Saturday, May 24, 2008

Mary Ann Joyce-Walter composes ‘Scherzatina’ for Basso Moderno Duo

At the request of Basso Moderno, Mary Ann Joyce-Walter has just presented us with a new piece entitled ‘Scherzatina’. When asked to comment on the work she says: “I wanted to compose a short piece that would be, first and foremost, a dialogue between solo bass and piano. I tried to work out this interplay between the two instruments through melodic fragments (based mainly on minor 2nds) that could, through quick twists and turns, expand and be transformed through textural changes in electrically-charged rhythms in the various registers of both instruments.”


Mary Ann Joyce-Walter was born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in theory and composition from Washington University, St. Louis, after which she moved to the New York City area where she has remained. She is an active composer and a Professor of Music at Manhattanville College. Her works have been performed at international festivals throughout Europe and Russia as well as many parts of the United States.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Semih Korucu composes ‘Emphaty 4’ for Basso Moderno Duo

Turkish composer Semih Korucu has just completed his new work ‘Empathy 4’ for the Basso Moderno Duo. It is the forth part of a series entitled ‘Emphaty’, with each work being for a different duo combination. Korucu says of the work “This piece is established on one chord and mode – C major triad and the mode B#,C#,D#,E,F#,G,A,Bb (minor 2nd followed by a major 2nd or mMmMmMm), which was Messian’s favorite. In this piece, we hear two melodic lines trying to emphasize around one mode. In this context, empathy is something to reach by deep listening, dialog and emotional bond”.

Semih Korucu (b.1965) studied at MSU Fine Arts University in Istanbul with Usmanbas, Firat, Tarcan and Bayraktar. Korucu is currently the coordinator of the Composition Department at the Conservatory of Mersin University in Turkey where he teaches composition, fugue, harmony, score reading and analysis.