SILHOUETTE - Joey Eng's Graduation Recital (2022)

PROGRAM:

0:00 Introduction

1:58 Rebonds A Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001)
Rebonds is one of the two solo percussion works written by Iannis Xenakis, a Greek architect/avant-garde composer. The piece reflects ideas of indeterminacy (its interpretation differs widely between performers), and as such I believe that the piece is an exploration of the power of rhythm. The piece’s first movement reflects this interpretation, as it appears to cascade into rhythmic complexity and chaos.

9:36 Interlude 1

11:13 Silhouette (world premiere) Joey Eng
Silhouette is a reflection on my childhood and the sense of nostalgia I get when I revisit old memories. There is a strange mixture of emotions one gets when they look into their own past: on one hand I feel a sense of relief that I have developed and grown past my struggles, and on the other hand I feel grief as that version of me is gone. Although I feel that I am happier and in a better place now, I can’t help but feel that I am a completely different person to who I used to be. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is yet to be decided, only hindsight will tell. The piece is semi-improvised and draws much inspiration from jazz ballads and impressionist piano pieces.


15:51 Love Castle Chick Corea (1941-2021) arr. Joey Eng
Love Castle is a track that features on Chick Corea’s tenth album My Spanish Heart. A regular collaborator with jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton, this tune appears in many of their live set lists, including for the duo’s Tiny Desk Concert in 2016. This arrangement is loosely based on this performance, with a transcription of Gary Burton’s solo.
With associate artist Adrian Soares (piano)

21:39 Interlude 2

22:54 Rebonds B Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001)
In stark contrast to the first movement, Rebonds B has a distinct rhythmic drive in an almost ritualistic manner. Rather than exploring the power of rhythm through complexity, this movement appears to do so through a more fundamental idea of pulse and groove.

28:43 Interlude 3

31:31 Prism Rhapsody Keiko Abe (1937-) arr. Joey Eng
Prism Rhapsody is one of the most famous marimba concerti in the existing repertoire. It is an incredibly epic and virtuosic work that features six-mallet playing, improvisation, and a highly energetic and relentless finale. This performance of Prism Rhapsody features a reduced orchestration combined with the piano reduction.

With associate artists:

Piano: Adrian Soares

Flute: Levi Venables

Trumpets: Zac Ogden, Sam Schimming

French Horn: Milly McAuliffe

Percussion: Maddie Colvin, Steven Hartley, Zac Skelton

Timpani: Gabrielle Lee

Violins: Aya Smith, Momo Foord, Mia Thomas, Miranda Dyskin

Celli: Zoe Hawkesworth

Double Bass: Cass Evans-Ocharern