Synesthésie, for orchestra (1st movement: Toucher). Published by Filarmonika LLC.

This piece is an attempt to express our five senses through music. Each movement is named after a sense and within each movement many sensations are being represented musically. To emphasize this, an instrumental group is more predominant than the others depending on the movement. In Touch (drums) I try to depict a range of sensations all they way from numbness to pressure and vibration. 

Performers: Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France. Pierre-André Valade, conductor.
Commissioned by Radio France.

Synesthésie :: I. Toucher

Shift, concerto for trombone and orchestra
Duration: 25 minutes

00:00 I. Sound
06:02 II. Water
11:39 III. Light
16:02 IV. Sonoluminescence

Primarily associated with grand orchestral climaxes and epic themes, the trombone’s soloistic abilities remain yet to be fully explored. Shift is a step in this direction, placing the focus on the kaleidoscopic range of expressive properties that this remarkable instrument is capable of. Written in four movements, it is a musical exploration of the behavior of waves as observed through the Doppler effect (or Doppler shift—hence the title) in three different mediums: sound, water, and light, each giving its name to the first three movements, with a fourth and final movement bringing all these elements together within the frame of a phenomenon called sonoluminescence. 
 
First described by Christian Doppler in 1842, the Doppler effect is the apparent shift in frequency of a wave between a fixed observer and a moving wave source. When the source approaches, the pitch goes up, and when it recedes, the pitch lowers. We experience this phenomenon on a daily basis, but rarely do we actually stop to listen to it. This is what Dutch Meteorologist Buys Ballot did in Utrecht, The Netherlands, in 1845, when he set himself to refute the Doppler effect. Instead, he proved it right, and he did so in musical fashion. He placed a group of musicians on a moving wagon while a group of spectators stood along the tracks. Everyone heard higher tones as the wagon carrying the musicians neared, and lower tones as they moved past them. We have come a long way since, and the Doppler effect is nowadays used in a wide array of real-world applications in the fields of medicine, astronomy, and meteorology, among others.
 
Perhaps the most common example of the Doppler effect that we are exposed to in our daily lives is the wail of an ambulance or police siren darting past us with its characteristic downward pitch bend. Although interesting and ear-catching, imitating this effect repeatedly could get a little tiring and uninteresting after just a few minutes. Besides, there is much more to the Doppler effect than meets the ear. In my trombone concerto I decided to start by creating musical motifs featuring ascending and descending pitches, coupling them with fluctuations in dynamics that represent variations in volume due to the proximity or distance from the sound source. More metaphorically, I also use tempo changes (increments and decrements in speed) to represent wave compression and decompression, plus I sometimes spread the same chord or musical gesture spatially among different sections of the orchestra to give the impression that the sound source is in motion. All of this, naturally, with the trombone soloist as our centerpiece and source of inspiration.

Shift was co-commissioned by the Rotterdam Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and San Diego Symphony. The world premiere performance took place on June 14, 2024 with internationally acclaimed trombonist Jörgen van Rijen (the concerto’s dedicatee) and Mtro. Tarmo Peltokoski leading the Rotterdam Philhramonic. The San Francisco performances will be led by Mtro. Miguel Harth-Beodya with San Francisco Symphony’s Principal Trombone Timothy Higgins. The San Diego performances will be led by Mtro. Rafael Payare with Jörgen van Rijen as soloist.

Jimmy López Bellido © 2024

Shift, concerto for trombone and orchestra in four movements

I was gifted with a pleasant surprise from a calligrapher in Scotland who wrote out "BonkWave" in Lapis Majuscules for me. It inspired this exploration of Blippoo Box (in VCV) which I lovingly gnawed upon with my Shermanik Filterbank Bitwig fxGrid preset for extra character. French horns and Tuba serenade along to a crunchy beat.

Lapis Majuscules

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Elements & Virus Jam

Plaits Space

A little improvisation for French Horn (Swam VST) and Blippoo Box (VCV Rack). Made in Bitwig Studio.

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A fun track that takes us on a quick journey to the realms of imagination and driving grooves.

Plaits Space v2 - The Adventure Continues

Latin Grammy-nominated Composer · Striving for soul 🎶 + mind 📚 + body 🏋🏽 communion · 🧘🏽‍♂️💫

Synesthésie :: I. Toucher

Jimmy López

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