Mikhail Kokzhayev Residency at Basically Modern Arts Sanctuary

The Basically Modern Arts Sanctuary opened its doors to famed Armenian composer Mikhail Kokzhayev in June. The Basso Moderno Duo hosted Kokzhayev for his first visit to the USA. During his stay he composed two pieces for the Basso Moderno Duo including ‘Birds and Bell’ and ‘Unrepeatable in Repetition’. In addition to time spent composing, Kokzhayev accompanied us to our recital in Washington DC at the Harman Center for the Arts and a day trip to Woodstock, NY.

Frank Corcoran composes ‘Quasi Una Perla’ for Basso Moderno Duo

Irish composer Frank Corcoran has just completed a short duet for bass and piano. The new work ‘Quasi Una Perla’ is the second work he has written for Allan Von Schenkel and Kristen Williams, with the first being a two movement piece for unaccompanied bass entitled ‘Quasi Un Basso’. ‘Quasi Una Perla’ gives the duo the opportunity to share Corcoran’s music with a wider audience and to bring attention to this talented composer.

Of the new work Corcoran says “Since my cycle of ‘Mad Sweeney’ - inspired works of the nineties, (beginning with ‘Suibhne Gealt / Mad Sweeney’ for Speaker and Chamber Orchestra, text from the Old Irish by Séamus Heaney) I have composed a whole series of " Quasi" works. I as a composer at this place in time I am no longer musically innocent - I know too much world-music and composed music of the past; so I´ve written ‘Quasi Un Concerto’, ‘Quasi Una Missa’ or ‘Quasi Un Preludio’ and so on - I am filtering musical forms of the past and of my past. This miniature piece for the higher tuned bass and piano of Basso Moderno is a mini-novel, a mini short-story for the new colouristic and expressive possibilities of this unique instrumental combination. Everything flows, however, - as in so many composing masters of the past- from the opening little idea, a simple re-iterated open fifth for the piano and its loud bisection by the bass. In the space of less than three minutes my piece opens up a kaleidoscope of tonal thought and play with this idea. The miniature becomes a pearl of great price - Quasi Una Perla".

The Basso Moderno Duo plan to premiere ‘Quasi Una Perla’ at the Meridian Festival in Bucharest, Romania in December 2008.

Basso Moderno Duo Interview on Pens Eye View

The Basso Moderno Duo have been interviewed on Pens Eye View.

Read the Interview Here!

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.

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 2^nd followed by a major 2^nd 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.

Basso Moderno Duo at United Nations

The Basso Moderno presented a program of recently composed works at the United Nations in New York City alongside the Izabel Gozkowsky Dance Company at the ‘Women in Crises’ Conference.

The performance took place in the Dam Hammarskjold Auditorium with a very nice Steinway Grand, which has the United Nations seal carved on the side.

Izabel Gotzkowsky choreographed a dance solo for herself to ‘Nocturne’ by Ned Rorem, a work we commissioned in 2007 and premiered at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Program
Larry Bell - Pop Set
Sonia Megias Lopez - Tango No. 2
Felix Yanov-Yanovsky - Dialogue
Liana Alexandra - Melody
Betty Beath - From a Lake of Honey
Ned Rorem - Nocturne

Ulpiu Vlad composes 'DIN SUNETELE PRIVIRII I' for Basso Moderno Duo

Romanian composer Ulpiu Vlad has just completed a new work for the Basso Moderno Duo entitled 'DIN SUNETELE PRIVIRII I' or 'From the Sounds of Sight I' for solo bass.

Vlad makes use of a variety of unique appoggiatura's, virtuosic improvisation and complex rhythmic motives. The score could be described as having highly detailed dynamics and phrase markings. The long phrases are placed in the extreme upper register of the instrument.

Ulpiu Vlad (b. 27 Jan 1945) is one of the leading composers in the active Romanian new music community. He is a professor at the National University of Music in Bucharest and has received many prizes for his unique musical voice. Many of his works have titles related to dreaming.