Well labours of love don't seem to take that long, I have finished transcribing Simpson’s Variations and Fugue on the Theme of J S Bach for Strings from a copy of the composer's MS.
This is an unrecorded work from 1991. Simpson finished it in April 1991 and it was his penultimate orchestral work (only the Cello Concerto was completed after this before the stroke that ended his ability to compose). It turns out to be a major work and of quite exceptional interest; it is a work for strings in the tradition of those magnificent works for strings by British composers from the Tallis Fantasia onwards.
As I started the project I heard from a conductor who is talking of performances and a recording later this year. He is going to use the score I have prepared
However, what this means is that I probably won't publish the midi file on Youtube for fear of killing off demand for the recording when it emerges.
However, just to whet your appetites, here are my 'sleeve notes' about this piece:
Theme, Sarabande from Cello Suite No.5 by J S Bach, A and B strains, A strain not repeated, played on solo cello.
I ♩= 50 slowish, easily recognised variation for upper strings with pizzicato cellos and basses.
II Poco piu mosso, slightly faster with melody in 1st violins, divisi 2nd violins. The melody is slightly reminiscent of Finzi (not a composer you would have thought Simpson regarded much!).
III ♩= 63, slightly quicker again; eloquent melody in the first violins.
IV Anima piu mosso, scurrying figures in the violins with pizzicato violas and cellos.
V L’istesso tempo, similar variation with pizzicato violins and scurrying in the violas and cellos.
VI Canone elastiche alla duodecima, allegro. This is an ‘elastic canon at the 12th’; Simpson commented ‘Bach would have died if he’d heard this!’
VII Andante, a miniature slow movement.
VIII Vivace, a dialogue between rapidly moving 1st violins and the equally rapid basses.
IX L’istesso tempo, a colloquy between the 2nd violins, violas and cellos based on similar material to VIII.
X L’istesso tempo, vigorous, rapid figures from all the strings
XI L’istesso tempo, begins with a high, held note in the first violins, continues with successive, canonic entries of intensivo phrases from the different groups—reminiscent of Nielsen.
XII Adagio, a still, beautiful variation built on successive soft discords entering from the lower notes upwards in each bar. One group of the 2nd violins divisi a 3 have very high notes played as harmonics.
XIII Cantabile ♩= ♪ del precedente A fully-fledged slow movement, some of the most beautiful pages Simpson ever wrote.
Fuga, Allegretto vivace – Piu mosso – Adagio The Fugue begins quietly and begins to run with relentless energy through an amazing variety of figures and textures. This is homage to Bach, of course. Sometimes the music is vigorous, at other times seems to be dying away, but there is always momentum behind it. Halfway through a quieter passage with divisi cellos and violas begins a faster section and the passage that ensues is breathtaking in its contrapuntal mastery; the inspiration here is perhaps Beethoven’s Große Fuge. At length, however, the volume and tempo slacken and the final Adagio section begins. A solo cello intones fragments of Bach’s theme and the piece closes peacefully.
