Jessica Rose writes:

One thing I would have liked to know about this work was why it was called Music for a Large Audience [recorded by Tonus Peregrinus]. Was this a reference to its tonality and accessibility? Or did Antony Pitts have something he wished to communicate to a large number of people? Or was there some other reason?

The music is divided into four sections: Spring - the imagination; Summer - the affections; Autumn - the understanding; Winter - the will. It requires an interesting group of instruments - flute, harp, cello, viola, vibraphone, trumpet and piano. While these are often used effectively in small combinations, particularly the flute and trumpet, we felt that better use could have been made of the ensemble as a whole. Like the music itself the instrumental combinations tend to be chopped up into small sections.

There is a strong jazz influence to the work, in which a series of melodic ideas (riffs?) is stated and worked on. I am no jazz expert, but the sound reminded me of Miles Davis. The development of the individual ideas is often rather obviously patterned, and for me it was difficult to give a form to the whole. One section followed another, and I could not easily see the relationship between them.

Having said that, I also felt that Pitts had something to say in this music. There were moments of poignancy and exhilaration, and I particularly liked the opening of 'Autumn - the understanding'. Understanding is usually a tentative and painful process, and the music expressed this very well. Overall, the sounds are pleasing, and while I would have preferred a greater sense of integration, I think it is likely that many people (a large audience, perhaps) - and particularly fans of modern jazz - would respond to the handling of some excellent melodic ideas."

DAILY INFORMATION 1990

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