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Complete Piano Music Vol.2 (Preview)

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Music by Douglas Lilburn | Piano

gathering and breaking.

gathering and breaking. This is almost a barren severity, like the rocky New Zealand coast the music obviously celebrates. Eden–like joys engage us in the second movement, where a twisting stream of semiquavers alternates with an almost mazurka–style dance in dark earthen colours. Lilburn trusts and celebrates his senses, and inextricably links his experiences to the natural world he loves. The finale serves as a hymn to the power of the sea, rivers, plains and mountains that bring renewal and hope. The copy–text for this edition is Lilburn’s holograph manuscript in the Alexander Turnbull Library. MOTHS AND CANDLES (1950) q = 60 Subtitled ‘a dance for children’, this miniature was extracted from Lilburn’s score for The First Two Years at School (1950), a National Film Unit documentary produced by Margaret Thomson. The footage with this music is of little girls playing in the school Wendy House. Lilburn simulates the tinkle of a musical box and the recurring tune rotates like a clockwork ballerina. In this ‘dance’ version, moths can be visualised flittering in the melodic moments and candles on the flickering appoggiaturas. Robert Hoskins, Palmerston North, 2012 Six Short Pieces (1962-63): One Editorial notes 25 Lilburn’s πƒ marking has been changed to ƒπ. Three 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12: πƒ changed to ƒπ. 11 Slur and stress marks added to the two chords, cf bar 9. Four 11, 15, 18, 21: Lilburn has an almost vertical line in his ms which we have changed to a comma indicating the slightest of pauses, as though taking a breath. 16, 17 Lilburn’s ms has high F’s which we have changed to high A’s based on context. This piece abounds in false relations. We have not added any cautionary accidentals as we believe Lilburn’s intentions are clear. One can assume accidentals apply at the specific pitch PEL02 – vi

and for the specific bar only. Five 1 Ms has no opening dynamic mark, we have added ∑. 20 Lilburn’s only ‘Ped’ mark at bar 20 has been retained. In the ms there is no indication of where the pedal is lifted, but it would seem likely that he intended it to be held until the end of bar 24. Sonata for Piano in A minor (1939) Lilburn included no pedalling indications in the Sonata, preferring to indicate what he wanted with phrasing marks. There are also often short ties which appear to be tied to nothing – the effect a harpist would get with a laissez vibrez indication. There are many places in the Sonata where Lilburn has two parts on one stave, the top part is a dotted minim and the bottom part is a quaver playing the same note. For example see bar 9, a pattern which keeps recurring. In his ms Lilburn used two noteheads, his notation makes clear that the quaver is not dotted, however, we have adopted the general engraving practice of putting both parts on the one notehead which has the advantage of a less cluttered appearance. Rallentando. Ritardando. Più Ritardando. Ritenuto. In his ms Lilburn has most often used the abbreviation “riten.” for all of these terms. We have regularised these to “ritardando” meaning a gradual slackening in tempo, with the one exception of bar 64 in the third movement where “ritenuto”, meaning suddenly held back, seems to be what Lilburn intended. First Movement 44 The fifth quaver in this bar in Lilburn’s ms has no accidental. Some players may be tempted to play it as a B≤ on account of the B≤ tied into the first chord, however, we believe that the BÎ is stylistically correct and is what the composer would have expected. 188 “dim” added leading to the composer’s “niente”. 223 “poco tranquillo e liberamente” added cf bar 74. Similarly “dolente” above RH melody. Second Movement 27, 79 RH stress marks added to E crotchets so that they are both articulated. Third Movement 150 Slur added to complete bar cf bar 138. Moths and Candles (1950) The ms has no tempo mark, we have added q = 60. Rod Biss, Auckland, 2012 PEL02 – vii

Score Library

Promethean Editions Piano Douglas Lilburn