Eruption
for orchestra
2[2pic]22[1cl,1bcl]2|4231/T/3perc/hp/str
Duration: 13’
Year of composition: 2016
Commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Peter Oundjian, Music Director, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage for joint Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra performances in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal during the 150th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada [January 2017]
Premiere: Toronto Symphony and Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestras, Peter Oundjian, January 24, 2017 National Arts Centre Southam Hall Ottawa, January 25, 2017 Maison Symphonique Montreal and January 27, 2017 Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Canada
Unofficial premiere: TO Symphony Youth Orchestra, conducted by Peter Oundjian, rehearsed by Early Lee, George Weston Recital Hall, Toronto Centre for the Arts, November 13, 2016
Join conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa,on the Great Canadian Orchestra Field Trip
The piece ‘Eruption' in itself is an eruption, a celebration of the intense outbreak of youthful vigour, capturing a tour de force of speed that does not diminish for the entire duration. It is the raw and unrestrained crest of musical heights that is captured in the fleeting moment of an eruption.
The idea came about when, by chance, I discovered a striking similarity between cadences in the Ars Nova style, a French medieval musical style, compared to power chords of the modern-day Heavy Metal genre, where the use of parallel perfect fifths plays a pivotal role in its unmistakable sound. The experience might be likened to a modern painter creating cave drawings even when many developments in skill and style have since transpired. It was this primal yet contemporary approach that justified the transforming of elements from the extreme metal sub-genre such as blastbeat drumming (intense sixteenth-note strokes on the snare drum), chromatically moving power chords and metrical shifts, into a contemporary symphonic aesthetic.
Eruption is commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for joint performances by the TSO and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. It will be performed in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal during the 150th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in 2017. Eruption was composed with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
REVIEWS
“At the beginning of the concert, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra joined the main ensemble (Toronto Symphony) for Edward Top’s Eruption, a creation of decibels and ostinatos. I am a very good audience for this kind of “big stuff” (…). The work seeks to transform the primitivism of cave paintings into music. The result evokes the Mexican Silvestre Revueltas (Night of the Mayas), the Australian George Antill (Corroboree) and the Icelandic Jon Leifs (Hekla).” Christophe Huss, Le Devoir – January 25, 2017
“Au début du concert, l’Orchestre des jeunes du Toronto Symphony se joignait à la phalange principale pour Eruption d’Edward Top, une création nourrie en décibels et ostinatos. Je suis très bon public pour ce genre de « gros machins » (…). L’oeuvre cherche à transposer en musique le primitivisme des peintures rupestres. Le résultat évoque le Mexicain Silvestre Revueltas (La nuit des Mayas), l’Australien George Antill (Corroboree) et l’Islandais Jon Leifs (Hekla).” Christophe Huss, Le Devoir – January 25, 2017
“Opening with Dutch composer Edward Top’s somewhat edgy piece, Eruption, Maestra Rosemary Thomson led us into a kaleidoscopic world of fantastic patterns and rhythmic shifts. Pulsing rhythms drove this piece forward with lots of special effects—col legno in the strings, all kinds of glissandi and a richly padded percussion section. The colours of this work were primarily dark and reflected the composer’s experimentation with a blend of medieval French ars nova style and thrash metal. Kudos to Maestra Thomson for choosing this work and to the entire orchestra for being able to pull it off with conviction.” Anita Perry, Vernon Morning Star – March 13, 2017