Gavin Bryars - Hommages

Les Disques du Crepuscule
(TWI027: 708527190180)
Release date: 6/21/2019

$13.99

Crepuscule presents a newly remastered CD edition of the influential album Hommages by acclaimed modern British composer Gavin Bryars.

Originally released in November 1981 on Les Disques du Crepuscule, Hommages was recorded in Leicester in February 1981 and produced by noted Belgian new music composer Wim Mertens. The album was conceived as a series of diverse homages to other composers, which include Bill Evans (My First Homage), Ferruccio Busoni and Gustav Holst (The English Mail-Coach and The Vespertine Park) and Percy Grainger (Hi-Tremolo).

Featured musicians included Andrew Bilham, Ronald Reah, Andrew Renshaw, Nigel Shipway, Dave Smith, John White and Marie Wilson, as well as Gavin Bryars himself on piano and vibraphone. The album is the only one which documents the important period between Bryars’ early experimental music and later works from Medea onwards, as well as his enthusiasm for small composer/performer ensembles.

This 63 minute digital remaster of Hommages now includes two bonus tracks composed and recorded by Bryars during the same period: Danse Dieppoise, and the lengthy piano piece Out of Zaleski’s Gazebo.

The booklet features extensive notes by Gavin Bryars on the origin and performance of all six pieces, and preserves the original album cover artwork by Marc Borgers.

Other notable works by Gavin include Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971), The Sinking of the Titanic (1975), Medea (1984), Three Viennese Dancers (1986), After the Requiem (1991), Farewell to Philosophy (1996), Cadman Requiem (1998), 3 String Quartets (2002), A Listening Room (2007) and The Fifth Century (2016)

1. My First Homage

2. The English Mail-Coach

3. The Vespertine Park

4. Hi-Tremolo

5. Out of Zaleski’s Gazebo

6. Danse Dieppoise