Zoë Martlew compositions

Written and performed by Zoë Martlew.

In memory of Oliver Knussen, this piece was premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival 2022 by cellist Anssi Kartunnen as part of the "Olly Day", celebrating Knussen's legacy in his 70th birthday year.

Grateful thanks to:
Lester Barnes - sound track editing and mastering, recording

Flautist Marie Zupancic for her exquisite playing of solo from OK's "O Hototogisu!" 

Donald McCleod for excerpts from his interview with Olly for BBC Radio 3 

Barry Gavin for audio excerpt from his documentary "Sounds from the Big White House"

other audio source: Zoë's own iPhone recording from the cello stand of Olly's last ever rehearsal for the last ever concert he conducted, held in the Britten Studio in Snape (where this piece was 1st performed) during discussions between Olly and Sir Harrison Birtwistle in prep for an Aldeburgh Festival performance.

Piece dedicated to A.K. for O.K.

"O-lude". For cello, soundtrack and electronics. Zoë Martlew

"Salamander" for solo bassoon

Composed by Zoë Martlew (2020)
Performed by Emily Hultmark
Recorded by Torbjorn Hultmark
Mixed by Cato Langnes

Salamander for solo bassoon. Zoë Martlew

Written and performed by Zoë Martlew
For solo cello without bow.

Recorded by Lester Barnes (2011)
Published by Schott

"Salat Babilya" was inspired by music from Iraq, in particular the beautiful sonorities of the oud, a variety of Middle Eastern lute dating back to antiquity. An oud-like resonance is evoked without the use of a bow via a combination of "arabic" scales, open strings, ringing harmonics and ornamental inflections.

The particular oud piece that inspired this one was written to help lull the children of Bagdad to sleep during bombing raids and bears the same title, which translates from the Arabic as "Babylonian Prayer".

(Useful for cellists who have forgotten their bow).

Salat Babilya (Babylonian Prayer)by Zoë Martlew

Red Room by Zoë Martlew. Voice and piano

Galina Ustvolskaya - Grand Duo for cello and piano (1959)

Recording from live performance at the Warehouse, London.
Huw Watkins - piano
Zoë Martlew - cello

Ustvolskaya. Grand Duo - movt 6

Ustvolskaya. Grand Duo - movt 5

Ustvolskaya. Grand Duo - movt 4

Ustvolskaya. Grand Duo - movt 3

Ustvolskaya. Grand Duo - movt 2

Ustvolskaya. Grand Duo - movt 1

Recording of live performance at the Warehouse, London
2001

Oliver Knussen "Eccentric Melody" for solo cello.

Alison Proctor - piano
Zoë Martlew - cello

recording with Cambridge New Players

Jo Kondo - Near and Far (1993)

Die hängende Figur ist Judas (1998), three perspectives for solo cello on varying images. by Kenneth Hesketh.
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at the Warehouse, London.

Die hängende Figur ist Judas (1998). Kenneth Hesketh (Movement 2)

Die hängende Figur ist Judas (1998). Kenneth Hesketh (Movement 1)

Shift, Trip. Written and performed by Zoë Martlew.
Live recording from concert at Wigmore Hall. May 2017

Published by Schott

Shift, Trip. Wigmore live 5/17

"Shift, Trip" for amplified cello with track. Wigmore Hall 2017

"Stir" for unaccompanied cello with voice. Written and performed by Zoë Martlew. Live recording from concert at Wigmore Hall, april 2017
Published by Schott

"Stir" by Zoë Martlew, live at Wigmore Hall

Written for and played by Zoë Martlew
Live recording

Anders Nordentoft - "Impetuoso" for solo cello (2014). Movement 2

"Unn the Innkeeper" from premiere of "Kali and Gillikrist", Oslo 2015. (James Clapperton and Sven Erga)
Zoë Martlew - cello improvisation
Sven Erga - live electronics
Recording and sound Cato Langnes, NOTAM

Kali and Gillikrist. Cello and electronics improvisation, live from Oslo.

Sound Investor commission for Birmingham Contemporary Music Group 25th anniversary concert, premiered CBSO centre Birmingham June 2016.
Live recording Radio 3

Z Broad Street Burlesque (2016)

Bent Sørensen
Wings of Spring (2004)
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at 2019 Dark Music Days festival in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venue: Kaldalón, Harpa.
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen and Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Dark Music Days

Wings of Spring Bent Sorensen

Juliana Hodkinson
Scrape, for cello with metal plate, playback track and sound diffusion (2009)
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at 2019 Dark Music Days festival in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venue: Kaldalón, Harpa.
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Dark Music Days               

Scrape, Juliana Hodkinson

Bjørn Fongaard  
Concerto for cello and tape op 131 no. 20  (1976)
•••world premiere
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at 2019 Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Tape part recovered from Norwegian National archives and restored by Cato Langes (NOTAM).
Venue: Kaldálon, Harpa
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Bjørn Fongaard   Concerto for cello and tape op 131 no. 20

Anders Nordentoft
Impetuoso - movement I (2014)
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venue: Kaldáron, Harpa.
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Anders Nordentorf Impetuoso - Movt I

Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, 31st Jan 2019.
"Bow to String" by Daníel Bjarnason (2010)
Movt 1 "Sorrow Conquers Happiness"

Venue - Kaldalón, Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Daniel Bjarnason, Bow to String. 1) Sorrow Conquers Happiness.

Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, 31st Jan 2019.
"Bow to String" by Daníel Bjarnason (2010)
Movt 3 "Air to Breath"

Venue - Kaldalón, Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Daniel Bjarnason, Bow to String 3) Air to Breath

Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, 31st Jan 2019.
"Bow to String" by Daníel Bjarnason (2010)
Movt 2 "Blood to Bones"

Venue - Kaldalón, Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Daniel Bjarnason, Bow to String 2) Blood to Bones

"Völuspá" for string trio by Zoë Martlew.

From live performance of U.S. premiere at Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival, August 9th 2019, with Chi Li (vln), Samuel Pedersen (vla), Zoë Martlew (vc) at Linde Center, Tanglewood, Mass.

Inspired by the mysterious standing stones and goddess lore that abounds in the beautiful Dorset countryside surrounding Smedmore House (venue for the premiere of this trio) I’ve taken the title of this piece, “Völuspá”, from that of the Poetic Edda, the old Norse collection of anonymous poems in which the Norns appear, the three shadowy goddesses who weave Fate at their looms. In this light it is appropriate that there are three performers, spinning time with their strings... 

The piece was written in the days immediately following the death of Oliver Knussen (1952-2018) to whom the piece is dedicated.

Commissioned by violinist Miranda Fulleylove, who also played in the first performance along with Clara Biss (viola) and Zoë on cello for Purbeck Arts Week Festival 2018.

"Völuspá" for string trio, Zoë Martlew

Piano and cello played by Zoë Martlew.

Berceuse - published by Schott
https://en.schott-music.com/shop/autoren/zoe-martlew

Berceuse for Cello And Piano by Zoë Martlew

written and performed by Zoë Martlew in lockdown 2021.

Song for voice, piano, cello.

Dream space                   

Dreamtime

Musician. Blonde. Metaphysical tendencies.

zoemartlew

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