T e s s e l l a t i o n s I f o r s o l o p i a n o
Tessellations contains structures which have, by coincidence, similarities with some of the principles of geometric tessellations - hence the title. Visual interlocking symmetries and geometric shapes are transferred to the audible world of pitches, rhythm and counterpoint, with the spirit and energy of jazz, improvisation and folk music always at the heart of the performance. The piece contains a sequence of 52 closely linked pentatonic scales and reflects most of the ideas previously mentioned in the research. Each scale has two pre-established areas which are then developed and explored using improvisation. Because the piece is continuous, the player and listeners take part in a journey that lasts about one hour. The following is a brief extract of selected samples:
T e s s e l l a t i o n s
f o r L u t h è a l p i a n o
The Brussels Museum of Musical Instuments Living Music organiser, Jo Santy wished to schedule events with the Luthéal piano. This unique keyboard is a grand piano Pleyel of 1920 enhanced by four registers and mechanisms invented by the Belgian Georges Cloetens in 1918. These mechanisms make the piano sound like a harpsichord, or resonate the upper octave harmonic of each string like the harpe tirée technique, or both simultaneously - the natural sound of this wonderful piano also being available. The only historical Luthéal piano belongs to the Museum of Musical Instruments and was repaired in order to be performed. But only two works of Maurice Ravel exist in its repertory - and nothing else.
Two months before the concert, the composer made a short visit to Brussels to adapt his work for the Luthéal. It took him fifty-one minutes to try the instrument, to make the choices and to note the playing instructions on the score. The day of the concert, Veryan rehearsed the most demanding sections for twenty-five minutes - and that was it - Tessellations for Luthéal Piano.
There is also a complete version of Tessellations for acoustic piano live in Shoreditch Church on YouTube.
f o r L u t h è a l p i a n o
The Brussels Museum of Musical Instuments Living Music organiser, Jo Santy wished to schedule events with the Luthéal piano. This unique keyboard is a grand piano Pleyel of 1920 enhanced by four registers and mechanisms invented by the Belgian Georges Cloetens in 1918. These mechanisms make the piano sound like a harpsichord, or resonate the upper octave harmonic of each string like the harpe tirée technique, or both simultaneously - the natural sound of this wonderful piano also being available. The only historical Luthéal piano belongs to the Museum of Musical Instruments and was repaired in order to be performed. But only two works of Maurice Ravel exist in its repertory - and nothing else.
Two months before the concert, the composer made a short visit to Brussels to adapt his work for the Luthéal. It took him fifty-one minutes to try the instrument, to make the choices and to note the playing instructions on the score. The day of the concert, Veryan rehearsed the most demanding sections for twenty-five minutes - and that was it - Tessellations for Luthéal Piano.
There is also a complete version of Tessellations for acoustic piano live in Shoreditch Church on YouTube.
T e s s e l l a t i o n s II f o r 9 v o i c e s
Unlike Tessellations I which explores the possibilities of improvising with a pr-established form as a soloist, Tessellations II explores the possibilities of improvising with the same pre-established form but in a group situation. However, both Tessellation pieces use the same sequence of 52 pentatonic scales which returns to the beginning at the end, so is harmonically cyclic .....see: http://www.pointofdeparture.org/PoD35/PoD35Ezz-thetics.html.
The following is a brief extract:
The following is a brief extract:
T e s s e l l a t i o n s III f o r s t r i n g q u a r t e t :
Inspector Montalbano's Holiday
Tessellations 3 for String Quartet – 'Inspector Montalbano's Holiday'. A very broad musical eclecticism, although staying within the world of pentatonic structure in the tessellations pieces, is used to describe events of Inspector Montalbano's very rainy holiday in England. It is musical soundtrack to a theoretical case he tries to resolve while on his holiday based on a suicide he reads about that occurs in London. His summation before returning home is that he feels it easier to manage several Mafia families than be under the control of one very largely supported institutional one.
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T e s s e l l a t i o n s IV
The following PDFs are related to pentatonic scales. They are a selection of tables, scores and exercises. You are welcome to use them although acknowledgement is appreciated. They will open in Acrobat and are easier to use if you use horizontal scrolling in 'tools' and the hand tool as well as having the zoom set to 70%.