A 2005 Barlow Endowment commission, Fancywork, for violin and guitar, received its premiere performance, by Duo46, at Sundin Music Hall, Minneapolis, in September, 2006. This is a performance by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, featuring Graeme Jennings, violin and David Tanenbaum, guitar, at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, March 26, 2012. Below are the original program notes, by the composer:

"Scholars have long categorized the colorful and playful American artifacts which date from the early part of the 19th century as “folk,” but during this period they were actually called “Fancy” and were mainstream designs for the 19th-century homes of the growing middle class. An exhibit organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum, American Fancy: Exuberance in the Arts, 1790-1840--featuring more than 200 of the most ornamental and emotionally engaging artifacts ever produced in this country, including furniture, textiles, costume, ceramics, glass, metals, paintings and prints--directly inspired the music herein.

The bright colors, vibrant patterns and imaginative designs that stirred the senses during this era of American history informed every aspect of this work, although the music is in no way intended to reflect or imitate the 19th century sonically. Rather, it is the spirit of the invention which I have attempted to capture ... the love of color, the intense joy and bursting confidence of these Fancyworks. These were invigorating and visually stimulating works, ambitious and innovative conceptions which captured the feeling of an era. And Fancy was as much a worldview as it was a style: Literary and philosophical trends, dramatic social changes and scientific inventions all contributed to the spirit of Fancy--mirroring the youthful optimism of the new nation, from its 18th-century philosophical origins to the living manifestation as art and artifact in the 19th century. Little wonder, then, that this explosion would have sufficient reverberation to inspire 21st century music.

This is a three movement work. The first and third movements, florid, exuberant and moto-rhythmic, would seem to require no further explanation. The second movement, subtitled “Kaleidoscope,” does. Part of the Fancy phenomenon included a fascination with the then brand-new kaleidoscope. “Kaleidoscope-Mania” swept the nation in the early 19th century, the oscillating colors and almost magical imagery not surprisingly resonating with the same crowd which fancied Fancy. This movement--at once shimmering and still--is a reflection of that."

Geoffrey Gordon

Fancywork

A 2005 Barlow Endowment commission, Fancywork, for violin and guitar, received its premiere performance, by Duo46, at Sundin Music Hall, Minneapolis, in September, 2006. This is a performance by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, featuring Graeme Jennings, violin and David Tanenbaum, guitar, at the Herbst Theatre in Fan Francisco, March 26, 2012. Below are the original program notes, by the composer:

"Scholars have long categorized the colorful and playful American artifacts which date from the early part of the 19th century as “folk,” but during this period they were actually called “Fancy” and were mainstream designs for the 19th-century homes of the growing middle class. An exhibit organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum, American Fancy: Exuberance in the Arts, 1790-1840--featuring more than 200 of the most ornamental and emotionally engaging artifacts ever produced in this country, including furniture, textiles, costume, ceramics, glass, metals, paintings and prints--directly inspired the music herein.

The bright colors, vibrant patterns and imaginative designs that stirred the senses during this era of American history informed every aspect of this work, although the music is in no way intended to reflect or imitate the 19th century sonically. Rather, it is the spirit of the invention which I have attempted to capture ... the love of color, the intense joy and bursting confidence of these Fancyworks. These were invigorating and visually stimulating works, ambitious and innovative conceptions which captured the feeling of an era. And Fancy was as much a worldview as it was a style: Literary and philosophical trends, dramatic social changes and scientific inventions all contributed to the spirit of Fancy--mirroring the youthful optimism of the new nation, from its18th-century philosophical origins to the living manifestation as art and artifact in the 19th century. Little wonder, then, that this explosion would have sufficient reverberation to inspire 21st century music.

This is a three movement work. The first two movements, florid, exuberant and moto-rhythmic, would seem to require no further explanation. The second movement, subtitled “Kaleidoscope,” does. Part of the Fancy phenomenon included a fascination with the then brand-new kaleidoscope. “Kaleidoscope-Mania” swept the nation in the early 19th century, the oscillating colors and almost magical imagery not surprisingly resonating with the same crowd which fancied Fancy. This movement--at once shimmering and still--is a reflection of that."

Geoffrey Gordon

Fancywork I

Fancywork II

Fancywork III

US/UK composer Geoffrey Gordon’s contributions to the contemporary music repertoire have been and continue to be exceptional.  Intense and luxuriant harmony, passionate melody and superb handling of instrumentation and sonic textures define his music.  His works include orchestral, chamber and vocal works, recognised and performed by the world's top musicians and ensembles.  His music has been called "darkly seductive" (The New York Times), "complex, richly-satisfying " (BBC Music Magazine), “stunning” (Philadelphia Inquirer), “iridescent and glowing” (Chicago Tribune), “taut and exhilarating” (Classical Ear), “haunting” (Strings Magazine), "gripping" (Bachtrack), "fierce and uncompromising" (MusicWeb International) and “magnificent” (Fanfare).  The Philharmonia identifies “his infectious style" and “an ear for melody”; the New York Times his “zest for sonic experimentation”.  

Recently and upcoming, the BBC Philharmonic will premiere Mr. Gordon's new bassoon concerto, Anima Mia, during the 2022-23 concert season; the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Hong Kong Sinfonietta will premiere a jointly commissioned chamber concerto for Bb clarinet and ensemble, Fumee; and the Antwerp Symphony will premiere Mr. Gordon's Mad Song, which they commissioned for soloist Dimitri Mestdag. 

In 2018, the Philharmonia gave the premiere of Geoffrey’s Gordon’s bass clarinet concerto “Prometheus” after the treatment by Franz Kafka, at the RFH, with US and Nordic premieres following in 2019 with the Minnesota Orchestra and Malmo Symphony.   His superb setting of Keats' “Ode to a Nightingale” for choir and cello premiered in May 2018 in Copenhagen by Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir and a new CD of three of his major cello works, Cello Libris,  was released on the BIS label in early 2020, featuring the Copenhagen Philharmonic under Lan Shui.  His song cycles, “Peter Quince at the Clavier” and “Sonnets from Neruda” premiered in March 2018 at the Arnold Schoenberg Center, Vienna, and in October 2017 the Munich Philharmonic under James Gaffigan premiered his trumpet concerto, "CHASE," after the sculptures of Giacometti.  His cello sonata “FATHOMS” premiered at Carnegie Hall in  December 2015  and his “Winterleben” for horn, mezzo and piano (commissioned for Los Angeles Philharmonic principal horn, Andrew Bain), premiered in August 2015 as part of the 47th International Horn Symposium in Los Angeles.  Honoured by a number of residencies internationally, he has twice served as composer-in-residence at the Aaron Copland House and is winner of 2017 Mario Merz Prize for Music Composition. In 2018, he was commissioned by the Curie Institute in Paris, part of the Muse-IC project. A new chamber work, featuring musicians from the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, premiered at the  Salle Cortot Theatre in Paris in March, 2019. 

Future performances and commissions include new works for the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Brussels Philharmonic and many others.

Find more links to Geoffrey Gordon's music, as well as bio and reviews etc. at www.geoffreygordoncomposer.com

NEW CD, Cello Libris, out on BIS Records!  
Find it here:
https://bis.se/performers/moldrup-toke/cello-libris-works-by-geoffrey-gordon

Fancywork

Geoffrey Gordon Composer