Query: donnacha dennehy

title: Dennehy, Donnacha Gra Agus Bas Other Classic

title: Surface Tension
text: Editorial Reviews New Amsterdam Records presents Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's album Surface Tension / Disposable Dissonance. Surface Tension / Disposable Dissonance opens with "Surface Tension", which was inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's historic percussion collection. Dennehy explains, "I was inspired by the way various indigenous drums... play with the tension of the skin in order to bend the pitch and produce something almost approaching melody, and sought a way of making so-called un-pitched drums 'sing' in their own way in this piece." He continues, "I was particularly interested in creating a kind of mobile pitch-space that shifted in and out of various overtone-based tonalities." To accomplish this, Third Coast Percussion blows air into tubes attached to the side of the drums to stretch the drumheads and increase the harmonic range of the tom-toms - a technique they learnt from Glenn Kotche. Naturally, the drums drift out of tune from the continuous tightening and slackening of their heads, so Dennehy also wrote "tuning zones" into the composition, where the players gently tune their drums in a rhythmic way using their normal technique of turning the tension rods. This allows Dennehy to gradually build pitch centers and explore the space between them, creating a kind of fused harmonic texture amplified by standard-pitched instruments such as the marimba or bowed vibraphone. "Disposable Dissonance" features three continuous sections driven by different concepts of dissonance, each one "disposing" of it in a different way. In the first section, Dennehy explores pitch suspensions by using overtones that creep into the harmony, then resolve the dissonance by going into lower overtones against the ensemble. In the second section, the concept of dissonance plays out entirely on an equal-tempered field with an ever-increasing use of rhythmic consonance and dissonance that ultimately reaches it's peak in the third and final section. Editorial Reviews New Amsterdam Records presents Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's album Surface Tension / Disposable Dissonance. Surface Tension / Disposable Dissonance opens with "Surface Tension", which was inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's historic percussion collection. Dennehy explains, "I was inspired by the way various indigenous drums... play with the tension of the skin in order to bend the pitch and produce something almost approaching melody, and sought a way of making so-called un-pitched drums 'sing' in their own way in this piece." He continues, "I was particularly interested in creating a kind of mobile pitch-space that shifted in and out of various overtone-based tonalities." To accomplish this, Third Coast Percussion blows air into tubes attached to the side of the drums to stretch the drumheads and increase the harmonic range of the tom-toms - a technique they learnt from Glenn Kotche. Naturally, the drums drift out of tune from the continuous tightening and slackening of their heads, so Dennehy also wrote "tuning zones" into the composition, where the players gently tune their drums in a rhythmic way using their normal technique of turning the tension rods. This allows Dennehy to gradually build pitch centers and explore the space between them, creating a kind of fused harmonic texture amplified by standard-pitched instruments such as the marimba or bowed vibraphone. "Disposable Dissonance" features three continuous sections driven by different concepts of dissonance, each one "disposing" of it in a different way. In the first section, Dennehy explores pitch suspensions by using overtones that creep into the harmony, then resolve the dissonance by going into lower overtones against the ensemble. In the second section, the concept of dissonance plays out entirely on an equal-tempered field with an ever-increasing use of rhythmic consonance and dissonance that ultimately reaches it's peak in the third and final section.

title: Last Hotel
text: Editorial Reviews Reviewing the 2015 world premiere of composer Donnacha Dennehy and playwright Enda Walsh's opera The Last Hotel, The Guardian's Kate Molleson was smitten by "a dark drama in which death hangs over every move the titular hotel is a shabby establishment where guests go to kill themselves." That description alone is all the listener needs to appreciate the visceral energy of the performances captured here by Claudia Boyle, Robin Adams, Katherine Manley and actor Mikel Murfi (whose presence as the silent Porter is more implied than directly felt), all ably supported by the agile, dynamic sound of Ireland's renowned Crash Ensemble, conducted by Alan Pierson. Modern musical theater has consistently pushed against the boundaries of what constitutes "opera," in the traditional Western classical sense; The Last Hotel is firmly rooted in that vanguard, merging the grit and gall of experimental theater and independent arthouse films with the crackling trajectory of post-classical chamber music. Editorial Reviews Reviewing the 2015 world premiere of composer Donnacha Dennehy and playwright Enda Walsh's opera The Last Hotel, The Guardian's Kate Molleson was smitten by "a dark drama in which death hangs over every move the titular hotel is a shabby establishment where guests go to kill themselves." That description alone is all the listener needs to appreciate the visceral energy of the performances captured here by Claudia Boyle, Robin Adams, Katherine Manley and actor Mikel Murfi (whose presence as the silent Porter is more implied than directly felt), all ably supported by the agile, dynamic sound of Ireland's renowned Crash Ensemble, conducted by Alan Pierson. Modern musical theater has consistently pushed against the boundaries of what constitutes "opera," in the traditional Western classical sense; The Last Hotel is firmly rooted in that vanguard, merging the grit and gall of experimental theater and independent arthouse films with the crackling trajectory of post-classical chamber music.

title: Donnacha Dennehy: The Hunger
text: Editorial Reviews The version of The Hunger that is presented on this recording is the concert version of the piece, which I made in 2017-18. The Hunger also exists in an extended version for stage (completed in 2016, revised 2019), incorporating video interviews with economists, historians and philosophers. In the concert version I dispense with this strand to concentrate entirely on the intersecting narrative developing between Mrs. Nicholson and the old, dying Irish man. More is implied rather than stated in this version. The sense of how incapable bureaucracy is at dealing with a quickly transforming crisis, and how that bureaucracy can be used as a screen for being unfeeling, is implied by the narrative that Asenath tells of the old man’s dealings with the hunger relief station, and the way the music surges and fades, embodying the old man’s Sisyphean task. I am nevertheless deeply grateful to all my collaborators on the stage version, in particular Jocelyn Clarke (for his dramaturgical assistance) and Tom Creed (the director). I know that my thinking about the concert version is indebted to the discussions of the dramaturgical shape that I had with these two throughout the development of the piece. I am especially thankful to the historian Maureen Murphy for her unparalleled knowledge of Asenath Nicholson and her writings. Maureen has been not only a constant source of vital information but also of support. I consider getting to know her one of the great by-products of my working on this piece. The Hunger was commissioned by Alarm Will Sound, and has received financial assistance from New Music USA, The MAP Fund, and the Arts Council of Ireland. The Hunger also incorporates material from a stand-alone piece, If he died what then, based on a section of Asenath Nicholson’s text, that I originally wrote for Dawn Upshaw and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (commissioned by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra). The Hunger is dedicated to Courtney Orlando. —Donnacha Dennehy Editorial Reviews The version of The Hunger that is presented on this recording is the concert version of the piece, which I made in 2017-18. The Hunger also exists in an extended version for stage (completed in 2016, revised 2019), incorporating video interviews with economists, historians and philosophers. In the concert version I dispense with this strand to concentrate entirely on the intersecting narrative developing between Mrs. Nicholson and the old, dying Irish man. More is implied rather than stated in this version. The sense of how incapable bureaucracy is at dealing with a quickly transforming crisis, and how that bureaucracy can be used as a screen for being unfeeling, is implied by the narrative that Asenath tells of the old man’s dealings with the hunger relief station, and the way the music surges and fades, embodying the old man’s Sisyphean task. I am nevertheless deeply grateful to all my collaborators on the stage version, in particular Jocelyn Clarke (for his dramaturgical assistance) and Tom Creed (the director). I know that my thinking about the concert version is indebted to the discussions of the dramaturgical shape that I had with these two throughout the development of the piece. I am especially thankful to the historian Maureen Murphy for her unparalleled knowledge of Asenath Nicholson and her writings. Maureen has been not only a constant source of vital information but also of support. I consider getting to know her one of the great by-products of my working on this piece. The Hunger was commissioned by Alarm Will Sound, and has received financial assistance from New Music USA, The MAP Fund, and the Arts Council of Ireland. The Hunger also incorporates material from a stand-alone piece, If he died what then, based on a section of Asenath Nicholson’s text, that I originally wrote for Dawn Upshaw and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (commissioned by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra). The Hunger is dedicated to Courtney Orlando. —Donnacha DennehyFrom the brand Previous page Vinyl of the Month Club Amazon Exclusive Vinyl Best Sellers New Releases Digital Albums on Amazon Music Next page  

title: Splitting Adams with Meet the Composer
text: Editorial Reviews Conceived and realized in partnership with Q2 Music's Peabody award-winning podcast Meet the Composer, Splitting Adams is Alarm Will Sound's tribute to American composer John Adams, and in particular to his works Chamber Symphony (1992) and Son of Chamber Symphony (2007). Presented with commentary tracks from MTC's host Nadia Sirota, Alarm Will Sound's artistic director Alan Pierson, and the composer himself, the podcast-plus-performance conveys a rare sense of interaction for the listener; not only does the music, performed in all its lush detail by the 17 musicians in AWS, capture and connect the long trajectory between the two works, but the commentary also shines a revealing light on the story behind the music. Editorial Reviews Conceived and realized in partnership with Q2 Music's Peabody award-winning podcast Meet the Composer, Splitting Adams is Alarm Will Sound's tribute to American composer John Adams, and in particular to his works Chamber Symphony (1992) and Son of Chamber Symphony (2007). Presented with commentary tracks from MTC's host Nadia Sirota, Alarm Will Sound's artistic director Alan Pierson, and the composer himself, the podcast-plus-performance conveys a rare sense of interaction for the listener; not only does the music, performed in all its lush detail by the 17 musicians in AWS, capture and connect the long trajectory between the two works, but the commentary also shines a revealing light on the story behind the music.

title: Gr?? agus B??s by Donnacha Dennehy (2011-05-03)

title: Donnacha Dennehy-Elastic Harmony by Joanna Macgregor

title: Elastic Harmonic

title: Stainless Staining
text: Editorial Reviews "[Lisa Moore is] the best kind of contemporary classical musician, one so fearsomely game that she inspires composers to offer her their most wildly unplayable ideas. She can play them all."- Pitchfork Pianist Lisa Moore completes her 3-EP series with Stainless Staining, featuring compositions by Irish composer, Donnacha Dennehy. Commissioned by Lisa Moore with funds provided by the Arts Council of Ireland, the title track, Stainless Staining was written for piano and soundtrack. Donnacha Dennehy is the founder of Dublin's renowned new music group, Crash Ensemble. He was recently appointed a Global Scholar at Princeton University and received rave reviews for his 2011 recording. Editorial Reviews "[Lisa Moore is] the best kind of contemporary classical musician, one so fearsomely game that she inspires composers to offer her their most wildly unplayable ideas. She can play them all."- Pitchfork Pianist Lisa Moore completes her 3-EP series with Stainless Staining, featuring compositions by Irish composer, Donnacha Dennehy. Commissioned by Lisa Moore with funds provided by the Arts Council of Ireland, the title track, Stainless Staining was written for piano and soundtrack. Donnacha Dennehy is the founder of Dublin's renowned new music group, Crash Ensemble. He was recently appointed a Global Scholar at Princeton University and received rave reviews for his 2011 recording.

title: The Hunger Soundtrack
text: Editorial Reviews The Hunger Editorial Reviews The Hunger

title: Reich: Tehillim / The Desert Music
text: Editorial Reviews Product description Alaram Will Sound - Ossia - Alan Pierson, direction Amazon.com Reich's music moves along in a stately, orderly, almost mathematical way, so one wouldn't expect a wide variety of interpretive styles in different performances. Still, this recording of Tehillim, at least the third issued so far, seems sharper in focus and rhythm than the premiere ECM recording, the only one to include the composer's participation. The Desert Music sounds somewhat different here than in the premiere Nonesuch recording by Michael Tilson Thomas with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Chorus, the ensembles it was written for. This "revised chamber version" by the composer from 2001 uses smaller forces, losing something in grandeur while gaining rhythmic clarity. It's becoming obvious that Reich's music will survive his own performing career and lifetime, and here is an example of a disc with no performing ties to the composer which is still extremely satisfying. It is also very well-recorded and generously programmed, since the premiere recordings of the two works took up a disc each. Cantaloupe Music provides sung texts and lists of the performers but not a word of program notes, a liability to this otherwise admirable release. --Leslie Gerber Editorial Reviews Product description Alaram Will Sound - Ossia - Alan Pierson, direction Amazon.com Reich's music moves along in a stately, orderly, almost mathematical way, so one wouldn't expect a wide variety of interpretive styles in different performances. Still, this recording of Tehillim, at least the third issued so far, seems sharper in focus and rhythm than the premiere ECM recording, the only one to include the composer's participation. The Desert Music sounds somewhat different here than in the premiere Nonesuch recording by Michael Tilson Thomas with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Chorus, the ensembles it was written for. This "revised chamber version" by the composer from 2001 uses smaller forces, losing something in grandeur while gaining rhythmic clarity. It's becoming obvious that Reich's music will survive his own performing career and lifetime, and here is an example of a disc with no performing ties to the composer which is still extremely satisfying. It is also very well-recorded and generously programmed, since the premiere recordings of the two works took up a disc each. Cantaloupe Music provides sung texts and lists of the performers but not a word of program notes, a liability to this otherwise admirable release. --Leslie Gerber

title: Contemporary Music From Ireland, Vol. 3
text: Editorial Reviews See image of back jewel case liner for complete contents/track listing. Editorial Reviews See image of back jewel case liner for complete contents/track listing.

title: Grá agus Bás
text: Editorial Reviews Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy, whom, the New Yorker has called "a star of Dublin's active new music scene," makes his Nonesuch debut with Gra Agus Bas . This ambitious set features a pair of dramatic pieces written for two very different but equally extraordinary voices-former Afro-Celt Sound system vocalist Iarla O'Lionaird and American soprano, and Nonesuch label-mate, Dawn Upshaw. Often described as a post-minimalist, Dennehy, says British music magazine The Wire, "has a sound world all his own." Here he uses elements of Irish traditional culture as a springboard to create work with no visible roots-a borderless music that is mysterious and elegiac, as deeply moving as it is utterly transfixing. Editorial Reviews Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy, whom, the New Yorker has called "a star of Dublin's active new music scene," makes his Nonesuch debut with Gra Agus Bas . This ambitious set features a pair of dramatic pieces written for two very different but equally extraordinary voices-former Afro-Celt Sound system vocalist Iarla O'Lionaird and American soprano, and Nonesuch label-mate, Dawn Upshaw. Often described as a post-minimalist, Dennehy, says British music magazine The Wire, "has a sound world all his own." Here he uses elements of Irish traditional culture as a springboard to create work with no visible roots-a borderless music that is mysterious and elegiac, as deeply moving as it is utterly transfixing.

title: Van Gogh
text: Editorial Reviews 01 London 02 Borinage 03 Hague 1 04 Hague 2 05 Arles 06 St. Remy Editorial Reviews 01 London 02 Borinage 03 Hague 1 04 Hague 2 05 Arles 06 St. Remy