Category: Uncategorized

Ister is a personal contemplation of the genre of a tone poem. It looks back on nationalistic tendencies of the 19th and 20th centuries, and adopts and transforms ideas behind works of composers such as Dvořák or Moyzes writing in this style. Ister is a Greek name for the River Danube. While previously mentioned composers in their works Má Vlast or Dolu Váhom focused on rivers exclusive to their countries, which suited their nationalistic views, the river Danube flows through ten countries. It is a natural resource for live ecosystems and human activities, a barrier that requires effort to overcome. Nations that developed on its banks share history, their cultural traits and the musicality of their people in its core has been passed down for centuries from the Ancient Greeks.

Hence, this tone poem alludes to the journey of the Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, suggests flashes of the cultures that are present around it, and draws on Ancient Greek music theory to produce tonal material that alters as tributaries alter the waters. It also contains moods and atmospheres that reflect the composer’s subjective perceptions.

Recorded in 2021 within Trinity Laban’s New Music Project

Conducted by Gregory Rose

With thanks to Stephen Montague

Score (issuu)

‘Objective Estrangement’ is a work responding to the feelings ignited by changes to the usual. It questions the massive, if not frantic need for redevelopment in our cities and takes it as source material for producing graphic scores- eg. changes in skylines, urban environment or maps. Highlighting the ‘estrangement,’ material prompting musical events falls outside the general canon- undetermined pitches or durations or semi-determined order of executing pitches aim to make the performers feel estranged from their usual practice.

More information below.

Performed by Rebecca Galian Castello (Harp) and Ján Števuliak (Organ)

Fragments from the score

Below are some scans of graphics and estranged (?) notation that has been marked on transparent paper. The performer dedicates about half a minute to each transparency. They can decide whether to read left to right or vice versa and also whether to perform only the front material or material all that is currently visible.

This work is a result of a collaboration with pianist and singer Carolina Cury and Sonic Artist and guitarist Konstantinos Damianakis. It is inspired by the book ‘Invisible Cities’ (1972) by Italo Calvino (1923-1985). In it he makes the reader rethink many pretty much well-established concepts- chaptering standards in books, what is spoken language intended for, why we travel… He creates a space for adults to fantasise, places where everyday rules are forgotten and regular processes of our world do not take place. This piece tries to convey in musical texture or structure the ideas, actions or landscapes of some of the cities. Approaches chosen by the composer are subjectively thought of as architectural- the music is built angularly, from cells or certain intervals. Pitch and harmony are a result of rather strict adherence to set rules in manipulating the theme. Variations provide diversity- sounding as well as performative- different modes of playing are employed throughout.

More information on individual variations, electronics and motion tracking can be found in the score.

Score (issuu)

First performance by Carolina Cury (2022) at the Halford Prize (Winning Entry)

First concert performance at New Lights Festival 2022 by Carolina Cury

This piece has been inspired by behavioural psychology, multiple ways individuals perceive the past and how the past experience influences future human behaviour. The musical realities of this piece are also exposed to the problematic of past vs. present and/or future- material performed on the piano returns back a few seconds later with help of a delay pedal. With this arrangement, the music presented tries to reflect different approaches to one’s own past- patience, cohabitation, conflict, denial, resignation or acceptance.

First performance by Milda Vitartaitė (2021)

First concert performance at New Lights Festival 2022 by Milda Vitartaitė

Score (issuu)