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  • Artemis: Strings and Marimba in something a little "out there"

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    So, after a short period of stepping away from writing, I'm back at it. (I wanted to quit composing cold turkey, but I'm as successful at that as I am at dieting). This piece was written over a year ago, but only produced this week. It's inspired by the Greek Goddess, Artemis (you can read about her at the link) and is scored for string orchestra and marimba (and castanets). It's quite modern sounding, with lots of percussive elements, including an abuse of the Bartok pizz. 😊 It is also, very "Greek" sounding. Fusion folk and atonal goodness blended together to form a fairly adventurous piece that may or may not be your cup of tea!

    Artemis by David Carovillano

    Cheers!

    Dave


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    Hi Dave,

    With pleasure I've listened to 'Artemis'. It has quite something to tell and provides such a wealth of instrumental techniques (Bartok pizz! 😉), that it remains thrilling from sec. 1 to the very end! I've also noticed that your string glissandi have improved a lot lately.
    Very nice is the combination of the rather unusual instruments in one combo, but they function extremely well and speak to each other as in a polite quarrel (contradicting, repeating, completing... )
    But what I like best is the tiny acoustic environment in which the combo plays so closely and with great detail, as if the instruments are right in front of the listener. The intimate character of the performance is definitely a plus point (to me anyway).

    Thanks for sharing,

    Jos


  • Grateful as always for your kind words, Jos...and thanks for keeping an open mind listening to a piece that may not resonate with most :)

    Cheers!

    Dave


  • I love that, it is a very appealing rhythmic piece, not at all off-putting in harmony which seems perfect for the subject.  I really like the allusions to Greek myth which is such an inspiration.  I think this could be of real interest to live players if somehow marketed to marimba/percussionists who would expand their performances to include some strings.  Or on the other hand, to string players who wanted an unusual addition to the usual string performances.  Anyway I was really intrigued by the crazy and fascinating sound.  


  • Thank you, Bill! I realized that my recent pieces with marimba (Geranos, The Sword of Damocles, Artemis) seem to be influenced by Greek mythology. The next time I use marimba, I'm going to make a conscious effort to shift cultures: Mongolian Marimba, perhaps? Does anyone know of any Mongolian scale modes or harmonic progressions that scream "Mongol Invasion"? Lol As for live performance, I'm definitely soured on seeking performers after many failed attempts in recent times, to even get a reply to any of my offerings. Thanks! Dave

  • I have the same experience with live performances, so I understand where you are coming from!  .Anyway that sounds like a great idea - the marimba is such a fantastic instrument.   


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    @Another User said:

    Does anyone know of any Mongolian scale modes or harmonic progressions that scream "Mongol Invasion"? Lol

    Hi Dave,

    That's quite a fascinating idea 😊 I thought I'd take it seriously for a moment. I grew up in Middle Asia and have an idea of the local music, therefore. Check out the piece below:

    [url]


    There are some other pieces there that sound pretty good to me. There's also some orchestral stuff in between that doesn't really feel "authentic" to me, even though it is derived from the traditional music. It's the solo dombra stuff that is an essense of a nomad's soul.

    How close you can get to that with marimba... I'm not sure 😊 

     

    Cheers,

    Crusoe.

    P.S. I will share my opinion of your piece later, didn't have a chance to do so yet.


  • Hi Crusoe,

    Thanks for sharing the link!  I listened to a few minutes and am reminded how vastly different music is in different cultures and eras.  It all is beautiful, meaningful, and a part of the fabric that binds humanity.  

    Your point about authenticity (with reference to the orchestral stuff) is probably what prevents some people from experimenting outside their familiar comfort zone.  Most people can't analyze and break down the complexities of a piece of music, but almost everyone can sense if something (be it music, a speech, an acting performance, etc.) is authentic.  The fear of being criticized for not being authentic is a concern for some composers.  I am pretty certain that whether or not I explore the idea, I will not come close to creating music like what you linked to, as that's completely out of my area of familiarity :)

    Cheers!

    Dave


  • Hi Dave,

    I admire your creativity, what a lovely piece. The moment at 0:52 was particularly interesting, If I can hear it correctly, the chordal notes are preceded by a grace note that gives the passage this "scratching" feeling. Together with the harmonic colour, this is a really interesting idea, although I'm (as it often happens) completely puzzled as to what it means, given the title. Bartok's pizzicato also added to this somewhat animalistic vision of the whole piece. Jos Wylin called this "quarrel", which actually fits with what I'm trying to say. Maybe that was your vision, too, or maybe I'm completely off, in which case please excuse me :)

    And, to quickly respond to your last post, yes, the storytelling devices of that music are very different. I just saw the word "mongolian" and thought - hm, maybe I could share what I know about it.

    P.S. Not sure why a creative person might want to stop being creative. Isn't it something against the nature? Please keep writing!


  • Hey Crusoe,

    Thanks for listening and glad you enjoyed!  Yes, the grace notes do help create that scratching feeling.  As to the meaning, the funny thing with art/music is that it can mean many different things to different people.  Music with lyrics tend to erase all doubt as to the meaning/intent behind the music, but with instrumental music, the soundscape can paint whatever picture your mind conjures up.  That's where titles can be a blessing or a curse.  In my case, titles are often given to pieces after I've written them...oftentimes, I don't even have a clue what I'm going to write or what it will end up being until I start putting notes down.  The title then helps quickly represent the vision I heard after completing the work.  

    At other times, I come up with a strong concept up front, supported by a title (recently, a piece I wrote called "What Will Become of Us?" was such an example), which then informs my choices as I write.

    In the end though, with music that tells a story, the gammut of different techniques, harmonies, rhythms, timbres, etc. make it difficult to simply represent the entire work with a title.  In that regard, I envy the simplicity of pieces named after forms (minuet, chaconne, nocturne, etc.)  I've found with my own music, that creative titles tend to gain more listeners...there's definitely a large group that run the other way when you mention: String Quartet No. 2 in 4 movements :) lol

    Cheers!

    Dave


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