World Premiere - Handel Meets Mozart meets the first Composer-in-Residence at Handel's house
The transcription, originally a keyboard fugue, has been completed by the Museum's first ever Composer-in-Residence, Mark Bowden, and will be performed by the Pioro String Quartet. The Quartet will also perform a brand new original work by Mark, directly inspired by Mozart's musical homage to Handel.
As Handel House Museum Composer-in-Residence, Mark will compose new works commissioned for the House; work directly with schools as part of the Museum�s education outreach programme; and run music-making events for visitors of all ages, using the House's history for inspiration such as the juxtaposition of Handel and Hendrix.
Mark already has an impressive musical career. He has won many awards and prizes and his music has been performed by, amongst others, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia 21. He is a founder member of the Camberwell Composers' Collective and an active saxophonist performing regularly in London and the rest of the UK. Mark's youth work includes leading projects for the award-winning Sound Inventors programme and composing for London school children on the Composing-4-Kids scheme, run by the Society for the Promotion of New Music. Mark also teaches at the Royal College of Music Junior Department.
Mark explains of his appointment, "You build up a relationship with the place you are resident at, which influences your music as a composer. Since my new appointment at Handel House I've been rediscovering Handel's music and it's been really inspirational for me. It's wonderful to be resident at Handel House which is very much alive with music-making".
Jane Cockcroft, acting director of Handel House Museum says "The Composer-in-Residence scheme hopes to bring an understanding of the composition process to wider audiences and provide a meaningful interpretation of the House's history and of its famous resident composer. Mark is a talented up-and-coming composer and has already worked on some fantastic education projects. We're really excited that he is working with us at Handel House."
Forthcoming Composer-in-Residence events
Tuning In: Mozart and Handel
Sunday 4 June
2pm-4pm
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth and the influence Handel had on his compositions, this event will offer visitors the opportunity to explore Mozart's arrangement of a fugue by Handel, which is on display in the Museum.
Free for children aged 16 and under/ free with adult admission
Handel meets Mozart meets Bowden: World Premiere
Sunday 11 June
3pm-4pm
Mozart was introduced to Handel by his patron Baron von Swieten and made several arrangements of Handel's works including Messiah. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth, Handel House is proud to present the first performance in the Museum of Mozart's arrangement of a fugue by Handel (the autograph of which is on display in the Museum) completed in a similar style by Handel House Composer-In-Residence Mark Bowden. This will be followed by the world premiere of a new work by Mark directly inspired by Mozart's musical homage. With musicians from the Royal Academy of Music.
Tuning In: House Music
Sunday 9 July
2pm-4pm
In this session, Mark Bowden will be in residence to meet with visitors and explore a range of musical ideas relating to Handel's life in the House.
Free for children aged 16 and under/ free with adult admission
Tuning in: Headfirst into Handel
Sunday 13 August
12pm - 6pm
Drop-in, meet Mark Bowden and explore ways in which Handel's compositional techniques can be applied to music today.
Free for children aged 16 and under/ free with adult admission
Ends
Notes for Editors:
1. The Composer-in-Residence scheme lasts for one year. The Composer-in-Residence Scheme aims to reach a wide variety of audiences through a number of learning opportunities, integrated into all areas of the Museum's educational events programme. These will include workshops for adults, families and schools, composition projects for schools, and commissions for student and amateur ensembles. In creating a Composer-in-Residence position the Museum hopes to bring an understanding of the composition process to wider audiences, provide a meaningful interpretation of the House's history and of its famous resident composer.
2. Mark Bowden is the first Composer-in-Residence chosen by Handel House. Mark gained a first class degree in Music from the University of Huddersfield before studying composition with Julian Anderson at the Royal College of Music. He is the recipient of many awards and prizes notably from the Countess of Munster Trust, the Arts Council of Wales, the RVW Trust and the Bliss Trust. He is a founder member of the Camberwell Composers' Collective and an active saxophonist performing regularly in London and the rest of the UK.
Mark's music has been performed by, amongst others, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia 21, Contemporary Consort, Linda Hirst, Alan Hacker, the Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra, Gemini; Chroma, Sarah Leonard and Mieko Kanno. His abiding interest in dance has resulted in collaborations with the choreographers Christina Gonzalez and Yasmin Lei. He has also worked extensively with young people, including leading composition projects for the award-winning Sound Inventors programme, composing for London school children on the Society for the Promotion of New Music's Composing-4-Kids scheme, working with GCSE students in East London and teaching on various residential courses. He currently teaches composition, arranging, analysis and performance at the Royal College of Music Junior Department. For more information about Mark, please see his website at www.markbowden.net.
3. If you would like to interview Mark Bowden or would like images, please contact Shuk Kwan Liu, Marketing Officer, at Handel House Museum. Email. skliu@handelhouse.org, Tel. 020 7399 1954. Please note that she does not work on Thursdays or Fridays.
4 .Press tickets are available for the Composer-in-Residence events. Please contact Shuk Kwan Liu as above, in advance.
5 .The autograph score of Mozart�s string arrangement of Handel�s keyboard fugue (c. 1717) is on display in the Museum. It is not the first time that the score has been completed. To the Museum�s knowledge the score has been completed and performed twice before. The first known completion was by Ian Moore in July 1994, and performed in the same year at Swaffham Prior Festival in Cambridgeshire. It is published by SJ Music (www.printed-music.com/sjmusic/). The second completion was by Stanley Sadie c. 1997.
6. The arrangement of Handel�s keyboard fugue was written by Mozart in Vienna c. 1782-3. Only 20 bars can be seen on the page. It was written at a time when Mozart was frequently exposed to the music of Bach and Handel via his new patron Baron van Swieten, who held weekly music parties to which Mozart was invited. It is clear from the extract from Mozart�s letter to his father on 10 April 1782, that the Baron was a serious fan:
"I go every Sunday at twelve o'clock to the Baron van Swieten, where nothing is played but Handel and Bach."
The Baron had an extensive music library, and no doubt encouraged Mozart to embark on a series of string quartet arrangements of fugues by Bach and Handel, to be performed at these musical gatherings. Mozart later went on to explore larger-scale works including Messiah and he always held the greatest respect for Handel's brilliance:
"Handel understands effect better than any of us; when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt..."
7. Handel House is open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm (with late night Thursday until 8pm); Sun 12pm-6pm. Closed on Mondays (including Bank Holidays). General admission �5.00 / �4.50 concessions / �2 for young visitors (ages 16 and under) or FREE on Saturdays.
8. Handel House booking line: 020 7399 1953.
9. Handel House is located at 25 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4HB. Entrance in Lancashire Court. (Nearest tube: Bond Street / Oxford Circus). Tel: 020 7495 1685. How to find us.
10. Handel House has free drop-in activities for children every Saturday afternoon. Family trails and quizzes are available every day. There is free admission for children on Saturdays.
Posted: 24 May 2006