Works 1980 to 1989

Symphony 2 - version for 2 pianos

This is a recording from the world premiere of this piece performed by Delia Stevens at the Royal College of Music Concert Hall in London as part of the BBC Proms Plus Concert Series live on BBC Radio 3.

Blue Blues for Marimba by Edward Cowie

A new piece for String Orchestra.  Thank you for listening and hope you enjoy.

For String Orchestra

Hope you enjoy this piano piece recorded on a Bosendorfer.

Now I Know

Saint Mark Passion - part 4, complete

Misericordia

Ensemble InterContemporain
Nicolò Umberto Foron, conductor

Premiere (live recording)
Friday 10th November 2023

60° Festival Nuova Consonanza 
Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone

© Ph: Cantarelli Marta
© Archivio Nuova Consonanza

Seeds of Light

1985 version
7 trumpets (piccolo, natural, Eb, Bb, bass tpts, flugelhorn), perc, piano, organ.
Commissioned by John Wallace and the Wallace Collection,
Won IX Internazionale Premio Ancona 

2014 version 
7 trumpets (piccolo, natural, Eb, Bb, bass trumpets, flugelhorn), perc., piano, 2 cellos, 3 double basses.  
New version made especially for RNCM ‘After the Silence… Music in the Shadow of War’ 

Programme Note: Revelation 9:1-11: “Then the Fifth Trumpet angel sounded and I saw a star having fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree; but only those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. And they were not authorized to kill them, but to torment them for five months: and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death, and will not find it; and they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates, like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollo. One woe is past. Behold, two more woes are coming hereafter”.  

When John Wallace formed the Wallace Collection, he brought together the finest trumpet players in the United Kingdom.  Legendary names of the past such as John Wilbraham and David Mason joined forces with the finest up-and-coming players such as Mark Bennett and Bob Farley.  Their first concert was at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and this work was composed for that event..  I wanted to create a work that would provoke thought as well as being a demonstration of virtuosity. The biblical story of the seven trumpets of the apocalypse from The Book of Revelation lended itself to this instrumentation as well as my intention.  Here was an allegory that responds to the results of man’s inhumanity to man and his environment spawning immeasurable suffering and torment.  The parallels with the horrors of war need no elaboration. ‘The Fifth Trumpet’ describes an initial vision of Heaven from which the Fifth Angel blows his trumpet. A star falls from heaven creating an earthly abyss from which smoke pours and the locusts with scorpion stings inflict months of agony on mankind who seek the solace of death.  But death evades them.  The programmatic intent of the story should be apparent in the clearly defined sections of the piece.  A range of trumpets are used: piccolo trumpets, natural trumpets in old pitch keys, Eb, Bb and bass trumpets.  Together with these are percussion, piano and either organ (as in the 1985 original score) or 2 ‘cellos and 3 basses (as in this 2014 revision).  The trumpet writing pushes the instruments to extreme limits, not least the 5th trumpet part, which has specific solo passages and which was written for John Wallace. In the 2014 revision, several changes were made: the organ part has been reworked for lower strings and there has been some rationalising of barring and some minor simplification of the actual instrumental parts.  This live recording is of the first (original) version, was made in the mid 1980s, and is conducted by John Wallace.   © Edlin 2014

The Fifth Trumpet (1985)

Live recording Teatro Grande di Brescia - Three songs on the persian poetry by Rūmī - Giulia Peri, soprano - Lamberto Curtoni, Cello

Three Persian Lyrics

This early work, written when an undergraduate student at the RCM in 1984, sets poems by e.e. cummings

For soprano, flute, clarinet, horn, piano, perc., viola, ‘cello
Winner of RCM Cobbett Prize for Composition 1984
(live recording of premiere, 1984 - soprano: Hanne Ørbæk, RCM students conducted by Christopher Gayford)

Poems:
1. The Sky A Silver 
2. Writhe And 

The full texts of both poems can be found online easily

Impressions (1984) - Hanne Ørbæk (soprano)

This early work was composed in 1982, whilst a student at the Royal College of Music.  It demonstrates the influence of Prokofiev.  The principal subject matter and musical material was quickly developed in a subsequent orchestral work, Jabberwocky.

The pianist in this premiere performance given at the RCM is Richard le May.

Prelude And Dance Of The Fantastic Dragon (1982)

1983 
4.3.3.3 – 3.4.3.1 hp, celeste, 3 perc. Strings
This early work, composed when a student at the Royal College of Music, is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s famous Jabberwocky from ‘Through the Looking Glass’. 
It is suitable for youth orchestras and presents appropriate challenges to students of c. Grade 7 and 8 standards.
This recording is of the premiere performance given by the Royal College of Music Sinfonia conducted by Christopher Adey.

Jabberwocky (1983)

1981
This is the composer's first acknowledged work, written during the first year of study at the Royal College of Music in 1981.

The work has several influences, chiefly Liszt's 'Chasse Neige' from the Transcendental Studies, which was regularly practiced by a flatmate, and the piano music of Bartok, Prokofiev and Ligeti.  The original title of 'Piano Sonata' now seems inappropriate and has been changed to a simple and self-explanatory 'Opus 1'.

The pianist in this live recording is Christopher Gayford

Opus 1 (Piano Sonata - first acknowledged work) (1981)

Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese
Marco Moresco, conductor

Dark Clouds, for orchestra

Please, use headphones or good loudspeakers.

MOULT (2018–19), for orchestra
commissioned by Westdeutschen Rundfunk and Wien Modern

Live Recording WDR Orchestra, 12 May 2019, Witten

MOULT (2018–19), for orchestra

Paul Max Edlin, 2016/2017 Composer in Residence for the London Chamber Orchestra, has a career that combines composing with higher education, artistic direction and performing.  

His works have been performed by many leading artists including Alison Balsom, Arditti Quartet, Britten Sinfonia, David Campbell, Cantus Ansambl, Dame Sarah Connolly, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Rolf Hind, Johannes Möller, London Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Olga Pasiecznik, Psappha, Silesian Quartet, Southbank Sinfonia and Gabriella Swallow.

He studied with Edwin Roxburgh, Richard Blackford and Joseph Horowitz (Royal College of Music) and Michael Finnissy (University of Sussex). He has won many prizes including Premio Internazionale Ancona, Harriet Cohen Memorial Award and United Music Publishers Prize. His music explores symbolism and often derives its inspiration from extra musical material. From the mid 80’s to mid 90’s many works were inspired by the art and architecture of South-East Asia, especially Indochina. From 2000 onward symbolism of a wider range of sources guided his music, from the chiastic structures of J.S. Bach to the writings of Gabriel García Márquez and Federico García Lorca and visual work of Frida Kahlo.

He is former Director of Music at Queen Mary University of London. He was Artistic Director of Deal Music & Arts (formerly Deal Festival) from 2004 to 2021, Sounds New (2007 to 2013), Director of International Composer Pyramid (2008-2023) and was Chair of the Board of of Trustees of Ora Singers. He is current Chair of China U.K. International Music Festival. He supports a range of charities and arts organisations through activities on their various boards and committees.  From 2012 to 2013 he was President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), the UK's leading association for professional musicians.

Prelude And Dance Of The Fantastic Dragon (1982)

Paul Max Edlin

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