Ney Rosauro is recognized as one of the most original and dynamic symphonic percussionists and composers today. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he started studying percussion in 1977, receiving degrees at the Hochschule fur Musik Wurzburg (Germany) and the University of Miami, and studying composition at the Universidade de Brasilia (Brazil). As a composer he has published over 40 pieces for percussion, as well as several percussion method books. His compositions are very popular worldwide and have been recorded by internationally acclaimed artists such as Evelyn Glennie and the London Symphony Orchestra. His Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra (1996) is dedicated to Evelyn Glennie. The first and last movements are constructed using scales quite often found in the folk music of northeastern Brazil. The first movement represents the constant life struggle of the poor people in the dry lands of northeastern Brazil. The second movement is based on the Brazilian folk lullaby called Tutu Maramba, and depicts a child's peaceful passage to a dream-filled slumber. The last movement depicts the flight of seagulls, which was inspired by time spent by the composer at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, while watching a breathtaking view of the sun setting over the Arpoador rock formations. Watch a performance of the third movement of Ney Rosauro's Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra played by Diana Melo, vibraphone, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá Colombia, Germán Céspedes conducting . . . one of this week's FEATURED NEW MUSIC VIDEOS.
Composer Elizabeth Hoffman has lived and worked in New York City since joining the Arts and Science Faculty at New York University (NYU) in 1998, where she founded and directs the Washington Square Computer Music Studio in NYU's Department of Music. Hoffman’s musical interests center around texture, timbre, tuning, harmony at the border of noise, and spatialization. She has written electroacoustic music since the early 1990s, and recognition for her electroacoustic music has come from the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition, Prix Ars Electronica competition, Seattle Arts Commission, and Jerome Foundation. Her score for Globeland (2002) came about from a commission - with video artist Ryan Dorin - for a video composition for the 2002 Sonic Circuits International Festival of Electronic Music and Art. Enjoy Globeland, a video by Ryan Dorin with music by Elizabeth Hoffman . . . it's our PYTHEAS SIGHTING for the week.
The title of Olivier Messiaen's Un vitrail et des oiseaux [Stained glass and birds], composed in 1986, invokes two of the composer's most poignant and favored images: the myriad colors of stained glass, and the endless melody of birdsong. Such an evocative title should not be seen as an arbitrary abstraction; both images correspond not only to the overall atmosphere of the piece, but also to specific components of Messiaen's compositional process. Messiaen always insisted that birds - "our little servants of immaterial joy" - were creating music in a very real way when engaging in song. As a self-trained ornithologist, Messiaen recorded and transcribed birdsongs from all around the world; a long list of these bird-borrowed motives appear in his works, many of which advertise their birdsong content in their titles. As might be expected, Un vitrail et des oiseaux relies heavily upon birdcalls, not only as melodic seeds, but also as structural points. The duality of the title can be seen and heard immediately in the structure of the work. The first section features a xylophone trio initiating a flittering series of nightingale calls. This is followed by a chorale passage, which immediately sets the image of a stained-glass church window adjacent to that of the xylophone's nightingale. The chorale texture is not just meant as a pointer to a mental image; Messiaen's harmonies are deliberately crafted to depict a spectrum of sonic hues - which Messiaen is bold enough to associate with particular visual colors. The piece poses enormous rhythmic challenges to the performers, which Messiaen addresses in his cryptic introductory note, "... the birds are more important than the tempos, and the colors are more important than the birds. More important than everything is the aspect of the invisible" [notes thanks to Jeremy Grimshaw, Rovi/AllMusicGuide]. Hear a performance of Messiaen's Un vitrail et des oiseaux . . . it's one of our PYTHEAS EARFULS for the week.
. . . also listen to Messiaen talk about the music of French composer Claude Debussy, colors in Debussy's music, and his beloved birds . . . it this week's COMPOSER PORTRAIT.
Maija Hynninen started her composition studies in 2003 at Sibelius Academy with Paavo Heininen, at the same time completing her violin studies (bachelor of music) at Oslo Academy of Music in 2004. As well as writing for acoustic instruments Hynninen has made some explorations in electro-acoustics and live-electronics in composing music for acoustic instruments and live-electronics (with Max/MSP), tape music for dancers and art installations and purely for concert performances. Her music has been broadcast by Finnish Radio (YLE), and played in concerts and festivals in Finland as well as abroad. She has received grants from the Society of Finnish Composers Sibelius Foundation, the City of Vantaa, Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Sibelius Academy and Luses. Her works have been commissioned by Yle (Finnish broadcasting company), Viitasaari Time of Music Festival, the Helsinki Chamber Choir, and Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, among others. Hear a performance of Maija Hynninen's Kaiku 2 (Echo 2) (2007) . . . it's this week's FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES.
Showing posts with label Debussy. Claude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Debussy. Claude. Show all posts
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Monday, September 19, 2011
Karen Tanaka is acclaimed as one of the leading living composers from Japan. She has been invited as a composer in residence at many important festivals, and her music, for both instrumental and electronics media, has been widely performed throughout the world by major orchestras and ensembles. As described in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Tanaka's "music is delicate and emotive, beautifully crafted, showing a refined ear for both detail and large organic shapes." Her three movement harpsichord piece Jardin des Herbes (1989) is representative of her writing style: well crafted with attention to detail and attention to the transformation of timbres similar to the effect of light refracting through crystals and prisms. The second movement, entitled Sweet Violet: Early Spring Flowers with Seductive Scent is set in a freely ternary structure providing an attractive melody accompanied by consonant, yet not quite tonal harmonies. Watch a performance of Karen Tanaka's Sweet Violet by harpsichordist Antonio Oyarzabal . . . one of this week's FEATURED NEW MUSIC VIDEOS.
Blow (2007) is an experimental film made with an 8mm camera, using the music of Estonian composer Mirjam Tally. It follows the different rhythms of urban society. Old abandoned greenhouses from the Soviet Era and quick changes to modern Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, are used to show how a country transforms from post-socialism to capitalism. Estonian film maker Ülo Pikkov graduated from the Turku Arts Academy in Finland in 1998 and from the Institute of Law at University of Tartu in Estonia in 2005. He has published numerous caricatures, comics and illustrations, as well as written and illustrated books for children. At the moment he works as an Associate Professor in Animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Watch Ülo Pikkov's film Blow (2007) . . . it's our PYTHEAS SIGHTING for the week.
Oleg Ledeniov (MusicWeb International), in reviewing the CD Montage Music Society - Starry Night Project writes, "The work that ends the disc - or, I better say, crowns it - is Andrew List's Noa Noa: A Gauguin Tableau for violin, clarinet and piano. The three eternal questions of Gauguin's picture - 'Where do we come from?', 'What are we?', 'Where are we going?' - are interpreted by the composer 'as representing three facets of human consciousness.' I hope the Mahlerites won't kill me if I describe the parts as 'What the body tells me' (aggressive, determined, forceful - our Past), 'What the mind tells me' (ever-changing, fluent, searching - our Present), and 'What the soul tells me' (spiritual, peaceful, and blissfully beautiful - hopefully, our Future). This last movement is sublime. It also serves as an answer to the unsettling questions of the first track, the Starry Night by Gauguin's friend van Gogh. If you know these moments, when the music ends and you stay in silent awe and then exhale 'Aaah!...' - you'll know this is one of them." Listen to the first movement of Andrew List's Noa Noa, A Gauguin Tableau (2008) performed by members of Montage Music Society . . . it's one of our PYTHEAS EARFULS for the week.
Claude Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp (1915) is at once evocative and emotionally ambiguous, a languid oasis from the harmonically adventuresome Cello Sonata (1915) and Violin Sonata (1917) which were written by Debussy in the final years of his life. He once remarked that he didn't know whether it "should move us to laughter or to tears. Perhaps both?" The sonata is in three free flowing movements: Pastorale, Interlude - Tempo di minuetto, and Allegro moderato ma risoluto. Listening to such an abstract, non-representational movements, it is easy to understand why Debussy was moved on one occasion to refer to anyone who described such music as "impressionistic" as an "imbecile" [from the All Music Guide]. Watch a performance of Debussy's gorgeous Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp played by members of The New York Harp Trio . . . this week's FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES.
Blow (2007) is an experimental film made with an 8mm camera, using the music of Estonian composer Mirjam Tally. It follows the different rhythms of urban society. Old abandoned greenhouses from the Soviet Era and quick changes to modern Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, are used to show how a country transforms from post-socialism to capitalism. Estonian film maker Ülo Pikkov graduated from the Turku Arts Academy in Finland in 1998 and from the Institute of Law at University of Tartu in Estonia in 2005. He has published numerous caricatures, comics and illustrations, as well as written and illustrated books for children. At the moment he works as an Associate Professor in Animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Watch Ülo Pikkov's film Blow (2007) . . . it's our PYTHEAS SIGHTING for the week.
Oleg Ledeniov (MusicWeb International), in reviewing the CD Montage Music Society - Starry Night Project writes, "The work that ends the disc - or, I better say, crowns it - is Andrew List's Noa Noa: A Gauguin Tableau for violin, clarinet and piano. The three eternal questions of Gauguin's picture - 'Where do we come from?', 'What are we?', 'Where are we going?' - are interpreted by the composer 'as representing three facets of human consciousness.' I hope the Mahlerites won't kill me if I describe the parts as 'What the body tells me' (aggressive, determined, forceful - our Past), 'What the mind tells me' (ever-changing, fluent, searching - our Present), and 'What the soul tells me' (spiritual, peaceful, and blissfully beautiful - hopefully, our Future). This last movement is sublime. It also serves as an answer to the unsettling questions of the first track, the Starry Night by Gauguin's friend van Gogh. If you know these moments, when the music ends and you stay in silent awe and then exhale 'Aaah!...' - you'll know this is one of them." Listen to the first movement of Andrew List's Noa Noa, A Gauguin Tableau (2008) performed by members of Montage Music Society . . . it's one of our PYTHEAS EARFULS for the week.
Claude Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp (1915) is at once evocative and emotionally ambiguous, a languid oasis from the harmonically adventuresome Cello Sonata (1915) and Violin Sonata (1917) which were written by Debussy in the final years of his life. He once remarked that he didn't know whether it "should move us to laughter or to tears. Perhaps both?" The sonata is in three free flowing movements: Pastorale, Interlude - Tempo di minuetto, and Allegro moderato ma risoluto. Listening to such an abstract, non-representational movements, it is easy to understand why Debussy was moved on one occasion to refer to anyone who described such music as "impressionistic" as an "imbecile" [from the All Music Guide]. Watch a performance of Debussy's gorgeous Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp played by members of The New York Harp Trio . . . this week's FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Composer Michel van der Aa employs the atonal idiom with absolute freedom, while the computer is a natural tool for him, not so much for composition but for the production of soundtracks, which constitute yet another instrument, as it were, and which enrich his musical language. See violinist Maaike Aarts perform his Memo (2003) for violin and portable cassette tape recorder ... this week's FEATURED NEW MUSIC VIDEO.
According to composer Dennis Báthory-Kitsz, "The 365-day composition project We Are All Mozart (WAAM) was an idea I had had for years. I believed that productivity and excellence are not mutually exclusive, nor do they belong to the past alone. I believe that our ability to "be Mozart" (meaning a prolific composer) today is inhibited by lack of demand on our inherent productivity. In other words, the more we do, the better we get at it and the more new ideas we have. Humans are problem solvers, and for composers, it is the blank page that is to be solved. But just as important to me was to do something intense to keep nonpop-music visible and to inspire ensembles, listeners and other composers." Read more about We Are All Mozart and listen to some of the music composed during the 365-day project - it's this week's FEATURED NEW MUSIC WEBSITE.
A composer who dabbled in the Dada movement, a Bohemian “gymnopédiste” of fin-de-siècle Montmartre, and a legendary dresser known as “The Velvet Gentleman,” Erik Satie cut a unique figure among early twentieth-century European composers. His spare, haunting melodies have inspired a wide range of musicians, from his contemporary Claude Debussy to The Velvet Underground's John Cale. According to guitarist Jonathan Stone, "His music is still relevant, because it was unique in its time and it was a departure at its time. In a way, to me, Satie creates a timelessness in much of his music. It's just as fresh now as it was a hundred years ago." Watch Chris Bannerman's dance piece inspired by Satie's Gnossienne No. 3 (1890) - our current DANSES PYTHEUSES.
In Principio (2003) is a weighty, yet spacious orchestral and choral setting of verses from the Gospel of John. Hear Arvo Pärt's spiritual - and timeless - musical setting ... this week's FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES.
Explore, Listen and Enjoy!
Vinny Fuerst
Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music
According to composer Dennis Báthory-Kitsz, "The 365-day composition project We Are All Mozart (WAAM) was an idea I had had for years. I believed that productivity and excellence are not mutually exclusive, nor do they belong to the past alone. I believe that our ability to "be Mozart" (meaning a prolific composer) today is inhibited by lack of demand on our inherent productivity. In other words, the more we do, the better we get at it and the more new ideas we have. Humans are problem solvers, and for composers, it is the blank page that is to be solved. But just as important to me was to do something intense to keep nonpop-music visible and to inspire ensembles, listeners and other composers." Read more about We Are All Mozart and listen to some of the music composed during the 365-day project - it's this week's FEATURED NEW MUSIC WEBSITE.
A composer who dabbled in the Dada movement, a Bohemian “gymnopédiste” of fin-de-siècle Montmartre, and a legendary dresser known as “The Velvet Gentleman,” Erik Satie cut a unique figure among early twentieth-century European composers. His spare, haunting melodies have inspired a wide range of musicians, from his contemporary Claude Debussy to The Velvet Underground's John Cale. According to guitarist Jonathan Stone, "His music is still relevant, because it was unique in its time and it was a departure at its time. In a way, to me, Satie creates a timelessness in much of his music. It's just as fresh now as it was a hundred years ago." Watch Chris Bannerman's dance piece inspired by Satie's Gnossienne No. 3 (1890) - our current DANSES PYTHEUSES.
In Principio (2003) is a weighty, yet spacious orchestral and choral setting of verses from the Gospel of John. Hear Arvo Pärt's spiritual - and timeless - musical setting ... this week's FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES.
Explore, Listen and Enjoy!
Vinny Fuerst
Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Welcome to Pytheas! This is an exciting time for the Pytheas Center as we reach out and share the world of contemporary non-pop music with all who are open to this wonderful art source. Just a few thoughts from minds greater than my own to get us going. EXPLORE, LISTEN & ENJOY!
Some people wish above all to conform to the rules, I wish only to render what I can hear. There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law.
~ Claude Debussy
I'll have to satisfy myself by knowing that the way I do my public service is by creating good art.
~ John Adams
Whether one calls oneself conservative or revolutionary, whether one composes in a conventional or progressive manner, whether one tries to imitate old styles or is destined to express new ideas, one must be convinced of the infallibility of one's own fantasy and one must believe in one's own inspiration.
~ Arnold Schoenberg
Some people wish above all to conform to the rules, I wish only to render what I can hear. There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law.
~ Claude Debussy
I'll have to satisfy myself by knowing that the way I do my public service is by creating good art.
~ John Adams
Whether one calls oneself conservative or revolutionary, whether one composes in a conventional or progressive manner, whether one tries to imitate old styles or is destined to express new ideas, one must be convinced of the infallibility of one's own fantasy and one must believe in one's own inspiration.
~ Arnold Schoenberg
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