Sung by April Amante
Instrumentals performed by the composer

Two Live Burials from An Theyr Thomasson Lais

The Leanan Sídhe is an Irish mythological spirit of a Faustian nature. The name refers to a “fairy lover” whose contract involves inspiring poets and artists at the cost of slowly consuming their lives. The Leanan is part of a race of spirits from the barrows, including the Bean Sídhe (commonly known as banshees), and Cu Sídhe (a dog spirit, related to the legend of Cú Chulainn) from Irish mythology. 

The piece contrasts two vastly different harmonic worlds: standard equal temperament and the harmonic series with emphasis on “microtonal” intervals that do not exist or are out of tune in equal temperament. Meanwhile, the equally tempered portions of the work are based on a scale comprised of pitches not found in the lower overtones of the harmonic series, and are thus the “out of tune” notes, providing a harsh, dissonant language.

 The work is comprised of an introduction and three short movements, each blending into the next. The introduction displays the brutal aggression of the equal tempered section and leads to exposition of the solo bassoon. The first movement starkly contrasts the introduction with an open harmonic language, with an emphasis on the natural 7th and 11th. However, the sound soon begins to disintegrate into a flurry of equal tempered runs in the bassoon, echoed in other instruments. The second movement is in the form of a medieval Estampie, a lively jumping dance with a slow introduction, juxtaposed with a bass line constructed from a Habanera in 5/4 time. The movement reflects on the brilliance of the harmonics before it and attempts to imitate the sound of the 11th harmonic before also dissolving into chaos. A brief lament, based on the 13th century Lamento di Tristano, connects the second and third movements, before giving way to a violent finale in Tech Duinn, the underworld of Sídhe mythology. 

Live Performance Recording from the Premier
Kristen Flock and the SFCM New Music Ensemble

Leanan Sidhe II. Estampie/Habanera

Leanan Sidhe I. Introduction and Fantasy

Live premier performance.

Malphas is a study of medieval instrumental dance music, particularly of the Italian “Istampitta,” combined with an emphasis on modal dissonance and linear structure. The title refers to Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy’s 1818 Dictionnaire Infernal which details a demon wielding power over castles and architecture, Malphas. Inspired by the structure of medieval arched windows, the piece forms melodic, harmonic, and formal arches throughout, most prominently noted in the opening and closing improvisatory sections. The motivic content of the dance consists of rhythmic emphasis on dissonant intervals, masked slightly by the surrounding modal characteristics and altered string tunings.  

Malphas For Viola Solo

Arranger's Note: This dance appears to fit a similar form to the other existing salterello dances.



An Incredible Discovery!
A weird tale of the discovery of seven manuscripts likely documenting lost dances from the dark ages! Many years ago on the shores of Massachusetts a wayfaring student came across a discarded attaché case containing a collection of withered and ancient parchments filled with altered neumatic musical notation. The case was thought lost until reproductions of the parchments circulated around the west coast. A university student acquired one such facsimile and has transcribed the documents for this exclusive reproduction of the illusive and transcendent
D’Auseil Codex
For Two Pianos tuned in Quartertones

VI. Salterello

Arranger's Note: The following are the only remaining legible fragments from a parchment which has otherwise been scratched through and smeared with ink. Throughout the parchments, red ink is used for titles and the strange set of accidentals while the notation is written using dark brown or black ink. However, all of the legible notation on this page of the manuscript was written in red ink and the smears and scratch outs seem to be mostly red ink with some instances of black ink. It is difficult to speculate on the significance of this practice but the penstrokes do appear to be deliberate rather than accidental.


Incredible Discovery!
A weird tale of the discovery of seven manuscripts likely documenting lost dances from the dark ages! Many years ago on the shores of Massachusetts a wayfaring student came across a discarded attaché case containing a collection of withered and ancient parchments filled with altered neumatic musical notation. The case was thought lost until reproductions of the parchments circulated around the west coast. A university student acquired one such facsimile and has transcribed the documents for this exclusive reproduction of the illusive and transcendent
D’Auseil Codex
For Two Pianos tuned in Quartertones

V. [Fragments]

Arranger's Note: Only the "prima pars" and the endings survive from this dance, due to the bottom of the page having been torn away. This dance was left untitled in the manuscript, but it appears to be similar in style to the named Italian estampies.


An Incredible Discovery!
A weird tale of the discovery of seven manuscripts likely documenting lost dances from the dark ages! Many years ago on the shores of Massachusetts a wayfaring student came across a discarded attaché case containing a collection of withered and ancient parchments filled with altered neumatic musical notation. The case was thought lost until reproductions of the parchments circulated around the west coast. A university student acquired one such facsimile and has transcribed the documents for this exclusive reproduction of the illusive and transcendent
D’Auseil Codex
For Two Pianos tuned in Quartertones

IV. [Istampitta]

Arranger's Note: Similar to the first, this dance bears similarity to the French estampies found in the Paris manuscripts. However, the melody here begins to lose its coherency partway through and a few notes of the last "pars" have been scratched out and made illegible. I have left these bars empty instead of attempting to recreate the them for the continuity of the line.


An Incredible Discovery!
A weird tale of the discovery of seven manuscripts likely documenting lost dances from the dark ages! Many years ago on the shores of Massachusetts a wayfaring student came across a discarded attaché case containing a collection of withered and ancient parchments filled with altered neumatic musical notation. The case was thought lost until reproductions of the parchments circulated around the west coast. A university student acquired one such facsimile and has transcribed the documents for this exclusive reproduction of the illusive and transcendent
D’Auseil Codex
For Two Pianos tuned in Quartertones

III. La Undecime Estampie Royal

Arranger's Note: This dance is strangely consistent with the named estampies from the Italian "Istampitta" found in the British Library Additional 29987, despite its title deriving from Middle English. Perhaps the transcriber of the manuscripts was documenting their travels with these parchments?


An Incredible Discovery!
A weird tale of the discovery of seven manuscripts likely documenting lost dances from the dark ages! Many years ago on the shores of Massachusetts a wayfaring student came across a discarded attaché case containing a collection of withered and ancient parchments filled with altered neumatic musical notation. The case was thought lost until reproductions of the parchments circulated around the west coast. A university student acquired one such facsimile and has transcribed the documents for this exclusive reproduction of the illusive and transcendent
D’Auseil Codex
For Two Pianos tuned in Quartertones

II. Lac Caruen

Arranger's Note: This first dance presents a number of questions. Its simplicity perhaps indicates it was performed on a simple instrument when transcribed. It is unclear from the source whether "Raial"refers to "royal" or to "real," as the only other source of similar estampies, the "Chansonnier
du Roi," is equally inconsistent. The manuscript for this dance is unfortunately incomplete and ends abruptly. Nonetheless, this dance remains fairly consistent with the surviving repertoire save for the unusual markings for non-standard accidentals.



An Incredible Discovery!
A weird tale of the discovery of seven manuscripts likely documenting lost dances from the dark ages! Many years ago on the shores of Massachusetts a wayfaring student came across a discarded attaché case containing a collection of withered and ancient parchments filled with altered neumatic musical notation. The case was thought lost until reproductions of the parchments circulated around the west coast. A university student acquired one such facsimile and has transcribed the documents for this exclusive reproduction of the illusive and transcendent
D’Auseil Codex
For Two Pianos tuned in Quartertones

I. La Pryme Dansse Raial

Performed on ATTB Crumhorns by Matt Owensby.

Matthew Owensby

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