Harrison Birtwistle - Cortege for 14 Musicians - Ensemble ACJW
In Cortege Birtwistle creates a piece of music theatre for 14 unconducted musicians, 10 of whom take it in turns to walk out to the front and perform as a soloist. As each player gets to the end of their solo passage they overlap with the next player - passing on the solo line in a seamless thread. The musicians sit in a horseshoe with each of the 10 soloists opposite the one who plays after them, swapping places when they return to their seat. This simple piece of theatre elegantly articulates the music’s structure.
(notes from London Sinfonietta)