The organisers of the British Open Championship, Karyn & Martin Mortimer have announced that this year's test piece will be 'Vita Aeterna Variations' (Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme) by Alexander Comitas.
European stage
Although own choice pieces that have been previously used at the European Championships have been selected for the contest in the past, the decision means that for the first time, the British Open will utilise a set work from the event.
Excited
In making the announcement, Karyn & Martin told 4BR: "We are delighted to announce that the test piece for the 2014 British Open to be held at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on September 6th, will be ‘Vita Aeterna Variations’ by the Dutch Composer Ed de Boer, written under his compositional name Alexander Comitas.
Ed de Boer is primarily an orchestral composer and this is his first work for brass bands.
In 2010 he was asked to compose a short work in memory of a young Dutch euphonium player, Jeffrey Lindelauf. Comitas then based ‘Vita Aeterna’ around this hymn-like tune in the form of a theme and a set of variations, which incorporates a number of haunting solos.
Jeffrey’s parents expressed their desire for the composition to reflect their belief that life continues after death, and suggested the title of the piece, ‘Vita Aeterna’ (Eternal life)."
Thought
A great deal of thought has been put into selecting this year's piece as Karyn & Martin added: "Following on from the success of ‘Arabian Nights’, we have put a great deal of thought into selecting a current work designed to provide both bands and audience with music that they will enjoy."
Acclaim
They added: "The work received great acclaim as the set test at the 2012 European Championships in Rotterdam and we believe that ‘Vita Aeterna’ will once again test the bands musical style and technical ability.
It's warm lyrical manner concludes with a homage to Wagner’s overture to ‘Die Miestersingers' which will also appeal to the bands, conductors and audience."
Stamina
Although this year’s choice is the longest in duration since Philip Wilby’s ‘Dove Descending’ in 1999 the organisers told 4BR that they felt the piece deserved to be played in its entirety.
They added: "The decision to use ‘Vita Aeterna’ reflects our aim of providing music for the British Open that maintains the contest's heritage, whilst also embracing the growing number of challenging works from modern day compositional talents that are being introduced on the international contesting arena."
Tickets
Tickets for this year’s contest will go on sale at Symphony Hall Box Office from Tuesday 6th May.
his piece received great acclaim as the set work at the 2012 European Championships in Rotterdam and we believe that ‘Vita Aeterna’ will once again test the bands musical style and technical abilityBritish Open
Background
In conversation with 4BR in 2011 when the announcement of the composition was made ahead of the European in Rotterdam, the composer gave the following outline of his work.
Vita Aeterna Variation(Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme)
Introduction by the composer:
In 2007, Pim van Lommel’s scientific research on near death experiences Eindeloos Bewustzijn (Consciousness Beyond Life) was published.
The book gives strong evidence for the assumption that life doesn’t end with death and human beings indeed do have a soul that lives on eternally, as all religions claim.
I was intrigued by the subject and started reading books that attempt to describe life ‘on the other side’, like Life in the World Unseen and A Wanderer in the Spirit World.
In 2010, I was commissioned to write a piece for the Koninklijke Fanfare ‘Sint Caecilia’, from the Dutch town Puth, to commemorate one of its members, the recently deceased young euphonium player Jeffrey Lindelauf.
As coincidence would have it, Jeffrey’s parents asked me to express the viewpoint that life goes on after death in the composition, and they proposed that Vita Aeterna (Eternal Life) would be an appropriate title.
I had the feeling that the lyric theme of this piece would sound very well for Brass Band, so I decided to use it as a starting point.
Not only do I use this musical theme from the previous piece, I also wanted to elaborate a bit more on the subject of ongoing life, now combined with what in Hinduism and Buddhism is called Karma.
As a result, the Vita Aeterna Variations have the sort of rudimentary ‘program’ that many composers from the past have wisely kept to themselves:
Introduction and Theme
Tentative beginning of life
Variation I — Adagio
Full of vital energy
Variation II — Allegro energico
Evil seeks to seduce and gradually succeeds
Variation III — Tempo di valse in modo subdolo
Fate strikes
Variation IV — Largo
Despair
Variation V — Adagio
Redemption
Variation VI — Tempo di Marcia
Gradual return of life power
Finale: Fugue and Apotheosis — Allegro vivace
Boisterous, overflowing with vitality and delight in the beauty of life
Further information:
Further information on the British Open can be found at the following link:
