Living Toys
Living Toys, Op. 9, is a composition for chamber ensemble by the English composer Thomas Adès. It was written in 1993 as a part of his MPhil portfolio in Composition at Cambridge University and premiered at the Barbican Hall in London under Oliver Knussen.
Instrumentation
The work is scored for a chamber ensemble of 14 players, which consists of: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, violin I & II, viola, cello and double bass. Adès uses a wide variety of extended techniques, such as the double bass player and pianist hitting the back of their instruments.
Structure
The work is divided into five main sections, with three additional parts whose names are anagrams of each other. A poem by Adès is inscribed in the score, albeit allegedly "translated from the Spanish". Imagery from the poem relates to sections of the work in both titles and musical material.
Recordings
London Sinfonietta with Markus Stenz: