A Passepied For Pierrot may be played as either the first or last movement of Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances, and is scored for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano. Although the position of this movement's explosive coda is fixed, the preceding six sections enjoy limited mobility. Fast and brief scherzo-like passages alternate with slower sections in which microtonal inflections feature prominently. A quasi-rondo narrative is therefore elicited by the reappearance of motivic and harmonic ideas among these curt scherzos and the more languid passages. With its frantic hockets, scales, arpeggios and trills, the ferocity of the coda functions as an exclamation mark for the movement.

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances was commissioned by New Horizons Music with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund. This recording features the premiere 
performance of the work by Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble (20/05/2022)

Image: Extract of "White Pierrot" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances - 4. A Passepied For Pierrot

A Sabre Dance With Harlequin can be performed as either the second or third movement of Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances, and is scored for piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano. This movement is the shortest of the piece, and its formal structure is fixed (i.e. unlike the other movements, there is no internal mobility). The title refers to the frequently tumultuous relationship between Pierrot and his foe, Harlequin. Commencing with conventionally performed (albeit violent) gestures, the dramatic narrative gradually incorporates the slap-tongue technique in the bass clarinet line and snap pizzicato attacks in the violin and cello parts. The string players are directed to slap the bodies of their instruments as the movement reaches an ostensible climax, while the introduction of propulsive additive metres conveys the influence of traditional Balkan music.

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances was commissioned by New Horizons Music with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund. This recording features the premiere performance of the work by Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble (20/05/2022)

Image: Extract of "Mardi gras (Pierrot and Harlequin)" by Paul Cezanne

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances - 3. A Sabre Dance With Harlequin

A Waltz With Columbine may be played as either the second or third movement of Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances, and is scored for alto flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano. Four microtonally-inflected passages (in which the piano is absent) alternate with three expansive sections that each feature a prominent solo instrument. While the positions of the passages that lack piano are fixed, mobility is permitted between the three soloistic sections. In their prime order, these passages are scored for concertante violin, alto flute and cello, respectively. The initial three-note motif performed by the bass clarinet (representing the syllables “Co-lum-bine”) is gradually transformed with each recurrence,   reflecting Pierrot's frustrated attempts to win Columbine's affections.

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances was commissioned by New Horizons Music with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund. This recording features the premiere performance of the work by Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble (20/05/2022)

Image: Extract of "Pierrot, Columbine and Harlequin" by Pierre-Antoine Quillard

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances - 2. A Waltz With Columbine

I was commissioned to compose Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances by New Horizons Music as part of the project "Towards a New Symphonic Tradition." Tasked with creating a work that illustrates my approach to symphonic composition (as a twenty-first century composer), I was initially drawn to two disparate sources of inspiration. On the one hand, broad historical notions of symphonic form proved to be a potent influence on the conception of the work's structural design. Although the overarching four-movement structure and the dramatic narratives of individual movements allude to certain historical formal conventions, structural mobility within and among the movements somewhat obscures this. On the other hand, composing for the instrumentation of a Pierrot ensemble motivated me to construct a musical dramaturgy inspired by the characters of the Commedia dell'arte. This theatrical influence is exemplified by the titles of each movement.

A March To The Moon can be performed as either the first or last movement of Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances, and is scored for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano. While the title refers to Pierrot's obsessive yet distant relationship with the Moon, the broad ternary structure of the dramatic narrative serves as an homage to sonata form. The conspicuousness of this formal allusion is most profound when the three sections are played in their prime positions. Mobility between the first and second sections facilitates the possible distortion of this historic structural reference. Pan-diatonic harmonies coloured with microtones are employed both to evoke certain segments of the harmonic series and also to symbolize the dazzling moonlight that transfixes Pierrot. Soloistic textures predominate throughout the slow, central section, while a continually ascending swathe of sound in the coda represents Pierrot's yearning for the unattainable Moon.

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances was commissioned by New Horizons Music with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund. This recording features the premiere performance of the work by Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble (20/05/2022)

Image: Extract of "Fishermen at Sea" by J.M.W. Turner

Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances - 1. A March To The Moon

War Games is scored for flute/piccolo, B flat clarinet/bass clarinet, piano, violin and cello. This track comprises a recording of the work by Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble. I submitted War Games for Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble's first Peter Rosser Composition Competition (2016). Having been shortlisted, I was awarded first prize of £1000 at an event at which HRSE gave War Games its premier performance. HRSE's performance of War Games on BBC Radio 3's “Exposure” programme was aired on the 28th September 2017, thus broadcasting the piece to the nation.

War Games was composed as a musical commentary on the conflicts evident around the world in early 2016. Reading news articles concerning the rise of populism, nationalism, and violence perpetrated in the name of religion, I was struck by humanity's apparent inability/unwillingness to learn from past errors. This notion of historic recurrence inspired me to compose a work in which musical material is developed, but does not transform completely. The identity of  gestures therefore persists stubbornly throughout the course of the dramaturgy. Moreover, Marx's statement that history repeats itself, “first as a tragedy and second as a farce” had a significant influence on the design of the work's dramatic structure. Themes that occur in the introduction are parodied in the coda. Thus, the finale of the work is intended to serve as a sardonic reprise of the opening section. Scored for a small ensemble of wind, strings, and piano, War Games represents a synthesis between my long established employment of post-serial procedures and my newfound interest in sounds produced via unconventional performance techniques. My primary influences therefore range from Boulez and Ligeti to Lachenmann and Sciarrino.

Zatriqi, Eduard

War Games

The Monster in the Dark is a short chamber opera, composed for four solo singers, a small chamber ensemble and a choir. The work was composed for Spark Opera Company (artistic director: Kate Guelke). This recording was performed by members of Spark Opera Company in March 2012 in the Harty Room at Queen's University Belfast (conducted by Nicholas Chalmers). The libretto for the opera was written by Michael Shannon. The opera was staged by Spark Opera Company in March 2012 as part of the Belfast Children's Festival. The Monster in the Dark was submitted to Queen's University Belfast as part of my PhD portfolio. See below for a synopsis.

Synopsis: The Monster in the Dark begins with a mother (Mum) and her daughter (Petal) finding a large box in front of their house. They carry the box inside and guess what is inside it. Eventually, they open the box and discover that it contains a life-sized stuffed teddy bear. When Mum tells Petal to go to bed, Petal admits she is afraid of the dark. Mum switches on a lamp and sings a lullaby to Petal, causing her to fall asleep. Mum leaves the room, and after a few moments the teddy bear suddenly stands up. It walks across the bedroom, opens a window and helps an old woman (Hanratty) to enter the room. The teddy bear then removes his head, thus revealing to the audience that it is an elaborate costume worn by a man (Felcht). Hanratty and Felcht (who has since removed the entire teddy bear costume) start to steal items from Petal's room while she sleeps. When Hanratty and Felcht consider kidnapping Petal, the room suddenly becomes dark. The teddy bear costume begins to move in the darkness, which scares both Hanratty and Felcht. They jump through the window just before Mum re-enters the room and switches on the lamp. We can now see that Petal has been controlling the teddy bear costume in the darkness. She tries to tell Mum about the thieves, but Mum does not listen to her. When she tells Petal to go to bed, Petal surprisingly informs her that she no longer needs the security of the lamp. Proud of Petal, she sings the lullaby again, switches off the lamp and then leaves the room. Petal sings quietly to herself, repeating to the audience that she doesn't fear the dark.

The Monster In The Dark

The various dualities that define the human experience fascinate me. My interest has centred on the opposing mechanical and mercurial natures of our bodies and minds. For instance, the different systems of our anatomy operate automatically and in a somewhat predictable fashion. However, our bodies are also vulnerable to illnesses that compromise the regular function of these systems. Similarly, while we generally maintain the ability to alter our intentions and opinions, our immediate reaction in the direct aftermath of a strong emotional trigger is essentially spontaneous and uncontrollable. 

More recently, I have become intrigued by the manner in which such dualities may influence our endeavour to create artificial intelligence. We may desire AI to posses aspects of the human form and speech, but to what extent do we wish to endow these creations with the capricious quality of the human mind? Contemplating the fate of these strange human machines inspired me to devise a composition whose musical narrative reflects the dichotomies discussed above.

Human Machine is an orchestral work lasting approximately four and a half minutes. Fast passages for full orchestra combine fluctuating metres with regular rhythms, while three central slow passages are more metrically stable and exhibit less rhythmic consistency. These more languid sections introduce instrumental solos, further juxtaposing the textural fullness of the surrounding fast passages. Throughout the closing section, the layering of mechanical ostinati and expressive melodic gestures is intended to reflect both the rigid and flexible qualities inherent to humanity.

Human Machine was selected as the winning piece for the 2018 Hibernian Orchestra Composition Competition. This recording features the work performed by the Hibernian Orchestra Dublin on 27/03/19 in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

Human Machine

Balkan Spectres, scored for clarinet, violin, and cello, represents a synthesis of my long held affinity for Kosovar folk music and my newfound interest in the unique sonorities associated with Spectralism. Additive metres, drones, and the phrygian dominant mode are brought into a dialectic with harmonic textures informed by the overtone series, rhythmic pulsations, and repeating gestures. In contrast to the propulsive dance-like rhythms and percussive sounds that typify the fast outer portions of the piece, the central slow section exhibits repetitive aleatoric passages, lattices of diverse irrational rhythms, and sustained chordal textures. As well as being more meditative in nature, the timbral character of the central section alludes to the two-stringed çifteli of Kosovo and northern Albania (the violinist being directed to pluck the strings of the violin with a plectrum). Ultimately, the variety of musical sources that contributed to the conception of the work led to a  diversification of my harmonic approach. This is most clearly reflected by the ubiquitous presence of microtonal harmonies in Balkan Spectres.

Balkan Spectres was commissioned by Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble with funding provided by the PRS Foundation. This recording is taken from HRSE's Constellations Concert (2/11/18).

Image: "Head of Young Man (Study)" by Charles Bargue

Eduard Zatriqi

Balkan Spectres

Eduard Zatriqi received a BMus with first class honours (2009), and an MA and PhD in Music Composition (2010 and 2015, respectively) from Queen's University Belfast. His two chamber operas, Van Helsing: The Opera Exclamation Mark (2009) and The Monster In The Dark (2012), received their Belfast premieres by Spark Opera. He was selected as a winner of the West Cork Chamber Music Festival Composition Competition in 2011 for his Piano Trio. Eduard also won the 2016 Peter Rosser Award for his composition War Games, which received a subsequent performance by Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble live on BBC Radio Three in September 2017. In 2018, he won the Hibernian Orchestra Composition Competition for his orchestral work Human Machine and was also awarded a commission by HRSE to write a new composition (Balkan Spectres), with funding provided by the PRS foundation. As part of the project Towards a New Symphonic Tradition, New Horizons Music commissioned Eduard (with funding from ACNI Lottery Project) to compose his most recent work Pierrot's Splendiferous Symphonic Dances.

Eduard Zatriqi

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