Nuages passants

Over the years of Reinhardt’s recording life the tune changed, becoming stripped of much of its chromatic interest. Leo Brouwer’s variations (Variations on Django Reinhardt’s Nuages) are based on the later, less chromatic, form in which they were published as sheet music; mine employ the tune in its original, more colourful, form. The variations exploit fragments of the melody and are not based on the original harmonic progression, nor do they make conscious use of the jazz idiom. A spacious, rather than virtuosic ending, was deemed to be more in keeping with the character of the theme.

The work was commissioned by the Norwegian State Concerts Agency ‘Rikskonsertene’.

John W. Duarte

Nuages passants: 1. Theme
Nuages passants: 2. Variation I
Nuages passants: 3. Variation II
Nuages passants: 4. Variation III
Nuages passants: 5. Variation IV
Nuages passants: 6. Variation V
Nuages passants: 7. Variation VI
Nuages passants: 8. Finale

Nuages passants has been recorded by Stein-Erik Olsen on Simax PSC 1031 and by Daniela Rossi on Brilliant Classics 97470, John W. Duarte Guitar Music volume 5.