Graham Waterhouse
Composer and Cellist
A Composer/Cellist's Persective - The Cello through the centuries
Graham Waterhouse
Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft
München e.V.
www.dbg-munich.de
Tuesday 12 November 2024
19:00
IBZ München, Amalienstr. 38
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This talk will be held in English
Concerts
Since the late 16th century, the cello has maintained a unique presence in the European music scene. Bach's Six Suites catapulted the cello into a leading role within the family of stringed instruments. Long since "emancipated" from its predominant role as bass instrument in the Baroque and Classical eras, the cello now enjoys an un-parallelled following among players, students, composers and the public.
Cello player since the age of five and composer of many works for this instrument, Graham Waterhouse uses live musical examples (including several of his own compositions) to illuminate the instrument's history, its repertoire, its nature. He explains how its verstility, playing techniques, range of expression and of tone colours have been an inspiration for both his own music and for that of contemporary composers.
Graham Waterhouse
Graham Waterhouse studied in Cambridge, as well as at Folkwang Hochschule and at Hochschule für Musik Köln, achieving a PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2018. Since 1998, Waterhouse has played an active part in Munich musical life, not least through his concert series at the Gasteig in Munich.
He has been awarded prizes for several of his compositions, most recently the 2023 Durtal Composition Competition in France.
"Song Settings"
new CD
CD Booklet
Das Heckelphon: Ein unerhörtes Instrument | News und Kritik | BR-KLASSIK | Bayerischer Rundfunk
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Samtiger Klang, tiefe Lage, bauchiger Liebesfuß. Das Heckelphon ist ein Holzblasinstrument, das vor 120 Jahren erfunden wurde – eine Art Mischung aus Englischhorn und Fagott. Obwohl ein Exot unter den Instrumenten, wird bis heute dafür komponiert. Unter dem Motto "Das unerhörte Heckelphon" finden jetzt zwei Konzerte in München und Münsing statt, wo Holger Hoos dieses Instrument spielt – unter anderem in einem neuen Werk von Graham Waterhouse.
Vita
Composer and Cellist Graham Waterhouse was born in London in 1962 into a musical family and has lived in Munich since 1992. He received his musical education at Highgate School, Cambridge University and at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen and the Hochschule für Musik Köln. In 2018 he was awarded a PhD (in composition) from Birmingham City University, UK.
Graham Waterhouse's PhD Thesis, consisting of Scores, an Analytical Commentary and Recordings can be found at the following link.
works
Eight Bagatelles
Eight Bagatelles for clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2017)
1.Catapulted
2.Weightless
3.Demonic
4.Otherworldly
5.Space Lord
6.Vison
7.Nebulae
8.Galactic City
UA 8th of October 2017, München
Tatiana Sikorskaja, Piano
Önder Baloglu, Violine
Hans-Joachim Büsching, Clarinet
Graham Waterhouse, Cello
The initial idea for the Bagatelles came from a picture of an installation entitled "Ilya Kabakov, the man who flew into space from his apartment". This sparked off an imaginery science-fiction narrative, appealing to the generation brought up with Dr Who and "Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy". Kabakov encounters various apochrophal characters, situations, states of mind before his journey is finally cut short when he confronts the galactic city.
Ilya, sitting peacefully at his place,
was one sunny Sunday suddenly catapulted into space.
On leaving earth's athmosphere far below,
he found himself weightless, top to toe.
His first terrifying encounter was with a demonic extra-terrestial,
in the shape of a beast most bestial.
He soothed his nerves and calmed his mood,
humming an otherwordly melody from his child-hood.
Who should o'er-hear him, hand in laser-Sword,
but the forbidding, the black-masked Space Lord.
They chatted about times present, future and past,
Ilya's vision of life in the stars grew fast.
On he accelerated, past time-warps and nebulae,
past dopplar effects and meteorae.
His progress was halted with dazzling alacrity,
on coming face to face with the menacing Galactic City.
Graham Waterhouse
There are eight shortish pieces, each different in length, scoring and mood. The music encompass a broad spectrum between dissonance and euphony, sophistication and commonplace. The Bagatelles explore one sentiment each; they are fleeting visions of an outlandish imaginery scenario.
