the work's textural focus variously described as 'crystalline' and 'granular'. Written in the liner notes of the work's release on NMC, Helen Wallace describes the work as being in two sections: a generative, propulsive first half and a more 'reflective' second. The work begins by building momentum, 'as if passing through a magnetic field', with the rotation of pitches 'accelerat[ing] to reach a certain level of energy, a registral explosion and then a climax'. She styles the second as the 'aftermath of this journey', where 'each vertical chord within a set of vertical chords' interact magnetically, generating a 'static sound state', before the occurrence of thematic ritornelli (originally played by strings, now by woodwind) which manoeuvre the piece toward a 'final, tender homecoming'.[2]
Instrumentation
The work is scored for an orchestra comprising two flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets in B flat (2nd doubling bass clarinet), two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets in B flat, two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, two percussionists, and strings.[1]
Reception
The work received positive reviews and has since come to be viewed as Howard's breakthrough opus,[3] a work which "gave notice of a striking individuality". Writing at the time of the world première, Hilary Finch in The Times stated the work was a "clever idea, boldly realised"[4], whilst David Fanning in The Telegraph declared it a standout of the programme, observing 'ear-catching harmonies' and noting that Howard was "relishing orchestral colour in the way the best contemporary Nordic composers do".[5] The work later received positive notices at the time of the RLPO recording release on NMC records in 2016. Fiona Maddocks in the Guardian praised it as a "sumptuous, powerful piece",[6] whilst the BBC Music Magazine stated that Howard "excels in creating vast orchestral textures to conjure the breadth and mystery of the universe".[7]
Recording
A recording of Magnetite performed by Andrew Gourlay and the RLPO was released through NMC Recordings for a portrait album of Howard's work on 23 September 2016. The disc also features Solar, for orchestra, and Mesmerism, a piano concerto with chamber orchestra, among other works.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Howard, Emily (2007). [1]. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ↑ Magnetite (CD). London: NMC Recordings. 2016. p. 1. 02314735.
- ↑ Profile, Emily Howard, Wise Classical, 17 August 2025
- ↑ Finch, Hilary (10 December 2007). "RLPO/Petrenko". The Times. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ↑ Fanning, David (10 December 2007). "RLPO/Petrenko". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ↑ Maddocks, Fiona (21 August 2016). "Emily Howard: Magnetite CD review – delicate, detailed and rigorous". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ↑ Wakeling, Kate (29 October 2016). "Emily Howard: Magnetite NMC Review". BBC Music Magazine. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ↑ Magnetite CD, NMC Recordings
References
This article "Magnetite (composition)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Magnetite (composition). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
