Eréndira Dances 2 & 3 (2011) - London Sinfonietta

Symphony 2 - version for 2 pianos

An attempt to create the soundscape of Silbury Hill at Avebury

Avebury3-TWU

A new piece for String Orchestra.  Thank you for listening and hope you enjoy.

For String Orchestra

Hope you enjoy this piano piece recorded on a Bosendorfer.

Now I Know

Saint Mark Passion - part 4, complete

Misericordia

Ensemble InterContemporain
Nicolò Umberto Foron, conductor

Premiere (live recording)
Friday 10th November 2023

60° Festival Nuova Consonanza 
Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone

© Ph: Cantarelli Marta
© Archivio Nuova Consonanza

Seeds of Light

2011 (approximate duration of all three movements: 13’)
for flute, violin, viola, cello and piano 

The great Colombian writer, Gabriel García Márquez, wrote his surreal novella 'The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Eréndira and her Souless Grandmother' in 1978.  Eréndira Dances captures the essence of this story.  It takes music from a never completed opera – the rights proved impossible to acquire.
In the first of the three dances, the two main characters of the drama, Eréndira and her Grandmother, are introduced, while the second dance evokes aspects of Eréndira's brief freedom from the tyranny of her grandmother, who has forced her into prostitution.   Dance 3 reveals two more snapshots of the last part of Eréndira’s story, now that she is back in the clutches of her Grandmother having been snatched back from the Mission. In the first snapshot, Eréndira is alone at night when her young lover, Ulises, creeps into her tent and they make love as the Grandmother sleeps, burbling away in her usual manner. The Grandmother’s frenetic burblings, now depicted by the violin and finally the viola, are coming to an end as she has been poisoned and stabbed repeatedly by Ulises. When she is finally dead, Eréndira runs away leaving Ulises by the side of the Grandmother’s whale-like body. © Paul Max Edlin 2011

This recording was made at the world premiere in May 2011, given by the London Sinfonietta.  Grateful thanks to the London Sinfonietta for giving permission for this movement to be made available on Soundcloud.

Eréndira Dance No 3 (2011) Alone, and even after love and death, she runs away) London Sinfonietta

2011 (approximate duration of all three movements: 13’)
flute, violin, viola, cello and piano Programme note: The great Colombian writer, Gabriel García Márquez, wrote his surreal novella The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Eréndira and her Soulless Grandmother in 1978. Eréndira Dances captures the essence of this story. It takes music from an never completed opera – the rights proved impossible to acquire.
In the first of the three dances, the two main characters, Eréndira and her Grandmother, and their surreal circumstances are introduced. The second dance reveals snapshots of Eréndira’s now troubled life. Time has moved on a pace and the havoc caused by the wind of misfortune has seen the Grandmother’s home burned to the ground, and Eréndira has been forced into prostitution to pay off her debts. She will be a prostitute for years to come, and the Grandmother has made Eréndira the most famous and busy prostitute in all of South America. By chance, a handsome and innocent young man, Ulises, has met Eréndira and fallen in love with her. They make love in Eréndira’s tent. Their relationship has far to go. In the meantime, the Mission has made an attempt to rescue Eréndira from the wicked Grandmother. She finds herself at peace in the mission and hears the soft music of Bach played on a clavichord. She is free from her terrible world at last.  © Paul Max Edlin 2011

This recording was made at the world premiere in May 2011, given by the London Sinfonietta. Grateful thanks to the London Sinfonietta for giving permission for this movement to be made available on Soundcloud.

Eréndira Dance No 2 (2011) Eréndira's tormented pleasure & the passion of Bach  - London Sinfonietta

Live recording Teatro Grande di Brescia - Three songs on the persian poetry by Rūmī - Giulia Peri, soprano - Lamberto Curtoni, Cello

Three Persian Lyrics

Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese
Marco Moresco, conductor

Dark Clouds, for orchestra

Sheet music: https://ump.co.uk/catalogue/max-noah-the-candle-lagoon/
www.noahmax.net
It is told that if you approach the Lagoon at sunset, light a small candle and whisper your darkest secret to the waters, the waters will respond by summoning forth from the depths of the Lagoon a vision of your future, laid bare in the evening light. The Tale of the Candle Lagoon tells of a child — you, me, humanity entire — who does just this, but sees in the surface of the Lagoon only a reflection of themselves, of the burning clouds and the setting sun, a ball of fire nestled under the water. As twilight turns to night and the world turns cold, the child wonders which is more terrifying: has History been falsified, or are they and the whole Universe destined to burn?

Recorded live at the world premiere performance at St. Giles' Cripplegate on 26th November, 2018 Echo Ensemble: Winter Sun
Conducted by the composer

The Candle Lagoon, Op.8 (World Premiere) | Noah Max, 2018

Paul Max Edlin, 2016/2017 Composer in Residence for the London Chamber Orchestra, has a career that combines composing with higher education, artistic direction and performing.  

His works have been performed by many leading artists including Alison Balsom, Arditti Quartet, Britten Sinfonia, David Campbell, Cantus Ansambl, Dame Sarah Connolly, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Rolf Hind, Johannes Möller, London Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Olga Pasiecznik, Psappha, Silesian Quartet, Southbank Sinfonia and Gabriella Swallow.

He studied with Edwin Roxburgh, Richard Blackford and Joseph Horowitz (Royal College of Music) and Michael Finnissy (University of Sussex). He has won many prizes including Premio Internazionale Ancona, Harriet Cohen Memorial Award and United Music Publishers Prize. His music explores symbolism and often derives its inspiration from extra musical material. From the mid 80’s to mid 90’s many works were inspired by the art and architecture of South-East Asia, especially Indochina. From 2000 onward symbolism of a wider range of sources guided his music, from the chiastic structures of J.S. Bach to the writings of Gabriel García Márquez and Federico García Lorca and visual work of Frida Kahlo.

He is former Director of Music at Queen Mary University of London. He was Artistic Director of Deal Music & Arts (formerly Deal Festival) from 2004 to 2021, Sounds New (2007 to 2013), Director of International Composer Pyramid (2008-2023) and was Chair of the Board of of Trustees of Ora Singers. He is current Chair of China U.K. International Music Festival. He supports a range of charities and arts organisations through activities on their various boards and committees.  From 2012 to 2013 he was President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), the UK's leading association for professional musicians.

Eréndira Dance No 3 (2011) Alone, and even after love and death, she runs away) London Sinfonietta

Paul Max Edlin

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