The Traveller is the third in a series of four major works with words by Vikram Seth and music by Alec Roth, jointly commissioned by the Salisbury, Chelsea, and Lichfield Festivals.
Composer Biography
Alec Roth, the composer, studied gamelan at the Academy of Indonesian Performing Arts (ASKI) in Surakarta, Central Java, which influenced his compositional approach.
Compositional Technique
In The Traveller, the solo violin represents 'The Traveller', the choir represents 'The Companions', and the tenor soloist represents 'The Poet'.
Composition History
Earth and Sky was commissioned by the BBC for the Proms 2000 season, with a request for a work presenting a vision of the future.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Traveller takes 'the Ages of Man' as its theme, divided into six main sections: Unborn, Child, Youth, Adult, Old, and Dead, followed by an epilogue.
Compositional Technique
For The Traveller, Vikram Seth translated about 20 classic Indian texts from various traditions and languages, in addition to writing six new poems.
Instruments
Philippe Honoré, the violinist, plays on the Kustendyke Stradivarius, which is on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
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