Tag Archives: viola

The Norse Suite (video)

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This is the second to last piece from the concert videos, and there are two different versions of the piece available to be watched:

The Norse Suite – concert version & The Norse Suite – final version

The difference between the two videos is that after the premiere performance (concert version), I made some revisions to the piece… changing some sections, moving a couple of things around, cutting some stuff out, and linking the 3rd and 4th movements. And as I wanted to have video for all of my PhD pieces I had to ask Adam, Yotam, and Dan if they would mind recording the piece again so that I could have the new final version of the piece on file.

SO… if you only have time to watch one version, I would recommend the Final Version… but if you want to hear the difference, and see what it was like in the concert, then please watch the Concert version as well.

The Norse Suite – J.Mayall
for viola and cello

Viola: Adam Maha
Cello: Yotam Levy

This piece was originally intended for the combination of viola and electric guitar. Unfortunately writing contemporary classical music (with traditional notation) is difficult for electric guitar as many rock guitarists come from a background very different to that of score-reading classical musicians. The piece was then adapted for viola and cello – but it aims to retain a lot of that stylistic writing for guitar, and tries to re-create crunchy distortions and electronic delay effects using only the natural sound of the instruments.

Recorded at the Gallagher Concert Chamber at the University of Waikato

FINAL VERSION

The Norse Suite – Final Version from Jeremy Mayall on Vimeo.

CONCERT VERSION

The Norse Suite – concert version from Jeremy Mayall on Vimeo.

Tracking forward (video)

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The next video from the concert is here!

Tracking Forward
For viola, backing track, harmonica and video

Viola: Adam Maha
Harmonica and backing track: Jeremy Mayall

Musically this piece is inspired by the composer’s love of Blues music. A lot of Blues tells stories of lonely journeys, catching rides on the trains, and often powerful sadness. This piece aims to explore this soulful sound through the solo viola, combined with the sounds of blues harmonica and electronic manipulation. This piece explores the boundaries between Blues music, 20th Century Chamber music, soundscape and electronic dance music.

Tracking Forward features a video accompaniment “ROLLING STOCK” created by Dan Inglis.

Tracking Forward from Jeremy Mayall on Vimeo.

Not a one way street (video)

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Here is part two of my finished PhD Concert footage…
The video for today is the piece that opened the concert.

Not a one way street by J.Mayall
For viola, cello, synth and backing track.

This piece ‘Not a one way street’ is about cyclic but slightly alter journeys that occur through our hectic everyday life. Compositionally, this piece aims to explore the long established tradition of the piano quartet, and fusing those quartet traditions with jazz, minimalism and electronica. It then alters this tradition by removing the piano from the live performance context and then using a pre-recorded and effect-manipulated piano track. Also by replacing the standard violin for monophonic synth (moog little phatty) the characteristic sound of the quartet is knocked around with an even wider pitch range available – particularly in the lower registers. The composition is based around small motivic fragments that are worked and reworked throughout the piece – with a very altered, stumbling sense of rhythm in parts.

Viola: Adam Maha
Cello: Yotam Levy
Synth + Backing Track: Jeremy Mayall

Video by Dan Inglis

Not a One Way Street from Jeremy Mayall on Vimeo.

New Festival Screening for ‘Rolling Stock’

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A piece I composed – ‘Tracking Forward’ – for viola and backing track with a video by Dan Inglis, also exists in a video only version called ‘Rolling Stock’.

This piece has been performed live numerous times, and has also been screened at a few international festivals.

The film ‘Rolling Stock’ has just been announced to be part of the screenings at EFF Portland (Experimental Film Fest Portland) next month.

It is so great for this piece to be connecting with so many people in so many different ways. To have written something that works as a standalone film, a standalone piece of music, and as a combined live multimedia package is something I am very proud of. I look forward to seeing where else this piece ends up!