String Music

"Elegy" (movement II) from Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. Lawrence Gwozdz, alto Saxophone; Lois Leventhal, piano. This post dedicated to saxophonist/composers Alan Theisen and Everette Minchew, who were so generous of their time and expertise in assisting this old guy in getting started with social media. Many thanks!

Sonata For Alto Sax & Piano, movement  II

A performance of "Duet for Violin and  Viola" from the recent Belvedere Chamber Music Festival in Memphis Tennessee.

Daniel Gilbert: Violin
Patrick Holmes: Viola

This duet is a sort of musical conversation between two instruments. At times they agree, at other times they do not. As with any conversation, the psycholgical progression can be as meandering as the topical one

Duet for Violin and Viola: Belvedere Music Festival

This string quartet explores the modulatory potential of the modern modes. This first movement moves from dorian to lydian and back.

String Quartet in Modes- Dorian

This string quartet explores the modulatory potential of the modern modes. The second movement modulates from Phrygian to Lydian and back.

String Quartet in Modes- Phrygian

Performance of "Circles of Misunderstanding" from the inaugural Birmingham, New Music Festival
Cello: Laura Usiskin
Piano: Adam Bowles

"Circles of Misunderstanding" is an attmept to express the conflict that arises from two points of view, both perfectly comprehensible in their own right, that are incompatible with each other. The piece’s two instruments chase each other around tonal areas, competing for temporal and motivic dominance. As one reaches an idea expressed by the other, that other moves on to a different idea. Finally they return to their original perspectives, diminished from their struggle with each other.

03 Circles Of Misunderstanding BNMF 2014

Among the most recognizable of psychological archetypes is the Self; the totality of all the characteristics, perspectives, and personal natures we can introspectively recognize as our own, and the Shadow; the collection of repressed traits, tendencies, and instincts with which we do not identify but nevertheless posses. 

While the Shadow is always present, hidden within the details of our awareness, it is rarely observable to the conscious mind. However in times of stress or personal growth the antithesis of our self image can come boiling to the surface. And although it may seem sinister to us, exposure often reveals it as a source of creativity, inspiration, and the keeper of all the honestly simple emotions and drives that we had forgotten.

This composition is a programmatic telling of the emergence and (inevitable?) return to the unconscious of the Shadow Archetype. It is also an exploration of the archetype concept itself: having both a conscious texture, and a subconscious harmonic direction. Its key structure consists of a tonal center, and two “subcenters” which are complete tonal areas in themselves, but are nevertheless part of the greater whole. As the conflict between Shadow and Self progresses, the intervallic distance separating these keys is altered to produce greater dissonance or consonance as necessary to reflect the greater or lesser concord between the divergent aspects of personality.

Violin: Julia Sakharova
Viola: Michael Fernadez
Piano: Adam Bowles

Shadow and Self

Saikat Karmakar, violin
Sahada Buckley, violin
Chris Williams, viola
Alina Vazquez, cello

Differences arise at local levels in the form of clashing rhythmic and pitch material, often highlighted with contrasting tone colors. On a larger scale, entire sections of music present themselves in contrasting styles, each with their own particular frictions. Stylistic traits from each section make appearances in other sections, often for the worse with resolutions to these disputes being either questionable, outright avoided, or leading towards other conflicts. With "Irreconcilable Differences", I seek to tell the story of a troubled relationship and its ramifications. This work was a long due outpouring of emotion for me, and I hope that it provides an outlet of expression and release for those who have found themselves impacted by such a situation.

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Studio Recording, October 2014

Premiered on October 15, 2014 by Saikat Karmakar, Sahada Buckley, Chris Williams, and Alina Vazquez at the Dancz Center for New Music at the University of Georgia.


Irreconcilable Differences

Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Teri Murai, cond. 2002.

Convergence

random stuff

La Melodia Dulce

Song cycle 

Alto - Amanda Segur
Piano - Allyson McIntyre

Performed at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Dancz Center for New Music

Four Poems of Sara Teasdale - 1. Let it Be Forgotten

Four Poems of Sara Teasdale - 2. I Shall Not Care

Four Poems of Sara Teasdale - 3. Buried Love

Four Poems of Sara Teasdale - 4. Gifts

BossaRica
Raul Gomez, violin; Marcelo Vieira, cello; Ronaldo Cadeu, guitar
(c)2012

Andalucia

A recording of "Tabula Rasa" made by Craig Hultgren and Adam Bowles on their recent tour of the gulf coast

05 Tabula Rasa-BAMA Gulf Coast Tour

Adam Smith, oboe
Robert Hjelmstad, piano

Commissioned by Adam Smith

In this sonata, the interval of a minor second is the most important building block, and pairs of them are often separated by a fourth or fifth.  Dizzying chromatic runs from the oboe are contrasted against persistent driving rhythms and scattered fragments from the piano all before giving way to a relaxed second theme.  During the development, motives are experimented upon and take turns in the spotlight in front a eerie backdrop.  A chaotic retransition foreshadows the changes that are coming to the recapitulation, in which the parts and functions of the form seemingly get confused as to where they should be and what they should be doing.  Attempts to fix the problems result in familiar motives going haywire.

Recording from the premier at the Dancz Center for New Music, Hugh Hodgson School of Music, University of Georgia on March 28th, 2013.

Sonata for Oboe and Piano

Emotional, gentle, and occasionally disturbed. Matthew's music endeavors to make the inexplicable understood, or at least accepted. Classically trained, and academically educated, Matthew uses music to attempt to link the conceptual, intellectual, and abstract with the emotional, inspirational, and spiritual. Check back here for dates of live performances, recordings, hints, the meaning of life, and other things happening in the world of MsP's music.

03 Circles Of Misunderstanding BNMF 2014

Matthew Scott Phillips

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