Visions nocturnes for wind quintet

Description

Wind quintet
Edition: score and parts
Sound Research of Women Composers: Contemporary Music (C 477)
Year: 2019
Difficulty: medium

1st prize in the international composition competition for women composers “Emotion”

“Visions Nocturnes won the 1st prize in the international composition competition “Emotion” (organized in 2019 by the Friends of the Archive of Women and Music and the Center for Military Music of the Bundeswehr). The Belgian woodwind quintet Ensemble timber trade (Houthandel) has rehearsed the work and discovered a beautiful composition that is definitely worth including in the professional wind quintet repertoire.

Visions Nocturnes shows a rich palette of timbres in which the uniqueness of the different woodwinds comes into its own. The piece is a very well composed composition. Ensemble Hauthandel felt immediately invited to deepen the piece – even more than intended in the score: more rubato, more dynamism, more development. It takes some work, but the score reads rather briefly in indications of tempi and dynamic notation. After all, nocturnal visions can have all sorts of faces: from calm and peaceful to ecstatic and disturbing.

In any case, Valerie Knabe (* 1988) from Luxembourg shows herself to be a promising young composer with Visionen Nocturnes, and we can look forward to the further development of her oeuvre.” Ensemble Houthandel in: de Klarinet 2021, Nr. 133, S. 28

Visions nocturnes, a 10-minute work for classical wind quintet, was composed by Valérie Knabe in 2019 for the international composition competition „Emotion“ and was awarded 1st prize. The competition was announced by the Förderverein Archiv Frau und Musik Kassel and the Bundeswehr Center for Military Music with the aim of expanding the standard repertoire for wind quintets to include works by female composers. The title of the piece suggests a mysterious and sombre mood. The atmosphere, evoking the mysterious uncertainty of the night, is conveyed through the use of varying soundscapes. These are sometimes calm and contemplative, sometimes rather more dynamic and hectic.

“With the composition of Visions nocturnes (nocturnal visions) a memorable composition was created, inspired by the keyword „Emotion“. A short introduction by the bassoon sets the scene, leading to a ray of light when the other instruments enter together a few bars later.. The homophonic development of the high woodwinds, while the bassoon retains a more solistic, independent role, is an interesting compositional
device. In the course of the work, all instruments develop an individuality, becoming more “emotional”, letting go of the original idea of “nocturnal visions” and also introducing an element of joy. The almost playful use of dynamics underlines the artistic quality of this work, which concludes with a dramatical finale. It unreservedly deserves first place in the competition.” (The jury)