related works
fragile twisted inharmonic : for ensemble / Brendan Faegre
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
sax-s sax-bar trb perc pf g-e
Opus Focus : for percussion and electronics / Amos Elkana
Genre:
Multimedia
Subgenre:
Percussion with multimedia
Scoring:
perc tape
Resonant Mandala #1 : for percussion and live electronics / Ruud Roelofsen
Genre:
Multimedia
Subgenre:
Percussion with multimedia
Scoring:
perc tape
Un temps inhabitable : for vibraphone and soundtrack / Arnold Marinissen
Genre:
Multimedia
Subgenre:
Percussion with multimedia
Scoring:
vib tape
composition
Gods of Bird : for 3 percussionists and electronics / Brendan Faegre
Other authors:
Faegre, Brendan
(Composer)
Description:
While walking through Joep van Lieshout's atelier, looking for musical possibilities in his sculptures, I stumbled upon his Early Bird from 2015. A few taps on the surface and I was enchanted. Each of its 100 flat metal surfaces rings out a clear, unique pitch. It's like a beautiful, bizarrely-tuned, three-dimensional, 4-meter tall vibraphone.
The percussionists play the role of three gods, descending from the heavens to help guide the four terribly lost Early Birds. Each bird believes itself to be a solitary genius, forging ahead in its own direction while climbing the rusty corporate ladder of late-stage capitalism. The birds are unaware of the fact that we are all welded together.
As the piece unfolds, the gods grow weary, finding the Early Birds completely unreceptive to their advice. The gods eventually resign and then die, as the humans kill their own gods by killing themselves (the death of the dreamer kills the dreamed).
Brendan Faegre