Saturday 24 November
9:30
Kelly Moran - Bloodroot
Kelly Moran Photo: Telegraph Hill Records
Moran takes the prepared piano on an evocative journey that calls up the ghosts of a supernatural gamelan and makes them dance in a land neighboring John Cage’s imaginary landscapes. She turns the instrument inside out, celebrating the piano (and sound itself) down to the cellular level. Hiding among these shimmering pieces, however, one also finds an unexpected sonic influence: Metal.
“I started getting into various iterations of Black Metal in graduate school and it really amazed me how much the genre shared in common with certain kinds of minimalist music. The steady pulse, adherence to tonality, and overlapping patterns. I often think about what the scores would look like if someone transcribed bands like Burzum, Krallice, or Drudkh; they would probably look very post-minimalist." (Telegraph Harp Records)
KELLY MORAN: Celandine; Freesia; Hyacinth
Kelly Moran (prepared piano)
Telegraph Harp TH 011
NZ Composer Sessions 2018
Philip Norman - Fanfare for Dame Silvia Cartwright
Commissioned by Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for the Governor General, Dame Silvia Cartwright, the fanfare was written as entrance music for the Governor General and the score, printed on quality paper and bound with a ribbon, was presented to Dame Silvia at an interval ceremony.
PHILIP NORMAN: Fanfare for Dame Silvia Cartwright
New Zealand SO/ Marc Taddei
RNZ
Andrew Perkins - Three Spanish Poems
Andrew Perkins Photo: Supplied
The three poems were written by the composer in English during a visit to England during 1989 - 91, and were translated into Spanish by the famous vocal teacher and accompanist, Andrea Katz. The three poems Luna (Moon), Violetas azules (Blue Violets), and En el rio Stour (On The River Stour) each deal with separate aspects of human life utilising imagery from nature: Luna is about accepting and finding peace in solitude; Violetas azules deals with the human conditions of pride, vanity, and of momento mori; En el rio Stour explores acceptance of adversity and, in dealing with it and then letting go, eventual peace.
ANDREW PERKINS: Three Spanish Songs
New Zealand SO/ Marc Taddei
RNZ
Three Matisse Impressions
La Danse by Henri Matisse Photo: Creative Commons
Three well-known paintings by Henri Matisse, including the famous "La Danse", form the inspiration for these colourful and tuneful pieces, by Edward Gregson, a composer renowned for his wonderful writing for wind instruments. (Boosey & Hawkes)
EDWARD GREGSON: Three Matisse Impressions
John Turner (recorder), Royal Ballet Sinfonia/ Edward Gregson
OLYMPIA OCD 667
KELLY MORAN: Bloodroot
Kelly Moran (prepared piano)
Telegraph Harp TH 011
Exitus
Michael Norris explores the afterworlds of Inuit, Mayan, Norse and Native American mythologies as starting points for each of the movements in his string quartet Exitus.
Movement 1 - Quidlivun (The Land of the Moon) is named after the place in Inuit Mythology where spirits who maintained a virtuous life find eternal rest.
Movement 2 - Xibalba (The Place of Fear) is the Mayan underworld where souls face deadly trials such as darkness, cold fire, razor blades, hungry jaguars and shrieking bats.
Movement 3 - Niflheim (House of Mists) is a far northern region of icy fogs and mist, from Norse mythology.
Movement 4 - Oka Lusa hacha (Black Water River) is a treacherous river which the souls of the Choctaw tribe of Native Americans must cross in the afterlife in search of the good hunting grounds.
MICHAEL NORRIS: Exitus
New Zealand String Quartet
Atoll ACD 118
GRAEME KOEHNE: Shaker Dances
Tasmanian SO/Richard Mills
ABC Classics 476 6502
KELLY MORAN: Heliconia
Kelly Moran (prepared piano, electronics)
Telegraph Harp TH 011
11:05 Relevant Tones: Composer Collectives
The twentieth century saw an interesting movement as composers banded together in collectives to help promote each other’s work. The movement has only gotten stronger in the twenty-first century with the rise of entrepreneurship in classical music. We’ll feature the music of several composer collectives and take a close look at their inner workings. (WFMT)
Eighth Blackbird Photo: Supplied
