performed by Bill Solomon

In 1645, Miyamoto Musashi, arguably the greatest Japanese duelist of his time, wrote his treatise on strategy applicable to one-on-one swordsmanship, one-against-many conflict, and large-scale battle.  The text contained the basics of Musashi’s own “Two Heavens” school of the sword.  Divided into five scrolls (or “rings”) named after the five elements, his text is the inspiration for this set of short pieces for solo timpanist.

The First Scroll (Earth) serves as an introduction within both the Musashi text and this set of pieces.  Influenced by Takemitsu’s percussion writing for the score to Kurosawa’s Ran, this scroll serves to prepare the listener for a solo timpanist’s performance.  Musashi uses the Second Scroll (Water) to comment on the basics of swordsmanship, and so this piece is based on simple iaido forms, with a particular focus on independence of limbs.

The Third and Fourth Scrolls (Fire and Wind) are heavily influenced by two significantly different ensembles from traditional Japanese music: the taiko and gagaku, respectively.  The aggressive qualities of taiko performance combined with the final duel of Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai Trilogy to inspire and shape “Fire,” representative of Musashi’s scroll on conflict.  Contrastingly, the gagaku’s ethereal melodies guided the creation of the fourth piece in this set, where the timpani sing a hushed, airy tune.

Finally, the Fifth Scroll (Void) is Musashi’s take on the Zen concept of No Mind.  The timpanist performs an ostinato pattern on the four drums but the focus lies in the tuning of the drums.  Ideally performed without tuning gauges, this piece forces the player into a state of No Mind.

Five Scrolls of Musashi: Fifth Scroll - Void

For two violins and 8.1 electronics
Batya MacAdam-Somer and Kim Hain, violinists
UCSD Experimental Theatre, October 18th, 2013

Dueling violins metabolize icy romanticism, solitude, harsh mimicry, fear, dare-devilism, & inner demons.

Phobiaphages(2013)

Soundtrack for the animated senior film "The Prince of Margo" by Jeff Morice.

Descent

I sampled Jeff Goldblum's bizarre laugh from this scene In Jurassic Park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlOx9738iyw

I hope you enjoy it!

Free Download Here:
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/do43v6qw4d1rryk/hahahrawrrahaha.mp3

Hahahrawrrahaha (Free Download In Description)

Michelle Allen McIntire: voice
David D. McIntire: clarinet, electronics
Ryan Oldham: trumpet
Brian Padavic: double bass


The Moorlough Shore (EMM performance)

Playpen

These four songs are excerpted from music written for a production of Bertolt Brecht’s epic play, The Caucasian Chalk Circle. In the context of the play, they are all sung by the heroine, Grusha Vachnadze, a servant girl working in the governor’s kitchen at the time of a bloody coup. In the confusion, the murdered governor’s infant son is left behind by his horrible mother, who is more interested in which dresses she can save. The child is found and rescued by Grusha, who flees the city, hunted by soldiers who wish the child heir dead. Over the course of her travels and travails, Grusha falls in love with the child, finally claiming him as her own. The Song of the Rotten Bridge, Lullaby, and Song of the Child reflect a progression from her loving and claiming the child, to seeing in him a future of redemption for the sins of his father. In the second song, Song of the Center, Grusha sings of her fiancé Simon, who has been conscripted into the military to fend off the invading armies. 

The music for The Caucasian Chalk Circle was commissioned by the Dordt College Theatre Department. The texts are from Frank McGuinness’ adaptation of Stefan S. Brecht’s translation of the original play. Where the original play indicated titles (Song of the Rotten Bridge, Song of the Center, and so on), they have been retained in the score. 

Texts used by permission.

Lullaby

Song of the Child

Richard Johnson is a multimedia artist and composer whose interest in music was piqued during a childhood heavily impacted by film.  Equal parts Kurosawa and Spielberg combined to create his ongoing interest in culture and history, the music of Takemitsu and Williams, and an obsession with mystery, adventure, and storytelling. This blend of interests is most clearly present in his set of pieces for soloists, electronics, and video entitled Quaerere Sententias.

Richard’s music has been performed throughout the United States and internationally, and has been presented at events such as SEAMUS, Electronic Music Midwest, Electro-Acoustic Barn Dance, SCI conferences, Thailand International Composers’ Festival, and the Festival Internacional Punto de Ecuentro in Spain.

In 2012, Richard received his DMA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he studied with Chen Yi, James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, and Zhou Long.  He also holds degrees from the Hartt School at University of Hartford (MM) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania (BM). 

Richard currently resides in southern California, where he is (finally) pursuing that interest in film score composition that drew him to music as a youth.


Five Scrolls of Musashi: Fifth Scroll - Void

composerjohnson

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