related works
The Brightness of Light : for 11 musicians / Brendan Faegre
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
fl cl h trp perc pf 2vln vla vc db
Lacune : voor blazers, piano en contrabas, 1984 / Cees van Zeeland
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
1020 sax-a(fl) 1330 pf cb
Meditazione II : per 12 strumenti, opus 93, 1994 / Jo van den Booren
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
1111 1000 mar(vibr) pf 2vl vla vc cb
Hay que echar pa'lante : for clarinet, bassoon, accordion and string orchestra / Chiel Meijering
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
cl fg acc str
composition
Dirt to Gold : for chamber orchestra / Brendan Faegre
Other authors:
Faegre, Brendan
(Composer)
Description:
“…there were possibilities within the limitations of everyday life, with the things that we look at that are disposable. Our lives can seem so limited and uneventful, but these things can be transformed. We can appoint ourselves to be – to be alchemists, turning shit into gold.” - Beck Hansen
Dirt to Gold tries to do just that, to take “worthless” sounds, sonic junk, and transform them into powerful, meaningful music. This transformation happens many times throughout the piece, and on many different levels. Abrasive thumps and squeaks crystallize into cool grooves, ever-shifting rhythms gradually settle into clear patterns, and aluminum foil makes several high-profile appearances in the orchestra.
When Roger approached me about writing a piece for the Debut Orchestra, my first task was to find an interesting connection between my own musical interests and that of Debut’s home in Los Angeles. This connection came in the form of my teenage infatuation with the music of L.A.’s Beck Hansen, particularly his album Odelay. Inspired by his ideas and music, I composed a work that marries Beck’s rebellious energy with my own musical language.
Brendan Faegre