related works
Dirt to Gold : for chamber orchestra / Brendan Faegre
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
2fl 2ob 2cl 2fg 2h 2trp trb trb-b timp perc hp 2vln vla vc db
Box : for 14 musicians / Geoff Hannan
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
fl/picc ob cl fg h tpt trb-b xyl pf 2n vla vc db
Symphonie à trente : for ten trios, 1994 / Bernard van Beurden
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
2320 4sax 1111 timp 6perc 3vl vla vc cb
A flower given to my daughter : for orchestra / Rob du Bois
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
2233 sax 2221 perc acc pf 3cb
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