July
When I am drawn to a particular rhythmic groove from an overheard pop song, I scratch my head and think: "I like that, how could I use it?" To me, it's not worth trying to write another of the ten million songs out there. But I've found that if I take a small part of the drum track and assign it to the non-percussion instruments I'm writing for, then interesting things happen. You lose the original context (in this case the baritone sax does not sound like a kick drum), but you gain immediacy and a freshness in the instrumental writing. There will also be a cohesion of compositional intent if you have a strategy for those pitch assignments. When writing this piece, keeping in mind the incredible agility of the saxophone, I wrote a series of rapid notes which form a foundation, of a kind of "directory" from which I pull out pitches to assign to those original rhythms (as the notes fly by in real time). What fascinates me is that this act of translation seems to completely remove the original reference from my music; sometimes I can't even remember what the original song was that inspired me, and, if I do, it's hard even to hear the connection. But what remains is the energy.
Like December for string orchestra- the piece that preceded July- I'm trying to incorporate contrasting themes and moods together in a single movement work. To me, this evokes a wider range of impressions. Instead of single-mindedly exploring one color, as in earlier pieces of mine, the music now corresponds to an experience of time- the energy and heat we find in the month of July, as well as cooling breezes of repose that come, perhaps, in the evening.
Program Notes by: Michael Torke
Composer...
Michael Torke
After being signed to Boosey and Hawkes and becoming an exclusive recording artist
with Argo/Decca Records at the young age of 23, Michael Torke has enjoyed a fruitful career as an internationally known composer. His Javelin,
for orchestra, was recorded on the official 1996 Olympics album, Summon the Heroes, conducted by John Williams (which reached #62 on the
Billboard 200). His Four Seasons, Disney Millennium Symphony, a 65 minute symphony for two chorus, four soloists, and extended orchestra was
commissioned by the Walt Disney Company and premiered by the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.
Torke is also known for his Color Music, which is a series of orchestral pieces that each explore a single, specific color and Strawberry Fields, a one act opera that was commissioned by the Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, and PBS's Great Performances (the broadcast of which was nominated for an Emmy Award). Today, Torke is living in New York and working on various projects, including various chamber works and a ballet by the National Ballet of Canada.
Performers...
Aurelia Saxophone Quartet
Formed in 1982 by four young Dutch saxophonists rehearsing in Via Aurelia in Rome, the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet became what is now known as one of the most
sensational, pioneering chamber-music ensembles in the world. The quartet, consisting of Johan van der Linden (soprano saxophone), Niels Bijl (alto saxophone),
Arno Bornkamp (tenor saxophone), and Willem van Merwijk (baritone saxophone) currently live in Holland and perform concerts around the world, ranging from Suntory
Hall in Tokyo to the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.
The Aurelia Quartet has been featured on radio and television in numerous venues ranging from Washington, DC to Tirana, Albania. They have performed with pianists Ivo Janssen and Juan Pablo Dobal, bandoneon players, Gustavo Toker and Carel Kraaijenhof, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, the Georgian women's choir, Mzetamze, the gamelan ensemble, Multifoon, Slagwerkgroep Den Haag, the Japanese saxophone quartet Trouvère, Hague Residentie Orchestra, and the Limburg Symphony Orchestra.
With over seventy world premieres of works by living composers, the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet has established an international reputation for being a champion of new music. The quartet currently has nine CDs to the group's name, one of which won an Edison and international praise, setting a new standard for saxophone quartets the world over. For more information about the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet, please visit their website at: www.aureliasax4.nl.