Steven Kings

Passion Games
for solo viola

duration: 8 minutes

Passion Games

Composition can be seen as the expression of musical emotions by means of artificial structures, procedures, patterns - the expression of passion through playing games.

In this piece, the games involve procedures based on the talea and color structures of medieval isorhythm, but the initial melodic contours and rhythmic proportions are gradually altered, evolving the music into completely new shapes with new momentums. At two points the game is interrupted altogether, and the prevailing passion expressed in gestures which are thematically related to the basic material, but rhetorically free from its procedural restraints. At the end, however, the game proves that it has a passion all its own.



Steven Kings was born in Worcester in 1962. Studied music at Cambridge University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Studied composition with Robin Holloway, George Nicholson, Alfred Nieman, Hugh Wood. Lives in Bristol, working as pianist, piano teacher, conductor.

Phantasy V for Clarinet performed by Anthony Lamb during a Capricorn Concert at St John's Smith Square in 1985, and later broadcast by BBC Radio 3. Snapshots for Flute, Saxophone, 'Cello, Double Bass and Percussion, won the Yorkshire Arts Young Composers Competition and was performed at the 1985 Huddersfield Festival by Lontano conducted by Odaline de la Martinez.

Other works short-listed or performed through spnm:
Noctume for Orchestra (1984), performed by Guildhall Chamber Orchestra under Lionel Friend in 1985
Three Piano Pieces (1985), performed by Andrew Ball in 1987
Deviation-Norm for Horn (1986)
Window Waiting for Tenor, Choir and String Quartet (1991)
Fingers Pointing to the Moon for Piano (1992)
Passion Games for viola (1999)

Other compositions include:
Piano Sonata (1980/82)
So Springs the Fair Earth (1981/2000), song cycle for tenor and piano
Phantasies I-IV (1982-84/93-94) solos for flute, cello, trumpet, oboe
Sonata for 'cello and piano (1982/93)
Kalomnesis (1983/99) for twelve cellos
Three Advent Carols (1984/94) for choir and organ
Four Songs (1988-89) for tenor and piano
Three Meditations (1989-90) for choir and organ

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