Donnacha Dennehy : Land of Winter

Description

'Land of Winter' is an album by Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy, performed by the Alarm Will Sound orchestra under the direction of Alan Pierson. Composed of twelve connected sections, it explores the subtle variations of light and time across the seasons in Ireland, each section representing a month of the year. The work captures the essence of the Irish seasons, marked by their unpredictable changes and shifting beauty. Dennehy's music has been created and commissioned by groups and soloists including Augustin Hadelich, Contact, Crash Ensemble, Dawn Upshaw, Kronos Quartet, Icebreaker, Nadia Sirota, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Oregon Symphony, So Percussion (Co-commission), the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Third Coast Percussion. Collaborations include pieces with writers Colm Toibin (The Dark Places), director Tom Creed (The Hunger, stage version), and Enda Walsh (a trilogy of operas). Dennehy says of his composition: "The Romans called Ireland Hibernia - the 'land of winter' - believing that the inhabited world ended in the northwest with this country that never knew summer... It is the variable quality of the light that truly delineates the seasons, from the shorter days of gray or piercing light in winter to the warmer but mercurial light of summer days which, at the solstice, stretch almost until midnight. I love this interplay between light and time, and it is the major inspiration for this piece." "Structurally, the piece is divided into twelve 'months' chained continuously, starting in December and culminating at the end of November, ready to begin again in winter," he continues. "The solstices and equinoxes are translated musically using harmonic distributions throughout the ensemble, creating sweeps of color and shadow across the auditory space." Described as "thrilling" by the Guardian and "strikingly beautiful" by the New Yorker, Donnacha Dennehy's music has been featured in festivals and venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Barbican, MusikFest Berlin, the Muziekgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Royal Opera House, BAM, St. Ann's Warehouse, Kennedy Center, ISCM World Music Days, Musica Viva and Bang On A Can, Edinburgh International, Tanglewood, Holland, Huddersfield Contemporary Music, Dublin Theatre, Ultima, Saarbrucken and Schleswig-Holstein Festivals.