claudius ptolemy (2008)
for violin and cello
for Johnny Chang and Jessica Catron
NOTES ABOUT THE INTERPRETATION
Tempo is free: as swiftly as accurate intonation permits, but
taking time whenever necessary. Each pitch may be considered to
have a ‘virtual fermata’, which may be held whenever more time is
needed to clearly focus the indicated just interval ratio. For the
most part, overlapping tones produce ‘tuneable intervals’ which
may be precisely realized by ear.
There are only seven pitch classes used in this piece, forming a
D Major scale tuned according to Claudius Ptolemy’s tense diatonic
(5-limit just intonation). The four pitches G - D - A - E are tuned
as a chain of pure (3/2) fifths, matching the open strings of the
violin. The pitches B - F# - C# are tuned as pure (5/4) major thirds
above G - D - E, and are accordingly notated with downward arrows
to indicate alteration by a syntonic comma (81/80). The resulting
thirds should sound beatless and resonant, and care should be
taken not to exaggerate the extent of the comma!
The two individual voices may also be played as solo pieces for
violin and cello.
Berlin, 15 January 2008

Claudius Ptolemy (2008)

James Layton is a British composer, musician, and visual artist currently based in Oslo, Norway. His work often explores non-climactic forms, which slowly unfold and focus on the juxtaposition of progression and stasis. His use of patterns, permutations, and repetition aims to draw listeners into the music while exploring ideas of time and memory. This work is often informed by his interest in visual art, particularly the works of Agnes Martin, Sol Lewitt, and Bridget Riley.

James’ compositional output includes works for opera (saudade 2022), orchestra (focal 2019), chamber music (honour thy error as a hidden intention 2023), choir (veering slowly, losing identity 2023), as well as electro-acoustic music (are we on other, less concrete shores? 2021), and collaborations with dance (Rock-A-Bye 2023) and visual media (time spent 2023). This work has been performed around Europe by musicians and ensembles such as Cikada (NO), Orkest de Ereprijs (NE), I Solisti (BE), Ensemble Spectrum (SK), Stephen Upshaw (US/UK), Standard Issue (UK) Ensemble Ernst (NO), Ostravská Banda (CZ) and ONO – Ostrava New Orchestra (CZ), including at festivals such as Bergen Festspillene (2024), Bijloke Wonderland (2023), NODO/New Opera Days Ostrava (2022) and Ostrava New Music Days (2019).

levin eric zimmermann, *1995 germany

creates performances, installations, gatherings & zines. works with music, language, instruments, loudspeakers etc. interested in attunement & tuning, decreation, improvisation, tininess, whistling, silence & resonances. prefers blandness to persuading; trust to suspicion; restraint to expression; doubt to ideology & community to competition. lives & works in the netherlands.

Canadian composer Marc Sabat (*1965) is based in Berlin since 1999. He has made pieces for concert and installation settings, drawing inspiration from investigations of the sounding and perception of Just Intonation and of various music traditions — folk, experimental and classical. His pieces are presented and broadcast internationally at festivals of new music including the Donaueschinger Musiktage, Klangspuren Schwaz, MaerzMusik, Huddersfield, Darmstadt, Musica Viva and Carnegie Hall. Scores and artist editions are available from Plainsound Music Edition. Recent recordings include the LP “Les Duresses”, released by care of editions (Berlin) as well as discs on the labels Populist Records (Los Angeles) and World Edition (Köln).

Sabat studied composition, violin and mathematics at the University of Toronto, at the Juilliard School in New York, and at McGill University, as well as working privately with Malcolm Goldstein, James Tenney and Walter Zimmermann. Together with Wolfgang von Schweinitz he has developed the Extended Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation and is a pioneer of music written and performed in extended Just Intonation. He teaches at the Universität der Künste Berlin, and as a guest at the California Institute of the Arts, the Escola Superior in Barcelona, the Janacek Academy in Brno and the Paris Conservatoire. In 2010, he was an artist-in-residence of the Villa Aurora in Los Angeles, followed in 2011 by a one year residency at the German Academy in Rome, Villa Massimo.

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