Six cinematic pieces for full orchestra, written very speedily (at odd times over four days) as a bet with my wife to prove to her that I can write a tune and be commercial!  

1. Captain Cliché
2. Gabriel's Pipe & Slippers
3. Dracula has indigestion at midnight (segue to...)
4. Frankenstein takes a shower
5. Harper's Bazaar
6. Pirated!

The quirky/quasi authentic additional sound effects that appear toward the end are available free from SoundBible, ZapSplat, SoundSnap and, best of all, BBC Sound Effects, all of whom ask for crediting - and quite right too!

© Paul Max Edlin 2021

Impossible Missions - a musical bet (2021)

New Horizons - Concerto for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra (2022)
Solo trumpet in C, doubling piccolo trumpet and flugelhorn
Flute, 2 Oboes (Oboe 1 doubling cor anglais), Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon, 2 Horns, 1 Trumpet (doubling piccolo trumpet), Percussion, Strings

This work began its life as a short piece commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the London Chamber Orchestra as it looked toward new horizons.  There was so much yet to explore in that original short piece 'A New Horizon' that I took it further, and this concerto, 'New Horizons', is the result.  It was also composed at a time when new horizons beckoned personally.

© Paul Max Edlin 2022

This electronically created version is made for study purposes.

New Horizons - Concerto for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra (2022)

Concerto per Pianoforte e Orchestra da Camera
   I - calmo, simpatico e sereno
   II - veloce, giocoso e furioso / serioso e sfacciata / veloce, giocoso e furioso / energico e bruto
   III - sereno e quasi nebbia

Note:
This concerto is the first significant work composed having moved to Italy.  There is a new found peace in this work, even if the second movement is intentionally exciting.  However, the music's harmonies are more open and purposefully beautiful.  The work, cast in three movements, has no programmatic intent, but there is a clear musical journey, based on a mix of dialogue between soloist and orchestra, where ideas bounce back and forth, and where independence of spirit is always evident, even if the two characters (so to speak) are good companions.  The work is dedicated to my wife, Giuliana.

This electronically created audio version is intended for study purposes only.

image: Creative Commons Licence

Concerto per Pianoforte e Orchestra da Camera

Concerto per pianoforte n. 2 - Il grande illusionista
per pianoforte e grande orchestra
   I - ...si svogle un dramma
   II - ...un'elegia assurda
   III - ...una cadenza surreale
   IV - ...un gran finale: introduzione - una passacaglia imperiosa

This piano concerto derived from a commission for piano and toy piano.  I intended to write that piece first and then use elements for a larger scale work.  I drafted some sketches, but then fantasy took hold, and I imagined a sort of conjuror of surreal images and situations, a character of dreams that could create the extraordinary.  I suppose this all harks back to the surreal paintings my mother painted, and the sort of visual imagery I have always loved.  There is no story, and there is no intention to create specific images.  Rather the music alludes to fantasy.  But it is steeped in tradition too.  The first movement is in a sort of sonata form; the second 'elegy' is a theme and variations; the cadenza uses material from what has come and what will come and the final movement is a passacaglia.  Certain piano concertos helped inspire specific moments: Beethoven's Emperor, Tchaikovsky's 1st, Ravel's G major, Prokofiev's 2nd and Bartok's 3rd.

Now the task is to compose the original commission...

© Paul Max Edlin 2024

The image is copyright Michael Cheval

Concerto per pianoforte n. 2 - Il grande illusionista

Borodubur – Temple of the Secret Aspect
1987 (appx. 32’)
5.4.4.4 – 5.6.3.1 – 2hp, celeste, 5 perc, – 16.16.14.12.10
This early work is based on the architectural design and narrative carvings of the immense Javanese monument, Borobudur, which sits at the heart of the Kedu Plain in central Java.  The music takes us on a literal tour of the monument, exploring its meaning as explained by the narrative bas reliefs that adorn its galleries, and eventually experiencing the building's symbolic representation of Nirvana.
© Paul Max Edlin 2016 

The performers on this recording of the premiere are the Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra conducted by Elgar Howarth

A film version of this work is available on You Tube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qbkj2zHB7E&t=741s

Borobudur - Temple of the Secret Aspect (1987) Elgar Howarth/RCM Symphony Orchestra

The Celestial Palace

1989 (appx 25’)
2 mezzo-sopranos and ensemble
alto.fl.0.3.0 – 1.0.3.0 – 2pnos, 2 perc, – 5 vc 

This work relates the legend of the Phimeanakas, The Celestial Palace, that lies within the grounds of The Royal Palace in the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Each and every night the King had to have union with the serpent goddess in order for good to come to the Khmer kingdom. Failure to have this union would bring calamity to the empire.  The work is structured on the physical shape of the Phimeanakas, it uses original Sanskrit texts found on the steles of the ancient Khmer kingdom and the narratives contained within are symbolised in a host of ways.  This work became the central (and most intimate) act of a five act opera 'Bayon', that celebrates the life of Jayavarman VII, the most famous and extraordinary of the ancient Khmer rulers.  © Paul Max Edlin 2016

The performers on this recording are RCM Twentieth Century Ensemble conducted by Edwin Roxburgh

The illustration to accompany this track is by Louis Delaporte (1890), and is an informed reimagining of the main entrance to The Royal Palace from the Elephant Terrace.

A film version of this complete work is available on You Tube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmTMxiMZbQ&t=273s

The Celestial Palace (1989) - complete work - Edwin Roxburgh/RCM C20th Ensemble

A Doorway To The Temple Of Isis
6th and last movement of From an 'Artist in Egypt' - for solo piano

1993 (appx. 11’) Programme note:  This set of six short pieces captures the vivid imagery of ancient Egypt as depicted in the often charming watercolours of Edwardian artist Walter Tyndale whose book ‘From and Artist in Egypt’ became an inspiration. We move from the awe inspiring image of the great Sphinx at night, to the hussle and bustle of street markets, the natural flora and fauna of the region and more of the antiquities such as the tombs of the khalifs. These short pieces can be played as a set, or movements can be played on their own, especially ‘The Sphinx by Night’, which is a dramatic work, yet is not technically as demanding as the others. © Paul Max Edlin 1995

The pianist in this recording is Kim Burwell

A Doorway To The Temple Of Isis (1993)

1985 version
7 trumpets (piccolo, natural, Eb, Bb, bass tpts, flugelhorn), perc, piano, organ.
Commissioned by John Wallace and the Wallace Collection,
Won IX Internazionale Premio Ancona 

2014 version 
7 trumpets (piccolo, natural, Eb, Bb, bass trumpets, flugelhorn), perc., piano, 2 cellos, 3 double basses.  
New version made especially for RNCM ‘After the Silence… Music in the Shadow of War’ 

Programme Note: Revelation 9:1-11: “Then the Fifth Trumpet angel sounded and I saw a star having fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree; but only those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. And they were not authorized to kill them, but to torment them for five months: and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death, and will not find it; and they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates, like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollo. One woe is past. Behold, two more woes are coming hereafter”.  

When John Wallace formed the Wallace Collection, he brought together the finest trumpet players in the United Kingdom.  Legendary names of the past such as John Wilbraham and David Mason joined forces with the finest up-and-coming players such as Mark Bennett and Bob Farley.  Their first concert was at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and this work was composed for that event..  I wanted to create a work that would provoke thought as well as being a demonstration of virtuosity. The biblical story of the seven trumpets of the apocalypse from The Book of Revelation lended itself to this instrumentation as well as my intention.  Here was an allegory that responds to the results of man’s inhumanity to man and his environment spawning immeasurable suffering and torment.  The parallels with the horrors of war need no elaboration. ‘The Fifth Trumpet’ describes an initial vision of Heaven from which the Fifth Angel blows his trumpet. A star falls from heaven creating an earthly abyss from which smoke pours and the locusts with scorpion stings inflict months of agony on mankind who seek the solace of death.  But death evades them.  The programmatic intent of the story should be apparent in the clearly defined sections of the piece.  A range of trumpets are used: piccolo trumpets, natural trumpets in old pitch keys, Eb, Bb and bass trumpets.  Together with these are percussion, piano and either organ (as in the 1985 original score) or 2 ‘cellos and 3 basses (as in this 2014 revision).  The trumpet writing pushes the instruments to extreme limits, not least the 5th trumpet part, which has specific solo passages and which was written for John Wallace. In the 2014 revision, several changes were made: the organ part has been reworked for lower strings and there has been some rationalising of barring and some minor simplification of the actual instrumental parts.  This live recording is of the first (original) version, was made in the mid 1980s, and is conducted by John Wallace.   © Edlin 2014

The Fifth Trumpet (1985)

1988 
2.1.1.1 – 0.2.1.0 hp, celeste, 3 perc., – 0.0.3.2.1
First performed as the ballet 'Wild Child', part of 'Prince Albert’s Vision', Britten Theatre, London (1990). Banteay Srei is an exquisite temple complex only a few miles north of the great Cambodian city of Angkor. The name translates as ‘Citadel of the Women’ and it is so-called because of its graceful design and petite proportions.  This work is based on the structural design of the temple and symbolises the narrative bas reliefs of the many carvings.  This recording was made in the late 1980s by an ensemble of exceptional students at the RCM and was conducted by Neil Thomson.  
© Paul Max Edlin 2016

Banteay Srei - Citadel of the Women (1988)

Cello Concerto
2006 (appx. 24’)
solo cello
1(+ alt.fl).1.1.1 - 1.1.1.0, - hp, perc, - 5vv, 2vla, 1vc, 1db

Programme note:
Don continues a theme of symbolism that permeates and guides so many of my compositions.  In this instance it explores certain moral issues in a somewhat enigmatic way, while exploiting the distinct nature of the concerto medium. Indeed it is the master/servant relationship, in which the soloist both guides and follows those around it, that stimulates much of the musical argument.  The use of a semi-solo bassoon part acts as a ‘doppelganger’ as well as allowing for that ‘master/servant’ relationship to be explored (hence the title Don as in Don Giovanni and Don Quixote, etc.)  The ‘solo role’ in any concerto has dramatic connotations, but it must reach beyond ‘pure theatre’ even if it embraces it.  This cello part is hugely virtuosic, as are many of the passages the other instrumentalists have to play.

The harmonic impetus stems from the opening chord to the central movement of Bartok’s fourth string quartet – a chord built up of two whole-tone triads which together form a diatonic hexachord.  This particular chord, composer and quartet are important to me.  There is an inherent symmetry of Bartok’s chord – and the way in which it is expanded as the movement progresses.  My work expands it, and symmetrically too, but delves into the world of microtones and harmonies that allude to other cultures.  Issues of ‘convergence’ and ‘divergence’ form the basis of the concerto, with the principals of two differing groups (cello and bassoon) responding to the harmonic realms established by each other.  While the cello continually sets the pace, its own musical material evolves and adapts as a result of varying ‘influences’ from others.  Political issues can be alluded to, of course. Not least in the suggestion that interaction of seeming opposites can share common ground through debate.  Bartok’s own music is particularly apposite to use in this way.  The renowned musicologist Theodore Adorno pointed out that Bartok’s music ‘spans the gulf between, on the one hand, the ahistorical, epic ‘natural community of the pre-industrial world where the ‘individual’ is represented by the hero… and, on the other hand, the highly industrialised societies of the modern world, within which the individual … exists in a state of alienation’.  © Paul Max Edlin 2007

The solo cellist on this recording is Gabriella Swallow



Don - a Cello Concerto (2006) - Gabriella Swallow (cello)

Jean-Philippe Rameau 'Les Indes Galantes'  - Suite arranged by Paul Max Edlin 

for:  
Flute (doubling piccolo and bass flute) 
Clarinet in A (doubling bass-clarinet) 
Percussion (triangle, crotales [bowed], vibraphone, marimba, 3 gongs, tam-tam, tenor drum, tambourine) 
Piano 
Violin 
'Cello   

1. Air pour les Esclaves Affricains 
2. Tambourines 
3. Adoration du soleil 
4. Air pour boree et la rose 
5. Danse du grand calumet de paix executee par les sauvages  

Duration: circa 9 - 10 minutes   

Programme note:  
Rameau's opera-ballet 'Les Indes Galantes' ('The Amorous Indes') was first realised in Paris' Palais Royale in 1735.  It is a strange and somewhat incoherent story in several parts, set seemingly in the South Americas, yet really nowhere at all - just in some strange world not known to us.  We must remember that this was a time of discovery, and adventure and the exotic was to be marvelled at simply for its curiosity.  Rameau's music is startlingly adventurous and is certainly highly exotic, containing music of a wealth of heightened colours.  This transcription takes a movement from each act (the Prologue and each of the four subsequent Entrées) therefore giving a nod to the work's overall design.  This instrumentation is certainly alien to anything Rameau would have known.  While his creation would have used percussion, these would have been fairly rudimentary instruments, and he certainly would not have had access to the plethora of types of instruments that have worked their way into the orchestral palette.  Furthermore, the clarinet and piano had yet to be invented, and the bass flute had not even been imagined.  This transcription goes beyond the conventional use of that word. The music is restyled.  It is done so to leave a message.  A sardonic wit should permeate the whole and we should find ourselves both amused by what we hear, yet also somewhat surprised that we can take for granted music with such titles.  And yet, Rameau's music is exquisite, and the 'Adoration du soleil' (Adoration of the sun') is breathtakingly beautiful.  The 'Air to the African Slaves' gives way to a Chaplainesque 'Tambourin' - the first of these two inhabiting sounds that are deep and rumbustious, and the second being exceedingly light and frivolous.  'The Dance of the Savages' now mixes the music of Russia with Klezmer, Vienna, France, Tango and Great Britain, among an amorphous pool.  After all, we are all savages at times.  The irony is personal.  I am often bedevilled by man's frequent inability to behave decently.  I am amused and saddened that so called leaders can make so many mistakes - and in its year of composition (2014) that celebrated the centenary of beginning of the First World War, remembering the innumerable consequences that needless war created was certainly in my mind.  But so were the mini jostlings of power in so many environments - even in homes. Thus this transcription becomes something of an irreverent and cheeky nod, which is nonetheless serious in its fundamental creation.  The result is a journey in which we discover Rameau's music anew, revel in its colour and charm, laugh at its wit, and ponder the inadequacy of mankind in its ability to properly understand itself.  This recording, made at a live event with a roving microphone, was given by the Ossian Ensemble, directed by Darren Bloom
© Paul Max Edlin, August 2014

Les Indes Galantes (2014) - Ossian Ensemble

The third part in a trilogy for chamber orchestra, 'The Bitterness of Fond Memories' has several subtexts: principally a re-enactment of a scene in a story by Gabriel García Márquez (Innocent Eréndira), where an old woman retells her youthful memories to her granddaughter as they listen to a quasi-Hispanic tune on an old ‘78’. On another level, it also pays a personal tribute to a life tragically cut short. The score also explores unconventional techniques in instrumental timbres and approaches to notation, where individual musicians ‘lead’ varying groups of instruments, while the conductor maintains an overview of proceedings. © Paul Max Edlin 2016

The Bitterness Of Fond Memories (2005)

Extended excerpt from Act 2 of an Opera in two acts. 1986 (appx. 90’)
Libretto: Jonathan Kreeger, based on Oscar Wilde’s story 'The Fisherman and his Soul'.  This work was written while the composer was a student in his early twenties at the RCM.
Principal roles: tenor, baritone, lyric soprano, mezzo-soprano, bass, counter-tenor, alto
Other roles: tenor, baritone, silent role, Chorus
1.1.1.1 – 4.1.1.0 – hp, celeste, 5 perc. – 3,3,2,3,1 This opera in two acts is a retelling of Oscar Wilde’s beautiful but sad tale of a fisherman’s love for a mermaid and how he seeks to be with her. In order to join this ‘other world’, so unfamiliar to him, he must part with his soul. Thus begins a tale that takes us through exotic realms but ultimately leads to tragedy.
This is a live recording from the premiere production at the Royal College of Music's Britten Theatre.  The performers were students from the RCM Opera School and RCM Orchestra conducted by James Lockhart.  The role of the Fisherman is sung by Simon Haynes, the Soul by Mark Oldfield, the High Priest by Denis Lakey and the Emperor by

The Fisherman Act 2 Part 1 (1986)

The 4th and central movement from 'The Celestial Palace'

1989 (complete work appx. 25’)
2 mezzo-sopranos and ensemble
alto.fl.0.3.0 – 1.0.3.0 – 2pnos, 2 perc, – 5 vc

This work relates the legend of the Phimeanakas, The Celestial Palace, that lies in the heart of the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Each and every night the King had to have union with the serpent goddess in order for good to come to the Khmer kingdom. Failure to have this union would bring calamity to the empire. The work is structured on the physical shape of the Phimeanakas, it uses original Sanskrit texts found on the steles of the ancient Khmer kingdom and the narratives contained within are symbolised in a host of ways. This work became the central (and most intimate) act of a five act opera 'Bayon', that celebrates the life of Jayavarman VII, the most famous and extraordinary of the ancient Khmer rulers. © Paul Max Edlin 2016

The performers on this recording are RCM Twentieth Century Ensemble conducted by Edwin Roxburgh.

The illustration is by Louis Delaporte (1842 – 1925)

A film version of this complete work is available on You Tube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmTMxiMZbQ&t=273s

IV 'Legend' - The Celestial Palace (1989)

The 3rd movement from 'The Celestial Palace'

1989 (complete work appx. 25’)
2 mezzo-sopranos and ensemble
alto.fl.0.3.0 – 1.0.3.0 – 2pnos, 2 perc, – 5 vc

This work relates the legend of the Phimeanakas, The Celestial Palace, that lies in the heart of the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Each and every night the King had to have union with the serpent goddess in order for good to come to the Khmer kingdom. Failure to have this union would bring calamity to the empire. The work is structured on the physical shape of the Phimeanakas, it uses original Sanskrit texts found on the steles of the ancient Khmer kingdom and the narratives contained within are symbolised in a host of ways. This work became the central (and most intimate) act of a five act opera 'Bayon', that celebrates the life of Jayavarman VII, the most famous and extraordinary of the ancient Khmer rulers. © Paul Max Edlin 2016

The performers on this recording are RCM Twentieth Century Ensemble conducted by Edwin Roxburgh.

The illustration is by Louis Delaporte (1842 – 1925)

A film version of this complete work is available on You Tube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmTMxiMZbQ&t=273s

III 'Evocation I' - The Celestial Palace (1989)

The 1st and 2nd movements from 'The Celestial Palace'

1989 (complete work appx. 25’)
2 mezzo-sopranos and ensemble
alto.fl.0.3.0 – 1.0.3.0 – 2pnos, 2 perc, – 5 vc

This work relates the legend of the Phimeanakas, The Celestial Palace, that lies in the heart of the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Each and every night the King had to have union with the serpent goddess in order for good to come to the Khmer kingdom. Failure to have this union would bring calamity to the empire. The work is structured on the physical shape of the Phimeanakas, it uses original Sanskrit texts found on the steles of the ancient Khmer kingdom and the narratives contained within are symbolised in a host of ways. This work became the central (and most intimate) act of a five act opera 'Bayon', that celebrates the life of Jayavarman VII, the most famous and extraordinary of the ancient Khmer rulers. © Paul Max Edlin 2016

The performers on this recording are RCM Twentieth Century Ensemble conducted by Edwin Roxburgh.

A film version of this complete work is available on You Tube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmTMxiMZbQ&t=273s

I 'Incantation' & II 'Ritual' - The Celestial Palace (1989)

1993 
For solo piano
Programme note: This set of six short pieces captures the vivid imagery of ancient Egypt as depicted in the skilful watercolours of Edwardian artist Walter Tyndale whose book ‘From an Artist in Egypt’ became an inspiration. We move from the awe inspiring image of the great 'Sphinx by Night', to the hussle and bustle of street markets (The Khan Khalil), the mystery of the 'Tombs of the Khalifs', an image of 'A Cortege' and the natural flora and fauna of the region '(The Jacaranda' and more of the antiquities such as a Doorway to the Temple of Isis'. These short pieces can be played as a set, or movements can be played on their own, especially ‘The Sphinx by Night’, which is a dramatic work, yet is not technically as demanding as the others. © Paul Max Edlin 1995

The pianist in this recording is Kim Burwell

From an Artist in Egypt (1993)- Complete Work - Kim Burwell (piano)

1994 - Complete work in 3 movements
This string trio was commissioned by the British composer Alan Ridout shortly before he died. Alan Ridout had taught at the RCM and lived and worked in Canterbury, as did I at the time, and he wanted to support my work. He was passionate about the medium of the string trio, and, I suspect, even considered it superior to the quartet, and certainly hugely underrated.
The medium of the string trio is a fascinating one, and, in many respects, makes more logistical sense than the conventional string quartet, being beautifully and equally balanced. This works explores a range of textures and designs as well as personal symbolism. Thus it combines public and private messages, a means of creativity that I find stimulating and fulfilling. This recording is of a live performance given by members of the Tippett Quartet. 
© Paul Max Edlin 2016

String Trio (1994) - Complete Work - Tippett Quartet

Three Old Gramophones
2005 
2 (I + picc. & bass fl, II + bass fl).1.2. (I + picc. Eb cl, II + bass cl).sop sax Bb.1 – 1.2.1.0, – pno/harm, 2/3 perc. – 4.4.3.3.1 
Programme note: Three Old Gramophones examines symbolism in music, principally in two ways. Firstly, it presents music that appears ‘familiar’ in a generally unmodified way. Secondly, it envelops this music with another layer of sonorities that may appear recognisable, though not necessarily in the context in which it is heard. Three Old Gramophones uses both ‘private’ and ‘shared’ symbolism. ‘Two Gentlemen in Japan’ re-works the overture to The Mikado, manipulating it to sound rather more like genuine Japanese Gagaku court music. This ‘shared’ element examines Edlin’s personal political stance that the West has often abused its relationship with the East. Sousa’s composition El Capitan was (apparently) the last piece to be played as the Titanic sank. El Capitan’s famous demise envelops this piece with fragments of familiar ‘sea related’ pieces. The final piece has several subtexts: principally a re-enactment of a scene in a story by Gabriel García Marquez, where an old woman retells her youthful memories to her granddaughter as they listen to a quasi-Hispanic tune on an old ‘78’. On another level, it also pays a personal tribute to a life tragically cut short. The score also explores new techniques in instrumental timbres and new approaches to notation, where individual musicians ‘lead’ varying groups of instruments, while the conductor maintains an overview of proceedings. © Paul Max Edlin 2005

Three Old Gramophones (2005) - Complete Work

This early work was composed in 1982, whilst a student at the Royal College of Music.  It demonstrates the influence of Prokofiev.  The principal subject matter and musical material was quickly developed in a subsequent orchestral work, Jabberwocky.

The pianist in this premiere performance given at the RCM is Richard le May.

Prelude And Dance Of The Fantastic Dragon (1982)

...and the Body of Transformations (2018)
For Magnetic Resonator Piano
Piano: Rolf Hind
Live recording of first performance
Recorded by Alessia Milo

The temple complex of Preah Khan is part of the vast area more commonly referred to as ‘Angkor’ in Cambodia.  It was built by Jayavarman VII.  An obsession with Angkor began thirty years ago and I had written a series of large-scale works based on its architectural designs, as well as encrypting the pieces with lots of relative information. However, it was not until 2017 that I actually visited Cambodia and saw the ancient city ‘in person’.

I felt a need to return ‘musically’ to Angkor and to respond to what I had seen. Of all the extraordinary sights, Preah Khan left a new and immensely strong impression. Books generally refer to the unique two-storey pavilion with its almost Romanesque columns, no doubt because they initially appear more ‘European’. However, there is nothing remotely of the ‘West’, and its neighbouring ‘Hall of Dancers’ reveals some of the most exquisite bas reliefs in all of Angkor. Similarly, the mix of man made and natural architecture is exemplified by the way in which trees and buildings now entwine, as if purposefully juxtaposed by a surrealist artist. I know that I will never forget standing in what still seems like a surreal and other worldly part of the complex, surrounded by mysterious buildings encrusted in fine and ornate bas reliefs. That was a literal ‘dream’ in a day’s reality. 

The piano is an instrument we believe we know fully.  Yet there are aspects and sonorities of the piano yet to be discovered. There is another hidden instrument. Andrew McPherson’s Magnetic Resonator Piano adds a complex set of magnets to the strings of the conventional grand piano, which, through clever manipulation, creates totally natural new sonorities. Instead of having the strings ‘struck’ by hammers, these strings aurally ‘glow’ in response to magnets that pull at them and cause them to vibrate. And through further clever manipulation, they can be made to vibrate in certain ways to achieve a series of new and unexpected sonorities. Some of these sonorities sound ‘electronic’, but they are absolutely not.  All are entirely natural – and therefore they achieve an ever-changing quality of tone and colour. Exact repetition is impossible.

The Magnetic Resonator Piano (MRP) exemplifies a mix of familiar and unknown, it captures a seeming ‘other’ world, a surreal quality that I adore, and it beguiles through its completely natural beauty of tone. It seemed right to try to evoke a new response to Angkor through this deeply special instrument.

The curious thing I found was that while my music had moved on, I returned to the same schemes of creating ciphers and designing musical structures I had adopted many years ago. I realised that these compositional tools were ‘within’ my natural way of thinking. The fact that I had now seen Angkor in reality, as opposed to through illustrated books, ultimately made little actual difference to the creative spur the inspiration ignited. Yet there is a difference, which I can acknowledge. To attempt to recreate a ground plan, a physical structure that can be viewed from an infinite number of angles, plus the heady atmosphere of a moment in time is impossible. All we can ever do is evoke a perceived mystery and report aspects of an inspiration.

The opening lines on Preah Khan's stele translate as "The Lord (bhagaván) is divided, for his body is the Body of the Law, the Body of Enjoyment, and the Body of Transformations". From here comes the title of this work, which is ultimately all about transformations.

Grateful thanks to Andrew McPherson and James Doherty for their help in the preparation of this work for MRP, and to Rolf Hind whose exemplary pianism brought it to life.

The photographic image of Preah Khan was taken by the composer.

For a film version, please visit: https://youtu.be/qD3M0idiRDY

© Paul Max Edlin 2018

...and the Body of Transformations (2018) - Rolf Hind (magnetic resonator piano) - premiere

...and the Body of Transformations (2018)
Magnetic Resonator Piano: Rolf Hind

Recorded by Ken Peers, July 2019

The temple complex of Preah Khan is part of the vast area more commonly referred to as ‘Angkor’ in Cambodia. It was built by Jayavarman VII. An obsession with Angkor began thirty years ago and I had written a series of large-scale works based on its architectural designs, as well as encrypting the pieces with lots of relative information. However, it was not until 2017 that I actually visited Cambodia and saw the ancient city ‘in person’.

I felt a need to return ‘musically’ to Angkor and to respond to what I had seen. Of all the extraordinary sights, Preah Khan left a new and immensely strong impression. Books generally refer to the unique two-storey pavilion with its almost Romanesque columns, no doubt because they initially appear more ‘European’. However, there is nothing remotely of the ‘West’, and its neighbouring ‘Hall of Dancers’ reveals some of the most exquisite bas reliefs in all of Angkor. Similarly, the mix of man made and natural architecture is exemplified by the way in which trees and buildings now entwine, as if purposefully juxtaposed by a surrealist artist. I know that I will never forget standing in what still seems like a surreal and other worldly part of the complex, surrounded by mysterious buildings encrusted in fine and ornate bas reliefs. That was a literal ‘dream’ in a day’s reality.

The piano is an instrument we believe we know fully. Yet there are aspects and sonorities of the piano yet to be discovered. There is another hidden instrument. Andrew McPherson’s Magnetic Resonator Piano adds a complex set of magnets to the strings of the conventional grand piano, which, through clever manipulation, creates totally natural new sonorities. Instead of having the strings ‘struck’ by hammers, these strings aurally ‘glow’ in response to magnets that pull at them and cause them to vibrate. And through further clever manipulation, they can be made to vibrate in certain ways to achieve a series of new and unexpected sonorities. Some of these sonorities sound ‘electronic’, but they are absolutely not. All are entirely natural – and therefore they achieve an ever-changing quality of tone and colour. Exact repetition is impossible.

The Magnetic Resonator Piano (MRP) exemplifies a mix of familiar and unknown, it captures a seeming ‘other’ world, a surreal quality that I adore, and it beguiles through its completely natural beauty of tone. It seemed right to try to evoke a new response to Angkor through this deeply special instrument.

The curious thing I found was that while my music had moved on, I returned to the same schemes of creating ciphers and designing musical structures I had adopted many years ago. I realised that these compositional tools were ‘within’ my natural way of thinking. The fact that I had now seen Angkor in reality, as opposed to through illustrated books, ultimately made little actual difference to the creative spur the inspiration ignited. Yet there is a difference, which I can acknowledge. To attempt to recreate a ground plan, a physical structure that can be viewed from an infinite number of angles, plus the heady atmosphere of a moment in time is impossible. All we can ever do is evoke a perceived mystery and report aspects of an inspiration.

The opening lines on Preah Khan's stele translate as "The Lord (bhagaván) is divided, for his body is the Body of the Law, the Body of Enjoyment, and the Body of Transformations". From here comes the title of this work, which is ultimately all about transformations.

Grateful thanks to Andrew McPherson and James Doherty for their help in the preparation of this work for MRP, and to Rolf Hind whose exemplary pianism brought it to life.

The photographic image of Preah Khan was taken by the composer.

For a film version of the 1st performance, please visit: youtu.be/qD3M0idiRDY

© Paul Max Edlin 2018

...and the body of transformations (2018) - Rolf Hind (magnetic resonator piano)

A Pilgrim of Angkor 
(1997, rev 2020) for large orchestra

4 (picc./fl./alto fl./bass fl).3 (ob./ob d'am./cor-ang).3 (picc Eb./Cl in A/Bass cl).3 (bsn./2 contra bsn).sop.sax – 4. 3. bass tpt. euph. 2.- 1  hp, pno, 9 perc. – 16.14.12.10.8

Composer’s Note:
The great temple complex of Angkor was reputedly discovered by the French explorer Henri Mouhot in 1860.  The temples hadn’t been fully abandoned, but they were in serious neglect.  Angkor Wat was still home to a group of monks while other temples had been taken over by the encroaching forest.  Why the Khmers gradually left Angkor, once the greatest capital on earth, remains a matter of conjecture.  What is certain is the extraordinary impact it makes today, created by a mix of dimension, intricate detail, symbolic plans, and an environment that mixes man and nature.  

No piece of music can recreate a complex work of architecture, because one is three dimensional and another isn’t!  But the simplicity of fundamental design, combined with the most detailed and abundant imagery is how music is created.  As a result, this work uses ways to evoke, represent, symbolise and guide the listener into an other-worldly place where ritual and exoticism combine.  

The title is a direct translation of the name of Pierre Loti’s famous book about the city, Un Pèlerin d’Angkor (originally published in 1912).  But it is right, because I have been a pilgrim of Angkor for oh so many years, finally visiting the city in 2017, twenty years after this work was created.  © Paul Max Edlin 2020

This electronically created version is for study use only.

Music © Paul Max Edlin 1997

A Pilgrim Of Angkor (1997 rev 2020) - for large orchestra

Duelle Romani - Concerto for Trumpet, Percussion & 10 solo strings (2020)
by Paul Max Edlin

For: Trumpet in Bb, Percussion (Crotales, Marimba [4 octave], Vibraphone, 4 Rototoms, Tenor Drum, Bass Drum, 4 Gongs [varying sizes], Tam-tam), 4 Violins, 3 Violas, 2 ‘Cellos, 1 Bass

Programme Note:
This short concertante style work derives from a short piece for solo trumpet, Gone in 60 Seconds, commissioned by Oxford Festival of the Arts for trumpeter Brendan Ball. I was so inspired by Brendan’s virtuoso performance that I decided to create a larger piece using the same musical material. The principal motif is a three-note pattern that literally spirals in varying directions.

Pitted against the trumpet is a percussion part that literally duels and spars, with the two players 'jousting' with each other. The strings act as both a backdrop, a resonating chamber and as a partner, though always responding directly to the musical material presented by the main protagonist – the trumpet. A perpetual energy is the final result, either in dramatic or more tranquil sections.

This work was composed during the Christmas period of 2020.

© Paul Max Edlin 2020

Duello Romano - for Trumpet, Percussion & 10 strings (2020)

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.

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