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A View Through Glass

Music Listening Dairy

Piece for Double String Orchestra - Michael Tippett

Surprisingly enough, this piece is very easy to listen to. The rhythmic content is very attractive and the strong chordal progressions complement this. When I listened to this for the first time, I was told by an experienced listener to this work that this piece is popular with the younger generation. This remark says something about the generation gap.

I listened to the whole work for a second time, and arrived at the conclusion that it is a display in the fact that you hear such distinct techniques, meaning that they are familiar and clearly understood. These techniques are beautifully adapted to this work but I am a little unsure how or where this piece conforms with the output of Tippett. It is a admirable piece of work and very enjoyable to listen to.

Powaqqatsi - Philip Glass

Listening to Powaqqatsi for the first time was quite surprising as it sounded unique and like nothing I had heard before. It employs a complex sound which when analysed is very simple, only a few instruments playing at any one time creating, an unfamiliar sound.

Once I had listened to it several times and was familiar with the work, my experience was widened noticing new and different aspects of the piece, especially the subtle rhythms. It is set to a film and employs Glass's obvious knowledge of his Middle Eastern experience and influences.

It opens with a fast rhythm using common traditional and African instruments. It also has the addition of a whistle and a children's choir; similar to the use of a choir in the beginning of Bizet's Carmen. This prelude material is only used once and then immediately moves into the first theme which is a close introduction to the material for the whole work, imitating the movement and characteristics of a train. The whistle of the train is composed with the use of two flutes playing a third or fourth apart, on the low register of the combined with the use of excessive vibrato to produce a breathy sound.

The imitation of trains is a common feature in Glass's music, with three in Akhnaten and also one at the beginning of The Hydrogen Jukebox. To quote Glass, "Yes, I'm pretty good with trains".

The compact disc cover reflects the African influence on the music with a young black boy walking along a dusty dirt track wearing ragged clothes, and a large lorry travelling behind throwing the dry, dusty earth into the air. The issue of the compact disk cover whether it should depict the composers conception of the work I feel is quite important especially with new music of today.

3rd Symphony - Henryk Gorecki

Truly a remarkable piece, very beautiful and easy to listen to. My initial thoughts on this work were that of its simplicity, even to the point of a cliché. I was reminded of the problems Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber has had with the academic musicians view of his clichéd music.

I very much admire the work but I certainly do not want to see the score or study it. The reason being is that I feel that the re-creation of this style is quite simple. I can confidently say that I have composed this style improvising on a professional keyboard using a dense symphonic sound.

The Protecting Veil - John Tavener

The whole piece is a vast experience and can reflect many personal thoughts but it is not easy to listen to. However, having followed the updated score, I found it far more interesting. The concept is quite simple but the writing is complex enough.

Solo Piano - Philip Glass

This whole collection I was quite disappointed with. It is performed by Philip Glass and my first reaction was "Here we have someone who has been writing arpeggios for most of his composing career and cannot even play them accurately". The pieces, which were in parallel with others at the time, were not justified as a solo work. It did not contain new development ideas, they are obvious arrangements and I feel do not serve any purpose as piano solos.

Electric Counter Point - Steve Reich

This piece requires up to thirteen guitarists, two of which are bass and one solo. The performance can either be completely live with all thirteen parts or twelve parts on a backing tape and the solo performed live, either way is just as successful. However, the fully live performance is quite a challenging achievement for the musicians.

The piece is in three movements Fast, Slow, Fast. The material uses rhythmic patterns and progressions which flows in a similar manner to the material itself. By this I mean that the rhythmic and melodic material work closely together and complement each other to form a progression. This type of layering is the basic core of the piece.

The music is beautiful and effortless to listen to even though is uses minimalistic techniques. The electric guitar creates sound from the music in the way that no other instrument could.

Anima Mundi - Philip Glass

This piece, for a wildlife documentary, is similar in shape and style to Powaqqatsi in the overall sound. It still uses Glass's habitual arpeggios but with a more subtle texture. The use of the arpeggios is subliminal and generally for effect and is not used as a main theme. They are of similar nature to the film score writer Danny Elfman who often writes quick short out-bursts of arpeggios on the flute.

Because the piece is quite short, about half an hour, its structure is captured by the listener quite quickly, therefore giving satisfaction in its easy listening. Ironically one may feel that it is too short. This does not worry me because other works of Glass supplement this, such as Powaqqatsi and his Dance Pieces which are all in similar style as opposed to earlier stronger minimalist style works such as North Star.

Dance Pieces - Philip Glass

This dance collection is from In the Upper Room and from the collection Glassworks. Facades gives a beautiful theme on the saxophone which repeats and progresses, while Dance Piece number 6 opens with a broken chord piano solo progression which on the repeat introduces other instruments such as violin and voice. The tune sounds unusual but is very applicable to the piano solo progression and this is very appropriate to the tune. This co-operation of the two themes is very skilful and this discerning composition works very well.

North Star - Philip Glass

This is a strong recording of the minimalistic style of Philip Glass. Even though this is one of the earlier recordings of Glass's music it shows the additive technique he uses and then employs in some of his later works but without the obvious repetition like the flute arpeggio theme in Anima Mundi.

He uses very specific vowel voice techniques which requires much expertise from the performer; because of this he always uses the same singer for his performances. The use of electronic analogue keyboards is emphasised as opposed to the lack of use in his later music.

Violin Concerto - Philip Glass

I asked Philip Glass where this piece fitted in with his other works, he said that he does not think it does. This perhaps justifies my feeling of disappointment with this work. It is a very unoriginal development of his style, and merely states what he has already written of his basic technique and material. It is quite static and does not display any new ideas.

This brings in question not only the modern music development of material and ideas of technique such as repetition but the ideas of formal recognised structure. I feel that if you are going to write a symphony then the technique and style should be structured to the piece in the traditional sense from which it developed. Using modern techniques in a symphony or concerto from the ideas of 18th and 19th centuries does not work regardless of the material, even though the structure may be as required because the modern form does not involve tradition. This mixing of forms from early music to present day is like playing Beethoven's fifth symphony on saxophones, in the style of Michael Nyman. If a modern composer wishes to write a symphony then the terminology should be that of a "Modern Symphony".

Piano Phase - Steve Reich

Phasing is an interesting technique with a fascinating result. After experimenting myself I discovered how difficult it was to compose a successful phase pattern. With this piece and many other solely minimalist pieces it is beneficial to understand the technique before listening to the piece, because it is this which the piece is composed from and the point of its composition, to show the technique.

Six Pianos - Steve Reich

This can also be performed on Marimbas as with Piano Phase. Again, it is important to understand the techniques used in this work before listening to it. Of course you may simply just enjoy the sound, or maybe not, therefore it is beneficial to understand the concept of the piece.

Nomos Alpha - Iannis Xenakis

A fascinating piece. A score which completely exploits the cello.

"...while achieving tremolandi, you are pizzing with one finger and glissing with another and also trying to create a harmonic." (R. Roberts A.D. Music Magazine, New York)

It displays detailed use of unorthodox techniques which are quite discerning. The required techniques range from creating a harsh scratching sound by giving high pressure on the strings with the bow, to creating subtle de-tuning to create a beat

Psappha - Iannis Xenakis

For two percussionists. It is scored in a Time Box format which is relatively simpler to read than conventional notation.

Oresteia - Iannis Xenakis

This is a commissioned piece written to celebrate a discovery of a small village which had originated from the Greeks. It is Written in three movements for orchestra and chorus. It does not posses such a strong feel of Xenakis's usual mathematical style as it is heavily influenced by the Orthodox rather than mathematics. It far easier to listen to than other atonal works and it employs a style of writing for chorus which is quite interesting. Xenakis takes the ancient phonetics as his starting point and establishes a rhythmic melodic matrix for his music.

Is was inspired by a surrealist concept. A town called Ypsilanti, in Michigan, a quiet place of a strange name. Some people think it is an American Indian name. Then one day someone discovers that it comes from the Greek. This news sends tremor through the small town. Obvious celebration would take place so a theatre was built and the Greek stage director Alexis Salamos staged The Birds by Aristophanes and the Oresteia. The Trilogy of Aeschylus was set to music into a single drama, (Agammemnon, Cho phori and Eumenides). The orchestral version, as opposed to the live performance, includes an addition, written afterwards, called Kassandra of whom was the King's daughter in the play.

Dikhthas - Iannis Xenakis

Written for violin and piano. A piece of two natures, a duel as soon as the two instruments eet they are off again and play like fireworks slowly re-building the opposing tension. It uses micro-tones which create a pulse in the violin when the note D is played of the G string while double stopping with the open D string.

Strategie - Iannis Xenakis

Before you listen to this work it is essential to understand the concept of the work. Two orchestras play a game in which a scoring system is involved. This concept seems to be more fascinating than the music itself. There are complicated rules to the game and the duration last between ten and thirty minutes depending on how the two conductors of each orchestra wish to play the game. There is a winner and it seems to be determined not by how good a conductor one maybe but how well one understands the rules of the game.

Mesh - Graham Fitkin

Performed by Ice Maker. I feel that this piece it quite typical of a 'contemporary' style, meaning that its capturing texture feels to well adapted to today's modern music. I also feel that once you have heard it a second hearing is unnecessary. It is quite simple but I think tries to be more impressive rather than it justified by its content.

Chinese Opera - Judith Weir

As a whole I feel that it is admirable that she has such strong Far Eastern influence and she has an interesting original style especially when using text. Her ten minute operas are quite fascinating and posses a strong sense of intricate composition.

Mi-Parti - Wittold Lutoslawsky

It is a strange piece with many interesting textures, I think it is important to understand the way he expresses his music to his audience before listening to any of his works. I felt quite pressured to listen to Mi-Parti as I forced myself to accept and try to understand it. I experienced some difficulty but could make an intuitive compromise of the work thus coming to terms with it.

I was introduced to his music with a statement that I felt could be a little pretentious, so immediately I was biased against his music. The idea of giving an intellectual analysis can often be unnecessary and therefore destroy aspects and simple enjoyment of the music.

Musique Funebre - Wittold Lutoslawsky

This string orchestral piece is different from many. It moves in block chords but I feel it does not progress anywhere. I would consider that intensive listening is required with this piece, it is not advised for a 'one off' listening.

Jeux Vénitiens - Wittold Lutoslawsky

This is a chance piece involving the individual players where the conductor would only keep the structure. This piece again is quite strange and because of the freedom of the players it leaves in question the skill and understanding of the work.

Because there can never be an ultimate performance of this work there must be an explanation before any performance. Terry Riley's In C is of similar nature and also Xenakis's Strategie. Both of these have a total random performance scores where as Jeux Vénitiens actually has a scored structure. It may therefore lye between being totally random and fixed.

Calendar - Richard R. Bennett

This work is very suitable for film and is quite angular and fragmented in its melodies. The thought of an old black and white silent movie sojourns in mind while listening to this. There is a definite impression that a story is being told. It sounds quite secretive and held back, therefore seems it needs more power and gives a strong sense of anticipation.

It is very neat, clear and very accurate to as what the composer requires. It soon becomes quite insipid but I feel it lends itself to a visual aspect which we are obviously not presented with. If this is deliberate then I am unsure if it actually works in leaving the visual aspect entirely to the listener.

All the movements are clearly connected with similar orchestration and I still feel there is something absent. It possesses no spirit, it fails to progress your imagination moving nowhere. It does not hold one's interest. The dynamics are all on a similar level with the occasional crescendo which soon slips back over a short period. It sounds a little like what I call cop out music. By this I mean that it is music that lends itself to no meaning and there really is no skill involved in the sound you hear and also it is composed with no thought of the listener. It is a style anybody could quite easily write. It has no sense, no meaning, no understandable nature, and is therefore an insult to the listener.

Tom O'Bedlam's Song - Richard Rodney Bennett

This piece has a kinder nature, lending itself to a more coherent touch, the English text would also support this. The coupled instrument limitations seem to make things more simple and not unnecessarily confusing.

Aubade - Richard Rodney Bennett

Orchestral this time, but nothing new. There is a larger sound because if the orchestral size. However, I now feel that R. R. Bennett's lack of passionate aggression is not due to the lack in volume. He tries to attain a thick texture but I feel he fails. I am left quite confused as there is no definite direction R. R. Bennett wants the listener to hear. It is on one simple level too often. If it is claimed that he writes in many varying styles I have not yet heard anything to support this.

Symphony Number One - Richard Rodney Bennett

More energetic than usual but still moving slowly. He decides to move to two f's, (fortissimo). Still has no meaning. I am now quite negative towards this man's music. I would like someone to explain his music to me.

Jazz Calendar - Richard Rodney Bennett

Where is this man's style? Anyone can write in a given style but what about their own style? Jazz is jazz, whether one can say it contains various styles or not or whether it is good or bad music. If you are an originator, then that is your style. Is there something intelligent about this particular piece? It's Jazz, jazz is Jazz. Is this piece important?, is it valid? To many ordinary musicians who do not play jazz, they usually have the respect and leave it to those who can.

News at Ten Jingle - Richard Rodney Bennett

Jingle composer too! I think that it is wrong to say that he composes in various different styles but I think he is just a versatile composer. Am I contradicting myself?

The Photographer - Philip Glass

It had its premier in 1983 and simply displays the Philip Glass style. There is nothing new apart from another variation of the Philip Glass technique of repetitive intervals and arpeggios.

The Hydrogen Jukebox - Philip Glass

This collection of songs displays an unusual style, not necessarily of Philip Glass, but a style like no other. From beginning to end you are urged to listen to the whole collection thus keeping your interest. The songs are from poems which reflect on the songs from Liquid Days when one song talks about the surreal concept of a humming of a fridge.

He uses similar material from his acquired style but with the addition of new chord progressions. Instrumentation is all quite typical to his style, the constant use of the flutes, but he seems to capture a different area of music. A similar thing happens in Anima Mundi.

The Yellow Shark - Frank Zappa

Out of all the tracks which display only a few of the diverse compositions of Zappa it was one which captured me, the G-Spot Tornado. This piece of absolute fascination was originally written using computerized sounds on a New England 'Synclavier', the worlds most expensive and very finest computer music workstation. In this recording he re-writes it for live band which then displays amazing rhythmical virtuosity.

It is played very fast with a constant pulse which does not give you time to breathe. The piece as a whole shows off the skill of the performers in working together with absolute crucial timing and accuracy.

Quartet for the end of Time - Olivier Messiaen

For piano, clarinet, violin and cello. The recording I heard was made in 1983 in St. John's Church, Bath. My interest was led in Michael Collins who played the clarinet in this live recording.

The performance I could consider to be quite accurate but the BBC, who recorded it, did not complement the work. They used camera work which was pertinent to the 80's but was completely useless to complement the music an the performance, however I was able to ignore the unnecessary attempts of the BBC and enjoy the performance and work.

I was not surprised at this work as having studied the twenty piano pieces Vingt Regards which are twenty constellations on theme of the birth of Jesus Christ. The quartet piece needs to be understood and possibly listened to more than once to get the full pearl-like purity of the work.

At first hearing I was not particularly impressed, however, I have had similar reactions to other works of Messiaen and soon after came to appreciate it.

The Sinking of the Titanic - Gavin Bryars

This subject is probably one of the most popular cliches around. However, Bryars has handled it in a way that is very sympathetic and is not selfish in the matter. He involves techniques like performing under water and using sound effects within the piece. The use of these effects is very subtle and viable, beginning and slowly moving the sound to the string players. The piece is obviously symbolic, and seems to involve the traditional sound of Schubert with the influence of John Adams, from parts of which I can relate to in Nixon in China.

He takes the strings to reflect on the sinking, with the sound effects in a progression, rather than having the strings imitating the sound effect of the sinking. He basically creates a mood of the depression and feeling of the people who died and the relaxation of many peoples non existent panic. These issues are broadly reflected in the writing with occasional discords which may or may not gradually resolve.

An interesting aspect of Bryars's music is the titles. I listened to this work unaware of its title, and as I glanced through various titles of his works while listening, I came across titles such as "On Photography", Glorious Hill", "After the Requiem", "Four Elements", "The Black River", "The Green Ray", "The White Lodge", "A Man in a Room, Gambling", "The War in Heaven" and amongst other "The North Shore". I notice that these titles are symbolic in nature.

Jesus's Blood Never Failed On Me Yet - Gavin Bryars

The sound creation in this piece is actually quite disturbing knowing that it is a tramp who speaks. The opening is distorted with tape manipulation and soon flows into an intelligible sound. We soon hear the Gavin Bryars quality with accompanying strings.

The idea of the Christmas season comes into my thoughts from the texture and the use of the thick, dense chords of the strings with the addition of the harp and tubular bells.

The whole piece, lasting about 75 minutes, employs repetition on quite a grand scale. The dialogue is repeated throughout with subtle changes in the orchestra. However, I feel that this does not make it difficult to listen to having extensive experience in listening to repetitive composition.

Symphony No. 1 - Peter Maxwell Davis

Heresy though this may be, what I feel about apparently one of the worlds greatest composers, is that I think his music is nonsense. I do not feel in any way empathetic with his music which has all its wonderful mathematics, and the music just does not come to any fulfilment, and certainly does not display the creative aspect of the mathematics which came to create this piece.

The piece needs intensive listening and an explanation would be very useful beforehand, or some sort of rule book for listening to such works. I can only say that it is another conversation with instruments in a language that is not related to any understanding of music.

Trumpet Sonata - Peter Maxwell Davis

Orchestra and Trumpet, a misleading title. One may assume that it is either for solo trumpet or for trumpet and piano and certainly not for orchestra. It would be interesting to know why as it is not called a Trumpet Concerto.

This music seems to be very light and spacious and no fixed harmonic rules seem to occur as opposed to no fixed tempo.

Ave Mois Stella - Peter Maxwell Davis

It uses various different reading techniques of the notes and their duration using a grid. It either moves across, down or diagonal; also combinations which may result in a spiral shape. As far as I am concerned, again it is just another collection of sounds and instruments.

Symphony Number 10 - Ludwig Van Beethoven/Barry Cooper

First of all it this a piece of contemporary music? Well, of course not, but it was born in 1988 by Dr. Barry Cooper.

My feeling on this touchy subject is that Barry Cooper's concept of a tenth Beethoven symphony is acceptable, provided that it is remembered that it is only a proposition.

It is admirable that someone has taken on the intensive work of bringing together an example of work that Beethoven was unfortunately not to finish. As I listened for the first time to this precarious work, I was interested of not so much the piece itself but how it really compares with all the earlier works. I have always considered the 32 piano sonatas to be a perfect example of the incredible growing development of Beethoven compositions. I would then choose the Symphonies as an example.

The early symphonies certainly reflect the time they were written with the influence of his contemporaries, and then they grow past the Eroica into a style that we all understand Beethoven; the mischievous progressions and beautiful melodies which paralleled Schubert, especially symphonies numbers six, seven and eight, the works which surround the above symphonies give us a burst of his vigorous life, and the whole amplitude of the daring and vicious works of Beethoven.

We then have an idea of the opening movement of his tenth. This piece seems to be on the border having just broken through with the ninth. It trends towards the earlier style with the complement of the later works. It creates an suggestion that there are further grounds that Beethoven is now moving to explore.

One could imagine that had Beethoven written fifteen symphonies instead of nine, he might have progressed in this direction. The 32 piano sonatas move in a similar way. From the first to the last tells you a story of the development of Beethoven's life, not just his musical creation. The final sonata is a ridiculous mesh of thematic material that certainly without doubt lends itself to 'Jazz'. What will we have succeeding? This final anchoring sonata seems to me the perfect stop point of these collection of solo piano works. The Symphonies could be left to question in this matter with the final ninth delivering to us one of the greatest works ever written.

Verses for Ensemble - Harrison Birtwistle

For wind ensemble. Atonal with percussion. The percussion interests me far more than the other instruments. I find that I have respect for this music, but I am not fond of it. The structure is clear. It needs intense listening, and then my question arrives of "How can anyone really enjoy this"? My ear does not extend to this textured style of music.

Windows and Canopies - James Dillon

There is a strong use of glissandi in the high register on the stringed instruments. It creates a very loud creation of sound without being pretentious. He really establishes the sound creating very powerful music which uses unorthodox techniques with very strong reasoning and not just for the sake of it; this is important. Overall it is very dense and textural.

Sonata for Piano and Horn - Jczsef Soproni

It is written for horn and piano which devotes its expression to virtuosity. It gives a positive creative sound which seems quite relieving even though it exploits the instruments.

Sparrow Night - Simon Holt

Opens with a distinct falling semitone. The 'night' aspect is certainly portrayed very well with imitations of nocturnal sounds. The pianissimo opening comes to more effect and is quite dramatic when we hear the sudden fortissimo.

There is a interesting use of the wide range of instruments; horn, harp, piano, oboe, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, piccolo, clarinet and bass clarinet. It is an interesting piece and my only criticism is that I do not feel that the piano writing is really of any complement to the other instruments of the ensemble. I am not criticising the actual piano material, just the way it is used within the ensemble. The sound of the piano just does not seem appropriate. I think it is the register of the piano he inclines to use. He omits using the high register and uses the middle section which seems to sound sluggish due to its not employing any extreme of the instrument.

However, there is a great use of the instruments creating quite a 'special sound' and it successfully depicts its title. I enjoyed listening to the piece. There is tremendous raucous oboe sounds with incredible virtuosity the introduction of interesting chords on that instrument.

Deva - Nichola Lefanu

A succession of motifs and 'chord' progressions with the occasional outburst of a short 'tune'. It has a muddled sound from which you only seem to hear harmonies which often do not portray a definite meaning. Is this piece a simple display of unorthodox techniques? Maybe not, as it does move into a defined melody which could be a development of the previous short tunes.

It soon present us with a less muddled progression with the violin forwarding a melody above a succession of short steady pulsed chords.

It moves into a wider instrumentation of the similar opening but with a concentration on structure and harmony.

There is obvious Messiaen influence in its harmonic contents.

Objects Falling in Space - Gwyn Prichard

For Clarinet, Harp and Percussion. Slow, atonal and could depict a picture. It is nothing fantastic but an obvious influence of the Birtwistle School. It shows a wide range of use of the instruments using effects such as staccato with all the instruments' different flavours, especially with the close relationship between the harp and clarinet. This work is lucrative, however the material does not carry much interest for me.

Piece for Sho and Harp - Toshio Hosokawa

It is very interesting to experience the limitations of only two instruments including an introduction of an unfamiliar instrument. The Sho plays the fundamentals while the harp explores these harmonies. There seem no rhythmic relationship between the two instruments but the harmonies, clusters or not, make them fit together like a jigsaw.

Circles - Luciano Berio

For harp, solo soprano and percussion. It essentially sounds quite disturbing but has an interesting quality in the use of the voice. Not only are unusual 'vowel' sounds used but the scaling is quite characteristic and holds interest. The piece seems to lie between tonal and atonality and does not contain any pretentiousness as music like this often does. This is achieved by the fact that it supports a traditional sound without going too far.

Cannon en Mmoire d'Igor Stravinsky - Edison Denissow

For clarinet, flute and harp. Please will someone tell me what I have missed! Where is this type of music taking us to? I am very careful not to write 17 against 15 so why isn't anyone else? Back to the music. It basically starts, moves and ends and does have an interesting ending.

In C - Terry Riley

Moving back a few years now to the start of the style of repetition or 'Minimalism'. There can be so many interpretations that there is never one which an be final. It is still under the description of 'experimental', experimental in the performance that is.

Ophelia Dances - Oliver Knussen

It presents a wonderful display of instruments in that as they combine they produce decorative sounds that are quite illuminating. The rapid changes of time signatures develop the piece into precise rhythmic patterns of which the instruments are independent of each other. They also group together to form a rhythmic cell.

It soon moves into a leisurely slower passage which actually ends the pieces without returning to the principal material. You now can feel the development and structure of the work as it moves into this new section, as before it has been quite fragmented and static in its movement of the instruments.

Symphony Number 3 - Oliver Knussen

The orchestral use of this work the texture is quite different to that of the Ophelia Dances even though it is treated in a similar nature and the material is also posses similarities especially in the rhythmic grouping of the instruments. Quite a broad texture is generated throughout especially at the critical point of the fortissimo which begins a wonderful dawdling diminuendo to then introduce a picturesque sound world.

Momentum - Mark Anthony Turnage

Very rhythmical and thick textured with a flurry of influences like jazz. Syncopated rhythms with strong use of brass, which seems to dominate this opening. The strings are used as light texture. It reminds me of fictional film music with its anticipating harmonies. Some motif orchestrations are similar to John Adams.

Black Angels - George Crumb

This work genuinely displays intricate details which are not inflated to the point where one may consider that this music is worthless. The material speaks for itself and shows beautiful use of the instruments, even using glasses filled with water is not over-doing it.

Air Danser - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

Using small individual motifs for each instrument they combine together and create a simple harmonic sequence of which the cello and violin work together to form a complimentary melody. The unique sound texture is formed from the use of mandolins, ukeleles and the harmonium.

Yodel - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

This piece has an obvious influence of Jazz by the use of the single line melodies. The piano is used monophonically which is unique thus imitating single lined instruments such as a saxophone. Throughout, the guitar and percussion work together producing a constant rhythm of which solo melodies overlay. Soon it is left to a trio with the piano saluting the rhythm with closely formed chords.

Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter - Simon Jeffes

Electric piano and harmonium. The electric piano plays broken chords devising a simple chord progression of which the harmonium performs a lucid melody.

From the Colonies - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

The piece opens with a cuatro duet which forms the vehicle motif. The remaining instruments soon arrive and together bring the rhythm and structure and the cello participates with a solo.

Southern Jukebox Music - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

The piece opens with a piano solo which continues while the cello plays a modal melody. The piano progression never steps out into alien fields with its harmonies, however, the cello steps beyond these harmonic boundaries instead.

Numbers 1-4 - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

The opening cello plays on the bridge a steady single note semi-quaver rhythm which produces harmonics. Other instruments soon all join in and form the vehicle for a solo cello line.

Telephone and Rubber Band - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

Layering a dialling and engaged telephone tone they together produce a two note motif which a simple chord sequence is composed upon. These two notes, a tone apart, do not clash with any of the chords but they may create a 2nd, 4th or 7th which flavours the progression.

Again, Simon Jeffes introduces a single cell motif of which other instruments join and create a flowing texture.

Air - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

This work is not so vivid and rhythmical as other works but it displays atmospheric sound which has outbursts of short single melodies and omits harmonies. All this moves around a subtle rhythm with a guitar drone.

Beanfields - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

This piece is used on the new Channel Tunnel television commercial which uses a berserk melody with chromatic melodies.

Paul's Dance - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

This piece employs all the trends and styles of previous Penguin Café music but this only uses two ukeleles. It completely omits all the additional material which Penguin Café music holds, and it shows the bare bones of the music of Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra.

Oscar Tango - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

Solo piano, cello and viola. This piece again shows a slow development with subtle changes of which all the instruments complement one another in their motifs.

Music for a Found Harmonium - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

The Penguin Café Orchestra perform their instruments the style of a mass of performing bagpipes.

Isle of View - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

A sound world creation with the electric guitar delivering a rapid ostinato while the strings slowly pulsate with varied harmonies and the piano provides a single bass line. Again the music is about treating the sound world created with additional single lines. Soon the percussion introduces itself and we haver a multi-polyphonic sound.

Prelude and Yodel - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

Simple small cello motifs depict the chord structures of which the syncopated rhythmic guitar later emphasises. The electric bass produces a rhythm and soon the other instruments follow and all combine.

Dirt - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

Simple melodies with a percussive accompaniment moving through chords I, IV and V.

Giles Farnaby's Dream - Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Café Orchestra

This piece is very percussive and furious with the influences of Spanish Flamenco which employs romantic melodies. It is treated in a similar way to modern dance club music where different parts are omitted for four or eight bars and then brought back.

The South Downs - Gavin Bryars

The influences of this piece can be in question. The piano suggests that Philip Glass has had a weight on this work through the excessive use of alternating intervals. The piano use of a single lined instrument is keeping with trends of contemporary music.

The cello's opening supplies a delicate droning motif which carries the chord progression which dominates the work. The piano decorates this sequence with its single notes which soon develop into a thicker texture of chords. The cello then takes over with a precarious melodic line until the original opening theme it retained.