For Chamber Ensemble.Commissioned by the Hebrides Ensemble and first performed on their Scottish tour in March 2010.In Seven Pierrot Miniatures I took the Commedia dell’arte character Pierrot as my primary sourceof inspiration. Other more tenuous links to Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire also served as a starting point in forming the general shape of the work. The piece is cast in seven short movements whereas the Schoenberg comprises threesets of seven movements. Although there is no part for voice I have taken seven poems by Albert Giraud (none of them set in Pierrot Lunaire) as points of departure:1. The Clouds2. Decor3. Absinthe4.Suicide5. The Church6. Sunset7. The HarpEach movement takes its impetus from the corresponding poem but in the piece as a whole I wanted to explore the extreme contrasts of the multi-faceted character ofPierrot in a musical setting. There is an almost mirror-like quality to the form of the piece and a sense of ending where it has begun: movements 1 3 5 and 7 are closely linked both in terms of their musical material and asense of melancholy dream-like quality and longing. Movements 2 and 6 are also strongly connected with allusions to the more mischievous violent side of Pierrot. Movement 4 serves as a sort-of pivotal point within the work juxtaposing a surreal shimmering calm with brutal outbursts. There is never any direct repetition yet there is a strong sense of material returning and mutating as the workunfolds.InstrumentationFlute doubling piccoloClarinet in Bb doubling Bass Clarinet in BbViolin doubling ViolaCelloPiano

Par RHEINBERGER JOSEF GABRIEL. Volume 31 contains, among other works, the Piano Quartet, which was enthusiastically received by the critics in Rheinberger’s time: “The themes are noble, with significant content, the motivic development is rich and interesting, above all free from anything resembling a mould … and such a healthy musical wind blows through the entire work that I believe I am not mistaken if I forsee for this work a great success. ” This is how a contemporary critic reviewed the work. Indeed, op. 38 proceeded to become the most successful of Rheinberger’s chamber music works during his lifetime. The Sextet op. 191b is an effective arrangement of his Piano Trio No. 4 op. 191, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano. All works are also available in separate editions./ Répertoire / Ensemble de Chambre