CONSTRUCTION

I open and close (1988) for amplified string quartet

Third in a series of trios where RB and RS team up with an acoustic instrumentalist (the first two featured Olaf Rupp and Michael Vorfeld respectively). Recorded by Richard Scott.

Zsolt Sőrés (viola), Richard Barrett & Richard Scott (electronics), AUXXX, Berlin, 22 November 2013

Performed at Melba Hall, Melbourne, 17 March 2014, by ELISION (Paula Rae, bass flute; Genevieve Lacey, bass recorder).

Adocentyn (from CONSTRUCTION, 2011) for bass flute and bass recorder

"venus" was performed at the Phoenix Cultural Centre in Sydney on 30 September 2023, by ELISION: Peter Neville, Marshall McGuire and Ben Ward, conducted by Tristram Williams. Recorded by Richard Hundy and mixed/mastered by RB.

"venus" is a component of the ensemble composition "elsewhen", which itself forms part of the conglomerate composition "PSYCHE". The title refers to the prehistoric figurines with stylised female forms (like the well-known “Venus of Willendorf” in the illustration). It isn’t known whether they were sculpted by men or women or both and for what purpose, although they do seem to embody the origin of what subsequently evolved in human culture as a sense of aesthetic beauty. This composition is so to speak “sculpted” from a musical material which remains mostly consistent in terms of pitch-range, placing the contrabass in its extreme high register almost throughout.

venus (2018-19) for percussion, harp and contrabass

Performed on 20 September 2014 at the Sint-Janskerk in Maastricht, as part of Musica Sacra 2014, by Arne Deforce (cello), RB & Patrick Delges (electronics). The electronic part is here mixed down from the original 8 channels. The score is available as a free pdf download from richardbarrettmusic.com - bear in mind however that the performance was of version 2.3, incorporating a few revisions of details, which has not yet (27 September 2014) been finalised and uploaded.

life-form (2012) for cello and electronics

electronic composition from "Opening of the Mouth"

Zungenentwurzeln (1997) electronic music

I've already posted a downloadable excerpt from this recording, which is of the only performance so far of this piece (in February 2005, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tadaaki Otaka). Here it is in its entirety. I hope I won't get into trouble for posting it but how else is anyone going to hear this music? which was presumably the idea behind commissioning and performing it...

NO (2004) for orchestra

13 selfportraits (2002) for string quartet

performed by Philippe Koerper (Ensemble L'Imaginaire), St John's Smith Square, London, 16 October 2016. The original version of this piece for oboe (Redgate-Howarth system) was commissioned by Christopher Redgate who gave the first performance in 2012.

fold (2016) version for soprano saxophone

Performed at Radio Belgrade in November 2016 by Nenad Marković and Vladimir Blagojević of Ensemble Studio6 as part of the electroacoustic sextet "close-up"

pauk (2014) for trumpet and accordion

Vermilion Sands (2017-18) electronic music (originally in 8 channels)

an excerpt from the first section (dedicated to Cecil Taylor) of "tkiva", commissioned and performed by gnarwhallaby - Brian Walsh (clarinets), Matt Barbier (trombone),  Derek Stein (cello) and Richard Valitutto (piano)at the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, 18 November 2017. (I can't post the whole piece for contractual reasons!)

tkiva (2017) Los Angeles 18 November 2017 (excerpt)

Live recording from Heimathafen, Neukölln, Berlin (Kontraklang) - thanks to Christopher Williams

FURT: sarcophagusK (Berlin 12 February 2015)

disquiet (2018) electronic music originally in 8 channels

Peter Neville, percussion; St Paul's Hall, Huddersfield University

entoptic (2018) for percussion and live electronics (first performance)

Richard Barrett & Milana Zarić - nocturnes I-III (2019)

the Sonology Electroacoustic Ensemble on this occasion consisted of (left to right) Justin Bennett (analogue synthesizer), Yannis Patoukas (electric guitar), Volkan Turgut	(euphonium), Cindy Giron (electronics), Lauge Dideriksen (violin), Mauricio Galeano (electric guitar), RB (electronics)

SEE 17 October 2018

Rafaele Andrade (cello/electronics), Cindy Giron  (voice/computer/phone), Richard Barrett (computer/keyboard), Han-earl Park (electric guitar), Hilde Wollenstein (clarinet), Raphael Fischer-Dieskau (electric cello)

SEE 12 December 2018

Voice: Siân Wassermann. Photo credit: Suren Manvelyan.

luminous (2019) electronic music originally in 8 channels

Here are some excerpts of recordings of some of my compositions. I've concentrated on music which is not (yet?) available on CD or shared by others on YouTube, and which I haven't placed as downloadable material on my website (richardbarrettmusic.com).

Politeia (from CONSTRUCTION, 2011) for 13 instruments

Kassandra (from CONSTRUCTION, 2011) for soprano and 6 instruments

Island (from CONSTRUCTION, 2011) for two improvising soloists and 8 instruments

cell (2011) for alto saxophone, accordion and contrabass (excerpt)

nothing elsewhere (2005) for solo viola (excerpt)

Landschaft mit Urnenwesen (1997) electronic prelude to Opening of the Mouth

Hypnerotomachia (2009) for two clarinets in A

Tract (1996) for solo piano

Flechtwerk (2006) for clarinet in A and piano

arboreal (from life-form, 2012) electronic music (original in 8 channels)

Simorgh (from CONSTRUCTION, 2011) electronic music (original in 8 channels)

The Unthinkable (1989) electronic music made at UPIC

strange lines and distances (from CONSTRUCTION, 2011) electronic music (original in 8 channels)

quasicrystal (2012) electronic music (original in 6 channels)

First performance, 28 April 2013 in Belgrade, by Ensemble Studio 6 (and me)

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