Recording: Joseph Tomasso

Program note:
Nyx, for oboe, refers to water nymphs from German mythology. 

Score and other info here: http://adamscottneal.com/nyx.htm

Nyx (solo oboe, 2012)

Performance by Terminus Ensemble, University of Georgia, 1/15/16

a prelude, for flexible chamber ensemble, is a study in texture. Each players' part is divided into 15-second increments, within which they are presented pitches and gestural ideas, but indeterminate rhythm. It was written for Terminus Ensemble, and can be played in any combination of four or more instruments, with optional “tape” part.

a prelude (octet version)

Performed by Bent Frequency Duo (Jan Baker, sax; Stuart Gerber, percussion)

pent-up means “suppressed” or “held back.” Often the idiom is used to describe suppressed frustrations. In this piece, perhaps, it means holding back one's playful nature when performing abstract contemporary music. The title is also a pun – the materials are derived from pentatonic scales. 

pent-up (alto sax & percussion)

NYMPHOLEPSY. 1) In ancient times, a state of frenzy that was believed to seize any man who looked upon a nymph. 2) a violent emotional state, especially that believed to result from desire for some unattainable ideal. (Webster's Dictionary)

Peformer: Sara Hydo

Nympholepsy (solo flute, 2004)

Live recording by Transient Canvas in Atlanta, GA, April 2016.

PROGRAM NOTE: ripples, for bass clarinet and marimba, takes its name and inspiration from marimba roll technique. Traditional rolls alternate between the hands, while ripple rolls treat all four mallets (two per hand) independently. Ripple rolls therefore have a more amorphous character than traditional rolls. This piece highlights the difference between the two, with harmonies drawn from the instruments' spectra and melodic material inspired by Indian classical music. It was written for Transient Canvas.

ripples (bass clarinet & marimba, 2015)

Performed by the East Carolina University Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: William Bewley

Program note:
Philosopher Graham Harman's “object-oriented ontology” describes the complex relationships that objects have with one another. To Harman, everything is an object, and every object is related to objects larger and smaller than itself. The orchestra is one such object – it is made of many objects (instruments and people, but also music stands, stages, paper, etc.) but is part of a larger concept (music). A given composition can likewise be thought of as an object, made of many parts, but itself only part of the larger discourse of music – hence it being only a “piece” of music.

Object (orchestra, 2014)

Hee Yeon Kim, violin; Candace Thomas, horn; Brandon Banks, piano

Program note:
Rivermist is a non-programmatic work concerned with typical musical ideas like harmony and texture. As I wrote it, the ebbing, flowing, and undulation of the music began to make me envision cool mountain streams.

Rivermist (violin, horn, piano, 2015)

part of the original score to "object/obstruct," a contemporary dance piece with choreography by Teal Darkenwald, John Dixon, David Ingram, and Marissa Nesbit. Performed at East Carolina University in March 2017.

Music from "object/obstruct" [contemporary dance score]

Performers: Stephen Ivany, Joshua Bishop, Sean Reynolds, Steve Kosch
Recorded at East Carolina University

Program note: I remember being aghast at one of my fellow trombonists in middle-school band who referred to pitches only by their slide position numbers. This obviously affected his playing-- all too often a D emerged from his bell when the music displayed a G. After all, to him they were both “fourth.” This piece uses pitches primarily found in first and third positions, though there is a good bit of second and fourth as well (and any alternate positions are up to the players). The title is also a baseball reference. It was composed for the Guidonian Hand.

First And Third [trombone quartet, 2016]

Reading session with East Carolina University faculty brass quintet (Travis Alford and Gabriel DiMartino, trumpets; Mary Burroughs, horn; Stephen Ivany, trombone; Jarrod Williams, tuba)

Program note:
Práis (“praw-ish”) is Gaelic for brass. This piece began as a low brass trio, after which I “grafted on” the two trumpet parts. In doing so, I was intrigued by the idea of leaving the two miniature choirs mostly independent of each other. Metaphors that came to mind are palimpsests (scrolls that are partially erased with a new layer added on top), geological strata, and television interference.

Prais [brass quintet, 2015]

Poems by Masaoka Shiki. Translated by Janine Beichman. 

Performers: Laura Hutchins, Jennifer Kuchar, Gabriella Cheij, Samantha Kunz

Wisteria,  for voice quartet (SSAA), is based on tanka poetry by Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902). The eight selected poems feature recurring observations about the colors and movements of wisteria
plants. The set is intended to be sung as interludes but can be performed together. Wisteria was written for Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble.

Wisteria [SSAA quartet, 2015]

Komorebi is a Japanese word for sunlight filtering through tree leaves.

Komorebi (piano solo, 2015)

Natalie Smith, flute; Candace Neal, horn; Adam Scott Neal, piano

75/85 is a brief piece for flute, horn, and piano. The initial inspiration was the somewhat cliché gesture of repeated staccato notes in Classical-era wind parts. As the piece evolved, my rock roots made themselves known more and more. Although this is not programmatic in any way, the driving rhythms, repetition, and abrupt transitions made me think of commuting – changing lanes, waiting to merge, accelerating and then suddenly stopping, being cut off by another driver, and so on.

Demos

75/85 (flute, horn, piano, 2016)

Live performance by the East Carolina University Symphonic Band. William Staub, conductor.

Baffin Bay depicts the cold, icy, glimmering expanses of
the Arctic. This understated work frequently changes key centers, and
despite its quiet, restrained nature, dense interactions between
instruments propel the work forward, creating a sound world where
the horizon, icy sea, and cold Arctic sky meet and meld together. (Note by Tom Dempster)

Baffin Bay [wind band, 2018]

This track was created with cassette tape loops (featuring short recordings of a digital piano), along with a digital piano run through a lo-fi delay and the Korg Monotron's LFO/filter. Some light editing, EQ, and reverb were added in Pro Tools.

summer shelter (a noise lullaby)

minimal | instrumental | video | improv | electronics
Music also on Bandcamp: http://adamscottneal.bandcamp.com

adam scott neal

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