Mr Ptolemy: his Passions and Polemics
Read, Martin
About the work
This piece was written for students at Alton College, and explores the nature of relationships – each instrument having its own character. The clarinet and bassoon are individuals – as is the bass although less so. The piano happily relates to everybody, whilst the upper strings can only act in a rather lad-like fashion – the herd mentality.
First Performance: Students from Alton College, March 1997, Farnham Maltings
Technical notes
Clarinet – extended range, big leaps. Bassoon – big leaps. Frequent changes to irregular time signatures.