composer
The music of Brendan Faegre (b. 1985, USA) unites the traditions within which he was formed: jazz and rock drumming, Hindustani classical, and contemporary concert music.
Faegre's music has been performed around the ...
related works
Carl's Lament : for chamber orchestra / Brendan Faegre; text by Brendan Faegre
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Speak Voice and large ensemble
Scoring:
stem 2fl 2ob 2cl 2sax-a 2fg 2h 2tpt trb 2perc str
Transitions : for 13 instrumentalists, 1980, (rev. 1981) / Ernst Oosterveld
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
1111 1010 perc pf 2vl vla vc cb
Rotary Vertigo II : Version for large ensemble / Nubim Soyoung Kim
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
picc fl cl sax-a sax-b h tpt 2trb tb perc g-e g-eb synth
Janssen treft Scarlatti : for ensemble / Guus Janssen, 2009
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Large ensemble (12 or more players)
Scoring:
fl(pic) 2ob 2cl 2fg 2h trp trb cemb timp perc cb(perc)
composition
Dirt to Gold : for chamber orchestra / Brendan Faegre
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