The Music of Martin Butler

In Back to Ground (1996, recorder, cello, harpsichord) the composer sets himself strict limitations, producing a set of constantly-evolving variations over a double ground. Inspired by Renaissance and Baroque music, and particularly the recordings of David Munrow, Butler says of the piece:

“…I think of the result as a personal response to this repertoire: not an imitation or a ‘pastiche’ of its language, but an explanation of the ways in which its expressive syntax coincides (or competes) with my own.”

It is through this constant exploration of the musical world that Butler’s music finds its own voice. Next

Martin Butler: Back To Ground © Oxford University Press
(click to enlarge)

View the full score here
(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader: get it here)