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coolREDcool, for seven players (flute, alto saxophone, trumpet, percussion, piano and bass) is a jazz and improvisation-tinged response to Andy Warhol's Self-Portrait (1986). The single movement work follows loosely an A-B-A format, mirroring the title, in which the opening material, presented first in a rhythmically structured manner, returns at the end in a senza misura flurry. In between, the music devolves into a quasi bebop, providing each of the players a chance to shine as soloists. Various extended performance techniques are employed, a nod to Warhol's ground breaking will, including multi-phonics and key slaps, as well as the juxtaposition of both very modern harmonic language (six note pillar chords, tone clusters) alongside standard jazz changes. Warhol's ability to blur the line between pop art and 'serious' art has been inspirational and instructive to Gordon's composition. |
Geoffrey Gordon - Fallen Eve |
Fallen Eve, commissioned by the Abelson Foundation, is inspired by the work of British poet laureate Ted Hughes, and sets five Hughes texts for mezzo soprano and mixed chamber ensemble. The texts are not linked in any formal or aesthetic way, other than that they all convey, to my mind, the same antiquitious struggle between innocence and corruption. The musical response is designed to be both thorny and lyrical, following closely the rhythm and imagery of the texts. Other elements common to Gordon's work, including the use of isorhythmic figures, unbarred music and some use of unconventional sounds--multiphonics in the winds, crushed bow in the strings, exploiting the inside of the piano, etc.--are also present. In the end, the text is the guiding blueprint for this music. |