Clarence Barlow (DE) – quarantasette estratti da un vicolo ludofilo
Clarence Barlow about “quarantasette estratti da un vicolo ludofilo”:
“Beethoven”, “Sonatas”, “E-flat”, in that order, were the first terms that came to mind for Susanne Kessel’s piece. Beethoven wrote four sonatas in E-flat major.
47 harmonically selected excerpts of varying lengths from these four sonatas – Nos. 4, 13, 18 and 26 – constitute the sound material for the resulting piece «quarantasette estratti da un vicolo ludofilo» or “forty-seven excerpts from a playful alley” («ludo» and «vico» yield the Italian form «ludovico» of “Ludwig”, «es» is German for E-flat major).
The two-part piece – one part slow, one fast – of under two minutes is characterized by successive harmonically dovetailed links: the end of each excerpt harmonizes with the usually overlapping start of the next.
At the end, the final bars of all four sonata movements sound simultaneously.
Recording for download: Susanne Kessel, piano
“quarantasette estratti da un vicolo ludofilo” – in concert:
11th September 2020 – world premiere – Kammermusiksaal Beethoven-Haus Bonn – Susanne Kessel, piano
Clarence Barlow (*1945)
1945 born into Calcutta’s English-speaking minority
1951-65 piano studies
1957 first compositions
1961-65 Science studies, University of Calcutta
1965-68 concert pianist, 1967-68 conductor
1968-73 studied composition/electronic music at Cologne Music University
1971-72 Sonology studies at Utrecht University
Since 1971 composition with computers
Computer Music Lecturer 1982-94: Darmstadt Summer Courses, 1984-2006: Cologne Music University
1982 Initiator, 1986 Co-founder of GIMIK: Initiative Music and Informatics Cologne
1988 Music Director, XIVth International Computer Music Conference, Cologne
1990 visiting professor, Folkwang University Essen
1990-94 Artistic Director, Department of Sonology The Hague
1994-2006 Professor of Composition and Sonology ibid
2005-06 Visiting Professor, ESMAE Porto
2006-19 Professor and Head of Composition, Music Department of the University of California, Santa Barbara
Since 2018 Visiting professor, ESMUC Barcelona
Lives now in Barcelona.