Nigel Keay - Diversions for Orchestra

Before the work was completed, a part of Diversions was given a rehearsed reading by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Young at the NZSO - SOUNZ Readings in November 2003 in Wellington.

A report by Peter Mechen on this event was published in Issue 23 of Sounz News: "Nigel Keay's Diversions 1 & 2 for strings and wind presented a Janus-like face whose opposite aspects contrasted the wit and energy of one piece against a more serious and impassioned impulse throughout the other."


	Diversions - Programme Note Diversions for chamber orchestra was written in 2003. The idea of a work for winds & strings grew out of two influences: the composer's involvement in a group that had been playing the Prokofiev Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola & Double Bass, and his involvement in a performance of Copland's Appalachian Spring for the original version of 9 strings, 3 winds & piano. The title "Diversions" was initially chosen using the word in the sense of "distraction", or, in other words, to be intended that the idea behind the work is essentially abstract without any attempted profound philosophical attachments, or images, in the Stravinskian sense that music is about nothing more than itself - something that I had been pondering at the time. But of course there is another sense to the word "diversion" which is "diverting from a specified course", and here the question can be posed; what is the specified course for a composer? And if there is none, can there ever be a diversion? Each chooses one's own language.....				Diversions - Notice de l'œuvre Composé en 2003, Diversions pour orchestre de chambre est né directement de deux expériences d'interprète du compositeur. Cette année-là, il joue en concert la partie d'alto du Quintette de Prokofiev pour hautbois, clarinette, violon, alto et contrebasse, et participe à une interprétation de la suite Appalachian Spring de Copland dans sa version originale pour 9 cordes, 3 vents et piano. Le titre "Diversions" est à prendre d'abord dans le sens de "distraction," ce qui signifie que l'œuvre est avant tout abstraite, et n'illustre aucune idée philosophique ou poétique. C'est ainsi que Stravinsky concevait la musique, comme un art qui ne fait référence qu'à lui-même. L'autre sens de "diversion", ie "le fait de détourner quelqu'un d'une voie" peut également se poser à propos de cette œuvre : De quelle voie se détourne le compositeur ? Quelle est la voie à suivre, et peut-il exister des diversions en musique ?



	Before the work was completed, a part of Diversions was given a rehearsed reading by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Young at the NZSO - SOUNZ Readings in November 2003 in Wellington. A report by Peter Mechen on this event was published in Issue 23 of Sounz News: "Nigel Keay's Diversions 1 & 2 for strings and wind presented a Janus-like face whose opposite aspects contrasted the wit and energy of one piece against a more serious and impassioned impulse throughout the other."				L'Orchestre National de Nouvelle-Zélande dirigé par Kenneth Young a joué une partie de Diversions avant son achèvement au cours d'un atelier de lectures en novembre 2003 à Wellington. Peter Mechen a commenté cette lecture dans le numéro 23 de Sounz News : "Diversions 1 & 2 pour cordes et vents de Nigel Keay présente, tel un Janus un visage double où l'énergie et l'humour du premier mouvement contrastent avec le sérieux et l'élan passionné du second."



	Nigel Keay - Diversions for Chamber Orchestra (2003) Diversions for Chamber Orchestra, instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in A, Bassoon, Horn in F, & Strings. In three movements, duration: ca. 16 minutes 1. Allegro (5'26") 2. Lento (7'00") 3. Lento-Andante (3'30") Full Score of Diversions for Chamber Orchestra (PDF,15 pages, 719Kb) Diversions, for Wind & String Quintet (Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola & Double Bass) (original version) Orchestral parts for diversions for Chamber Orchestra: Divs CO Flute Part, Divs CO Oboe Part, Divs CO Clarinet Part, Divs CO Bassoon Part, Divs CO Horn Part, Divs CO Violin 1 Part, Divs CO Violin 2 Part, Divs CO Viola Part, Divs CO Cello Part, Divs CO Double Bass Part.