5 posts tagged with "trombone"

The piece for slide brass and gamelan now has a provisional title, 'Triwikrama', and a provisional programme note:

In the Javanese wayang purwa tradition, triwikrama is the power by which a character is transformed into a giant.

Kresna takes on the form of Brahala Ireng, while Puntadewa becomes his opposite number, Brahala Putih. Rahwana becomes the ten-headed Dasamuka: even Anoman the monkey-god has the ability to change into a triwikrama form.

This piece was developed as part of a project initiated by Dr John Jacobs that seeks to explore the tuning possibilities of slide brass instruments in relation to the non-standard and non-equal tempered tunings found in Javanese music.

The use of the gamelan instruments is only distantly related to Javanese models. The drum ostinato is loosely inspired by certain traditional ladrang patterns. The repeated notes are reminiscent of the gangsaran form, while the upward pitch movement finds echo in the registral ascent through three pathet in a wayang performance.

In coming up with this piece, I didn't set out to portray a character transforming into an angry giant, but it does kind of sound like that :)

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Update re Javanese pronunciations: Triwikråmå, Brahålå Irèng, Kresnå, Puntådéwå, Dåsåmukå.

Last week I enjoyed being part of a gamelan residency in Poolewe, where Gamelan Nyai Cabe Rawit (Madam Hot Chilli Gamelan) is currently based. Taking part were a members of the local gamelan community, Gamelan Naga Mas, plus some individual players from the England, Ireland, and the United States.

A key part of the residency for me was working with Dr John Jacobs (pictured above right) on compositions for slide brass – trombone and slide trumpet – and gamelan.

Here's an early draft of an as-yet-unnamed piece I'm working on:

slidey_poolewe_02.mp3

Sketch for the piece I'm going to try out next week: gamelan, trombone and slide trumpet.

Obvs this is going to need some explanation in the workshop :)

A very quick SuperCollider demo of some sine waves sliding around in contrary motion. Partly because its a musical gesture I'm interested in using, and partly to see if I can remember anything at all about composing in SuperCollider after a year or so away.

(Which I can :)

This years Plug 2009 festival of new music at the RSAMD starts soon, 27 April - 1 May. One of the features this year is a new set of 'Glasgow' sequenzas, written variously by students and staff and interspersed among larger programme items. Mine is for trombone and, between myself and Head of Composition Gordon McPherson, we've cooked up a plan to, um, kill a trombonist? Here's my description from the score;

'Over the course of an extended period of time (30-60 minutes) the trombonist is asked to play a 'virtuosic' passage in alternation with vigorous bouts of physical exercise. The piece becomes harder to execute as it progresses; not through any development in the music, but through the physical deterioration of the player. At intervals during the performance we hear a tireless computer rendition of the piece as it 'ought' to be.'

So we've got Davur Magnussen, the brilliant new young principal trombone of the RSNO running on a treadmill over the course of an hour, whilst attempting to play 'virtuosic' material of one sort or another in competition with the computer. Should be fun! (Well, not so much fun for Davur, perhaps :)

Draft version of the score available as pdf.