Stations (2006–07)
Ian Wilson (b. 1964)
Stations is a fourteen-movement work for solo piano inspired by the Catholic devotion of the Stations of the Cross – a narrative in fourteen scenes that relates to the events leading from Christ’s death sentence to his entombment.
In the past, I have sought on occasion to marry aspects of the Christian faith with universal human experience. Works such as The Seven Last Words (for piano trio), Winter’s Edge (for string quartet), and Rich Harbour (a concerto for organ and orchestra) have all sought to distil the emotional content of the ideas behind them and to transpose them onto dramatic musical frameworks that carry the works forward unhindered by dogma or imagery. Stations uses the devotional sequence of the Stations of the Cross as the structural and emotional basis for a large-scale instrumental work. As well as being obviously related to that idea, I also wanted to expand the potential “meaning” of the work so that intimations of programme music or purely impressionistic or pictorial responses would not arise, but rather a strong, unified journey-type piece would result. The intention was to have a multi-movement, seventy-five-minute work that creates its own sense of musical drama as it proceeds.
The work is divided into four Books and each Book is also performable as a separate entity. Matthew Schellhorn gave the world premiere of each Book separately between 2007 and 2008 and also gave the first complete performances of the work in 2009.
© Ian Wilson, 2010
www.ianwilson.org.uk
First Station [4.36]
http://www.matthewschellhorn.com/soundfiles/stations1.mp3
Eighth Station [4.06]
http://www.matthewschellhorn.com/soundfiles/stations8.mp3
Thirteenth Station [5.10]
http://www.matthewschellhorn.com/soundfiles/stations13.mp3
All tracks recorded live at Harty Room, Queen’s University Belfast, UK, 14 April 2009.
There are few composers working in the UK and Ireland as prolific and varied in their music as Belfast-born Ian Wilson who, for the last 20 years, has amassed an impressive portfolio of work ranging from chamber to orchestral works including commissions from performers and groups the length and breadth of the country. This [world premiere] performance at Queen’s University’s Harty Room marks the completion of a project between the composer and British pianist Matthew Schelhorn, who has performed in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall and the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room. Wilson’s Stations has been a work in progress for the past few years: completed in separate sections or ‘books’, the pieces have all been performed individually, but tonight marks the premiere of the work in its entirety. The piece takes its inspiration from the stations of the cross - imagery which has inspired many other contemporary composers including Peter Maxwell Davis. These Stations should provide Wilson with a huge emotional canvas of imagery and religious symbolism to draw on, yet at the outset the composer leaves any expectation toward literality by the wayside. As Wilson himself explains, he wants to ‘expand the potential “meaning” of the work so that imitations of programme music… would not arise…but instead [the piece] creates its own sense of musical drama as it proceeds.’ ... Schellhorn’s performance of the work is assured and definite in its direction, giving life to Wilson’s music with a surprisingly colourful and unifying rendition of all fourteen movements. Thematic pillars become clear and musical continuity is certainly achieved throughout the 65 minute work, bringing all elements together with confidence.
Graeme Stewart, culturenorthernireland.org, 16 April 2009
