Tia Roper, Flutist performs CPE Bach d minor Concerto, Allegro di molto
Colette Valentine - piano

2011-04-12 1408

CPE Bach d minor Concerto, Allegro di molto

Tia Roper performs Charanga by Michael Colquhoun

Charanga by Michael Colquhoun

Music by Oliver Caplan
Performed by Juventas New Music Ensemble
Ryan Shannon, violin; Olga Patramanska-Bell, violin; Lu Yu, viola; Minjin Chung, cello;
www.olivercaplan.com

In December 2019, I journeyed to Monteverde, Costa Rica, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. After a long day traveling from Boston, I woke before sunrise to meet a local naturalist. Over the next five hours, binoculars in hand, we saw over 50 species of birds. Birdwatching revealed that a rainbow was hiding in plain sight. I was in awe of the naturalist’s talent to notice the slightest movement or flash of color. Of course, not all birds were looking to camouflage. For those looking to strut their stuff, nothing was more recognizable then their signature songs, weaving in and out of the cloud forest symphony.

Canciones de Monteverde is built on musical interpretations of seven calls, a small sample from five hours in one of nature’s most melodious halls. The birds represented are the Collared Trogan, Lessons Mot Mot, Green-crowned Brilliant, Black Faced Solitaire, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Red-billed Pidgeon and Grey-breasted Wren.

Writing this music in spring 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was a bittersweet endeavor. An avid traveler, I find unending joy meeting new people, learning about their cultures, and exploring diverse ecosystems. Staying at home for months on end has been an exercise of memory and anticipation. This piece recalls one perfect morning. I hope that it reminds you of your own grand adventures.

Oliver Caplan: Canciones de Monteverde

Canciones de Monteverde - String Quartet

"Aspects of Sarah" and "Akidat Sarah" - my alternative story.
The work deals with psychological aspects 
which are not fully introduced in Bible.
 It is an alternative story of Sarah,
as a person who doesn’t blindly accept the
will of God and Abraham obedience, but rather
wondering what would have happened if..
My story ends with the self sacrifice of Sarah-
no mother can accept the sacrifice of her son.
Each piece has several chapters, which can be played in any order
Aspects of Sarah (for flute)
I. Becoming Sarah
II. Secrets they told me
III. Jealousy
 IV. Suspicions
V. More secrets they told me

Akidat Sarah (for bass flute and alto flute head joint)
I. Altersarah
II. Secrets they never told her
III. Disobedience
IV. Akidat Sarah
The two pieces were performed by Daphna Itzhaky, December 28 2021, Ha-Teiva

Aspects of Sarah/ Akidat Sarah -performed by Daphna Itzhaky

Arine is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘touch’. The piece was created for the Okeanos Ensemble, for a concert at the Warehouse, London as part of Sound and Music's 2009 Cutting Edge series. The players were Clive Bell (shakuhachi), Melissa Holding (koto), and Robin Thompson (sho). It combines a modified Japanese sankyoku ensemble (substituting sho for shamisen) with live processing that mixes pitch tracking, granulation, grain filtering, bitcrushing, and spectral freezing of sound onsets.

In arine, I was thinking about how live sound processing can transform ensemble processes. The making of the piece centred on discussion, focusing on encounter: initially, each player’s physical encounter with their instrument, and the influence of physical ‘touch’ on musical affect. The word device became useful in thinking about this – in relation to the computer, and to instruments, but also in the sense of  'something yet to be revealed'. That the technology of playing leaves something in reserve, yet to be revealed, suggested an aesthetic of restraint.

'Encounter' also meant exploring each individual’s personal musical history, teasing-out how the players were drawn to these Japanese instruments. Dedicating time to this allowed the music to emerge from discussion rather than from any prescribed text - the text score reflects that process.

The piece is released on Never Come Ashore.

arine, for shakuhachi, koto, sho and laptop

Plain Song is scored for amplified piano and electronics fashioned from recordings of poet Charles Wright reading four of the poems from his volume Caribou. These include Plain Song, Lullaby, Shadow and Smoke and Tutta Gloria.  The poems are about leave-taking and they are plain-poken and profound. The piano performance is by Seunghye Kim, who premiered the piece. For more information: https://www.judithshatin.com/plain-song/

Plain Song, , Lullaby, Shadow and Smoke and Tutta Gloria, from CARIBOU by Charles Wright. Copyrihgt © 2014 by Charles Wright. Used by arrangement with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Plain Song by Judith Shatin

The Four Food Groups I - The Jelly Sandwich

Performed by Tak Ensemble
Laura Cocks, flute
Madison Greenstone, clarinet
Marina Kifferstein, violin
Ellery Trafford, percussion
Charlotte Mundy, voice

Text by Russell Edson

Premiered at The Annenberg Center: University of Pennsylvania

The Four Food Groups I - The Jelly Sandwich

For the Love of Bees - Swarm (piano only)

Premiere Performance Series, Embassy of the Netherlands, 1997
Allison Potter, fl; Michael Ellert, bn; Monique Buzzarte, trb;
Michael Rosensky, gtr; Eric Phinney, perc; Kristen Conn, pft;
Carolyn Stuart, vn; Elizabeth Derderian Wood, va; Elaine Boda, vc; Alexander Jiménez, conductor.

Trinity I. (entire mvt.)

Each movement of 'River Songs' for alto saxophone and piano was inspired by a cherished day trip experiencing the beauty of one of Florida's natural waterways. Whether daydreaming while lazily paddling along near-currentless crystaline water, or fiercely paddling to escape a  snouted beast whose prey has been unwittingly alerted, the feelings experienced while coexisting with fellow creatures in the wild are among life's golden moments.

The dreamy first movement, "Peace at Dawn," alternates between sections of very loosely notated music which gives the performers certain parameters within which to interact, and sections of traditionally notated music. The vivacious second movement, "Juniper Run," sports obvious jazz influence and has a homophonic underpinning combined with horizontal lines which sound almost improvisatory at times, but are strictly notated.

'River Songs' was written for Alan Theisen, alto saxophone; and Jennifer Reason, piano; and was premiered by them at the Festival of New Music (FeNAM) in Sacramento, CA, on November 11, 2016.

"Peace at Dawn" from 'River Songs' for alto saxophone and piano

Chiaroscuro (2016) for Wind Ensemble was commissioned by Dr. Brian Kaufman for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Wind Ensemble.  This piece is a constantly changing kaleidoscope of colors from the various winds, percussion and piano.  It is a high energy piece combining powerful massed ensemble writing with  excursions into unusual timbres.

Chiaroscuro II

Heart and mind, body and soul, music that reaches wide through shades of light and dark. Inspired by acoustic and digital means, experiment and collaboration. Music that ranges from the immediate sounds and calls of our environment to meditations on hope and love to cries at the troubles of our times...

Plain Song by Judith Shatin

Judith Shatin

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