related works
Analog Intelligence : for orchestra / Brendan Faegre
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
picc 2fl 2ob eh 2cl cl-b 2fg cfg 4h 3tpt 2trb trb-b tb timp 4perc pf str
Episodes : for 18 players, 1989 / Carlos Micháns
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
1121 1000 5perc hp pf 2vl vla vc cb
Heterophony : for ensemble, 1995 / Jan Rokus van Roosendael
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
1110 1110 3perc hp cymb pf vl vla vc
Chromatismen : for ensemble, 1997 / Luctor Ponse
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
1111 1110 2perc hp pf vl vla vc cb
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