Swiss Brazil Connection. 

Premiere performance of Conversationl Geometry with Dirk Amrein, Posaune, Maurizio Grandinetti, Gitarrre, Jürg Henneberger, Klavier

Recorded by DRS2 Swiss Radio

Aufnahme Gare du Nord Basel, 17. Dezember 2010

As the title suggests, conversational Geometry is a conversation between three voices; guitar, trombone and piano. This conversation is sometimes delicate and at other times robust and confrontational presenting complex musical layers in constantly changing relationships. The piece is formed by bringing together the music from three other pieces of mine and 'mashing' them together. This process is not as arbitrary as it may sound; all the material brought together comes from pieces that stem originally from the same material, so the links are deeply embedded within them. These links become apparent after listening to the music several times as its complex interweaving of lines can (purposely) obscure these relationships rather like several people talking about the same topic at once but not actually talking to each other.

As explaned in previous interviews:

"New works are also originated by recycling existing pieces of music through changing contexts and relationships, transforming this material into something quite new. Many of the acoustic pieces I write find their starting point from within other pieces of music I’ve already written.
I am fascinated how altered contexts can radically redefine the way musical material feels and sounds. Transplanting different layers, voices or strands of music from one piece to another, altering tempi and dynamics, transposing, inverting, and then letting those strands sound out together; all of these methods fascinate me.
Like the music, my paintings are often produced in series, each painting being influenced by the former. Sometimes I will paint two or three pictures at the same time, each sharing the same starting point, layers and processes until something happens to make me want to separate them and explore them in different ways. In music, the recycling of material ensures that there is a ‘genetic’ connection between all the works – sometimes up to 15 individual pieces may be connected in this way. They are like sons and daughters, cousins, five times removed. With this ‘genetic’ material comes history, characteristics and content. In music, as with people, the way this genetic material is ‘lived out’ determines the character and make-up of the person or piece. This can lead to very individual outcomes."

 

Conversational Geometry (2009)

for oboe, french horn, trumpet and percussion.

performed by the Namascae Lemanic Modern Ensemble (Luca Mariani, Jean-Philippe Cochenet, Julien Wurtz and Lucas Genas), conducted by William Blank at Royaumont Abbey, France, September 2013.

clothed like birds, with wings as garments (2013)

Performed by Toni Berg and Akito Goto, Guildhall School of Music and Drama

they, who fly with wings of glass

A 3am session isn’t quite the same without the weirdly refreshing compositions of Howie Lee. He sent us ‘Everywhere I go’, a Jazz inspired mash of sounds carefully pieced together to create Howie’s signature sound. The Beijing based artist kept himself busy after the Borderless Shadows’ EP dropped, touring across Asia with Vice, starting a new EP & currently playing on a rooftop in Rio, Brazil. Whatever is next to come from Howie, we can promise he’ll never repeat one particular style when it comes to musical approach. 

Listen to the 3am series here https://soundcloud.com/trap-door-official/sets/3am-series

Follow Howie Lee
https://soundcloud.com/howielee
https://www.facebook.com/howieleeofficial?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/HowieLee_

Artwork : http://chell.co

Howie Lee - Everywhere I Go

Four-part temporal canon for percussion quartet. Performed by the Australian National Academy of Music.

Canon Y

World Premiere Studio Recording | Trombone / Bass drums: Dirk Amrein | Recording Engineer: Phill Phelps | Mix: Marc Yeats

'prorrhesis' has been composed from a particular composition and performance aesthetic. Some of the music contained in this score is intentionally impossible to play at speed.  

Large leaps across registers, rapid execution of quarter tones and very fast, precisely notated passage work all contribute to the many challenges faced by the performer.   
I do not anticipate a 'perfect' performance and realise that some aspects of this piece will need to be 'sketched-out', approximated and to a certain extent, improvised to realise the music I have written. Flexibility is key to production. Whilst every care should be taken to be true to the manuscript within areas where this is possible and practical, interpretation and 'best-attempt' are desirable outcomes at points of extreme virtuosity or impossibility.  

In pushing what is technically possible to the absolute limit and sometimes beyond,  a brave, risk-taking performer will exceed the usual confines of their own technique to capture something of the colour, energy, risk and dynamism of the music that 'safer' forms of notation and performance style would inhibit.   

What is notated is an ideal. What is performed is a flexible realisation of that ideal.   

prorrhesis: historical context 

prorrhesis was part of the ancient Greek Eleusinian Mysteries. prorrhesis was the official announcement of the start of the rites. This announcement occurred on the 15th day of Boedromion (September), and was given by the hierophantes.     Instrumentation:  Tenor trombone (player to be seated) 2 differently pitched bass drums both operated by foot-pedal.   

Duration: circa 12.5 minutes.

Prorrhesis

Fallen Angel (2007) - live premiere recording.

For four bass clarinets and percussion (With guest percussionist Iain Sandilands)

Duration – 10:00 

Commissioned by The Scottish Clarinet Quartet. 

Premiere 17th August 2008 as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.


More about the SCQ: http://www.scq.org.uk/


Fallen Angel (2007)

Live premiere recording by Thumb Ensemble, conductor Dan Watson, Birmingham Conservatoire, 8th Januray 2013. Thanks to Jeremy Clay for making the recording. 

Dedicated to Sylvia Junge | Commissioned by Thumb Ensemble

Instrumentation: flute, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, tenor trombone, bowed vibrophone, piano, viola, doublebass | Premiere scheduled for February in Birmingham.

Duration circa. 14 minutes

PATHOLOGIES OF BLACK BILE
The Melancholic humor, or black bile, is the humor most prone to aggravation and pathology.  In fact, the very word “melancholy” is almost synonymous with morbidity. Even normal black bile, due to its inherent nature and temperament, is the humor least conducive to the optimal health and nutrition of the organism, even though it does have necessary physiological and metabolic functions to perform. And morbid forms of black bile are even more deleterious in their effects than the morbid forms of other humors.

Since black bile is the most effete of all the humors, its pathologies almost always involve excess, with deficiency only a minor consideration. In its pathologies, a distinction must be drawn between black bile in its subtle, vaporous aspect, also known as the Nervous humor, and black bile in its gross humoral aspect, also known as melancholy, or the Melancholic humor: The Nervous humor, in addition to being Cold and Dry, is also light, subtle and mobile; its pathologies are mainly psychic, nervous, spasmodic, convulsive and neuromuscular.

The Melancholic humor, in addition to being Cold and Dry, is also heavy, dense, gross and binding, being the metabolic agent of the Earth element. It is mainly concerned with pathologies affecting the digestion, metabolism and nutrition of the organism, particularly the bones, joints and connective tissue.

Greek Medicine .net

Black Bile is built around the music of a previous composition; faben studie (2011). Black Bile is more than another iteration; it is some 4 minutes longer than farben studie, is expanded harmonically through the addition of seven new instrumental sonorities and contains new material. These changes result in an ensemble work that though related to farben studie, feels and sounds quite different.

The role of the viola: The viola takes a quasi solo role throughout this piece and should perform audibly to the fore of the ensemble. Where obvious soloistic passages and phrases exist, the player is encouraged to perform in ‘concertante’ style.

Score and parts can be purchased or hired from the Scottish Music Centre: http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/db/CART/product_details.php?product_id=6287

Black bile

Premiere performance of Black Bile, a new work by Thumb's composer-in-association Marc Yeats.

January 8th, 2013 at the Recital Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire

Conductor: Dan Watson

Black Bile - Marc Yeats

Alvin Lucier: Music for Piano with Two Slow Sweep Pure Wave Oscillators
Sebastian Berweck, piano

Alvin Lucier: Music for Piano with Two Slow Sweep Pure Wave Oscillators

LUKE PAULDING (1987) is swiftly emerging as a prominent voice in Australia’s younger generation of composers. His music has been performed in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Singapore and across much of Australia, by ensembles such as ELISION Ensemble, Speak Percussion, Ensemble Linea, Namascae Lemanic Modern Ensemble, ensemble interface, Quiver – new music ensemble, Kupka's Piano, as well as the Tasmanian & Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, with radio broadcasts on ABC Classic FM and 3MBS Fine Music. 

Luke has received support and commissions from the Australian Council for the Arts, Cybec Foundation, IETM–International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts, Royaumont Foundation, Melbourne City Council, Arts Centre Melbourne, Musical Society of Victoria, among others. Passionate about exploring other art forms, Luke has collaborated on projects for Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Theatre Works, Aphids and Chamber Made Opera, and has attracted Green Room Award nominations for his original sound design in theatre. From notated compositions through to subterranean sound installation and collaborative art projects, Luke's music has featured at Melbourne International Arts Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Metropolis New Music Festival, Castlemaine Arts Festival and Totally Huge New Music Festival. Also a trained pianist and tubist, Luke is a founding member and co-director of new music ensemble, Quiver, dedicated to innovative performances of contemporary art music. 

Luke graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2010 with numerous awards, including the Marion Isobel Thomas Estate Award and Atheneum Prize. Through initial studies at the VCA and selective professional development programs around Australia and Europe (including the 2013 « Nouvelle Voix » course at Royaumont Abbey) his compositional mentors have included Chris Dench, Brian Ferneyhough and Liza Lim.

clothed like birds, with wings as garments (2013)

luke.paulding