Black Swan Events (2011) 16 min.
Thrash Metal concerto for electric guitar and orchestra
 
*This piece has not yet been performed in public.

Movements (with starting times)

I. Allusions 00:00
II. Disorders of Sense and Motion 06:41
III. Nebulous 08:36
IV. Conquest and Reign 12:02

Electric guitar cadenza was composed in collaboration with Victor Dods.
Produced and recorded by Nick Vasallo.
Mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren.
 
Performers:
Electric Guitar - Victor Dods
Drumset - Luis Martinez
Flute - Toni Chimienti
Oboe - Paul Perazzo
Clarinet - Philip Halseth
Bassoon - Robert Alfaro
Horn - Amberle Mitchell
Trumpet - Todd Minson
Bass Trombone - Israel Santiago
Percussion - Taylor Rankin
Violin, Viola - Otis Harriel
Cello - Douglas Machiz
Bass - Aaron Shael
Conductor - David Waugh
 
PROGRAM NOTES
I seldom name a work before composing it but the discovery of Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s concept of the "black swan" inspired me to structure the entire work around this central idea. Based upon Taleb’s criteria, a “black swan event” is a surprise to the observer, has a major impact, and is rationalized in hindsight – as if it could have been expected (e.g., the relevant data [was] available but not accounted for).
 
One of my primary goals with Black Swan Events was to create an environment where two worlds collide and become one. I wanted to treat the appearance of Heavy Metal (“metal”) as a surprising event that has a major impact upon the structure of the work. By the end of Black Swan Events, the world of "metal" – represented by the electric guitar and drums –becomes so prevalent and enmeshed within the orchestra that its initial arrival, in hindsight, no longer seems surprising. The relationship between these two worlds – metal and western art music – transforms from instability to resolution and synthesis.
 
Composers strive to find their own distinct voices and most of these composers, consciously or unconsciously, want their voices to ‘speak’ through their music. The unifying principle in Black Swan Events takes this idea literally. Using experimental software to analyze the spectrum of my extreme metal scream, I developed chords that modeled the scream’s spectrum. I wanted a conceptual relationship to exist between my voice and all of the musical materials in Black Swan Events so that every note is, conceptually, a remnant of my scream. Essentially, I used a spectral-matching orchestrational tool to duplicate the spectrum of my scream and with this solution I built a chord. The primary motivic materials of the piece were built from the collection abstracted from the original spectral data. I also collaborated heavily with Victor Dods, the original guitarist for this work, and incorporated his musical input into the collection of motifs. These motifs play an essential unifying role in Black Swan Events.
 
While metal is the first and primary black swan event, the piece incorporates several others. I will demonstrate how polystylist and eclecticist philosophies interact in Black Swan Events to produce a highly pluralistic yet unified work, creating a music both alluding to and drawing upon the experience of other genres – born out of personal practice. References and allusions to Neurosis, George Crumb, J.S. Bach, Kanye West, Eddie Van Halen, Stravinksy, Ligeti, Beethoven, and spectralism abound in Black Swan Events. It is my intention to illustrate how my own style functions within the ongoing dialogue of these disparate sources of music.

VASALLO - Black Swan Events (Thrash Metal concerto for electric guitar and orchestra)

Performed by the Ariose Singers and Oblivion (https://www.facebook.com/OBLlVlON)

Engineered by Joe Ellis.

[Ezekiel 7:3 - Nunc finis super te, et immittam furorem meum in te: et judicabo te juxta vias tuas, et ponam contra te omnes abominationes tuas. "The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you: I will judge you according to your ways, and bring all your abominations upon you."]

VASALLO - Oblivion (2012) for choir and metal ensemble

for wind ensemble w/ taiko group 
Premiere: May 15, 2010. University of California, Santa Cruz 
2011 Truman State University/MACRO Composition Award

VASALLO - Antares Rising (2010) excerpt

for 2 trumpets, bass trombone, 3 percussion, piano 
Premiere: April 26, 2009. University of California, Santa Cruz

VASALLO - The Vertigo Series V. The Aftermath (2009) excerpt

for orchestra 
Premiere: November, 21, 2008. University of California, Santa Cruz 
2008 UCSC Student Orchestral Competition winner

VASALLO - Expand the Hive (2008)

for chamber orchestra
Premiere: April 23, 2008. University of California, Santa Cruz
April in Santa Cruz 2008 official selection

VASALLO - Coalescence (2008)

Philip Santos - violin
Julia Adams - viola
Joseph Hébert - cello
Aaron Shaul - bass

Program Notes
Composed from April 6-10th 2012. Shred is my first attempt at representing the sound, the feel, and the attitude of thrash metal into a concert music setting. The first movement—Multiverse—explores several important thrash metal guitar techniques such as pedal tones, tremolos, and highly syncopated rhythmic lines. Long Deaf Hate, the second movement, utilizes the same techniques as the first yet there is a more direct emulation of a thrash band. In this movement one can perceive layers of guitar, drums and vocals. In addition, the intervallic content used to compose a majority of the movement comes from a famous song from the seminal thrash band Slayer. A quotation of this song appears near the end; the movement builds up to this moment of parody.

This is a special bonus track on OBLIVION's upcoming debut album.

http://ObtainOblivion.com/

VASALLO - Shred: I. Multiverse (2012)

VASALLO - Shred: II. Long Deaf Hate (2012)

Performed by Emily Tian-Waugh (田果)

Composed from April 21-22nd 2013. This is my interpretation of the fugue. The  theories on “good” contrapuntal melodic writing and chromaticism are pushed to the limits. There are glimpses of tonalities but nothing stable enough to have an overall centricity. The subject is modeled after J.S.’s last fugue, however, my subject outlines an augmented chord instead of a minor triad. Augmented sonorities function as resting places throughout the work. Hence, the title of the piece.

VASALLO - Fuga Nova I. Augmentata (2013) for organ

For my other stuff go here:
http://soundcloud.com/nicholasvasallo

nvasallo

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