Partch / Mariën premiere in Brussles

April 13, 2010

A new work entitled the wayward, by composer Tim Mariën, based on transcriptions of four Harry Partch's hobo-inspired compositions from the early 1940's, will be premiered by the Ictus ensemble with Mike Schmid at the Kaaitheater in Brussles, Belgium on April 20th, 2010.

This event is noteworthy for many reasons, not the least of which is the relatively little exposure Partch's music has received in Europe. The project itself is quite unique, as it involves the translation of music from one set of custom designed microtonal instruments to another, thus giving a fresh, contemporary perspective on Partch's compositions.

Mariën writes, "Partch's music demands from the listener either to accept it or to walk away from it. I never walked away from it." Instead, he took on a considerable challenge, delving deeply into Partch's works in order to bring them to life in a new form. I encourage you to visit the Ictus website and read the rest of what Mariën has to say there.

The concert will also feature a premiere of Mariën's composition Toeënwâs for flute, trombone, 12-string fretless guitar, retuned reed organ, microtonal piano and percussion (guiro, retuned marimba, 3 tomtoms & bass drum). Mariën writes, "The title refers to a local flemish dialect: Toeën= toon (meaning tone) and wâs= wijs (meaning melody), the whole word refers to a situation where someone has achieved a little experience in an activity."

I should mention the reason I know about all this; Tim Mariën owns a Tonal Plexus TPX6s, of which he says, "I use it mainly as a tool for composition. Anything which comes close to microtonality makes it worth switching it on." So, I am pleased to have such a connection.

In general, I feel fortunate to be able to be in touch with so many interesting musicians from around the world who contact me because of the instruments and software I am creating. It's exciting for me to be involved that way in the extraordinary musical activity going on around our world. What are you doing with your music? Whenever you can, attend events like this one to keep up your inspiration. Be creative!

UPDATE 04/26/2010: A review of the concert (very favorable!) has been posted online at MusicalCriticism.com

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