Cutler, Joe - Urban Myths
1. Chasin’ the Skunk!
2. Secret Garden
3. Hokus Pokus
Joe Cuter (1968-) is a British composer whose quirky and energetic approach to music has endeared him to many. He has worked extensively in the Netherlands and is now Head of Composition at Birmingham Conservatoire. Cutler seems to have embraced the saxophone as a regular voice in his compositions. His own contemporary music group Noszferatu includes saxophonist Finn Peters who provides a stylish and funky presence. Cutler is somewhat reticent when it comes to describing his music, preferring rather that listeners draw their own conclusions from his inferences. The Yorkshire Post succinctly described Cutler’s style, feeling that “this was music that came to get you...”
Cutler’s gritty, urban style is exemplified in his Urban Myths, which despite its high energy levels, also provides beautiful moments of repose. The piece was written in 1999 and is typical of the strong, rhythmically led material Cutler excels in. Originally for bass clarinet and harpsichord, such unusual instrumentation informs the timbre of this version, for alto saxophone and piano. The first movement is vigorously aggressive from the outset. A middle section provides some stillness with elegant melodic lines exchanged between the saxophone and piano. A brief return to the opening material soon resolves into an explosive coda, which is an unnerving marriage of violence and comedy. The second movement is a short, uncertain movement, with a gently oscillating tempo and repeated melodic fragments. The third and final movement is a tour de force for saxophone and piano, employing substantial metrical variation and rhythmic displacement. The piece was written for Harry Sparnaay and Annelie de Man who recorded the bass clarinet and harpsichord version of this piece in 2007.
2. Secret Garden
3. Hokus Pokus
Joe Cuter (1968-) is a British composer whose quirky and energetic approach to music has endeared him to many. He has worked extensively in the Netherlands and is now Head of Composition at Birmingham Conservatoire. Cutler seems to have embraced the saxophone as a regular voice in his compositions. His own contemporary music group Noszferatu includes saxophonist Finn Peters who provides a stylish and funky presence. Cutler is somewhat reticent when it comes to describing his music, preferring rather that listeners draw their own conclusions from his inferences. The Yorkshire Post succinctly described Cutler’s style, feeling that “this was music that came to get you...”
Cutler’s gritty, urban style is exemplified in his Urban Myths, which despite its high energy levels, also provides beautiful moments of repose. The piece was written in 1999 and is typical of the strong, rhythmically led material Cutler excels in. Originally for bass clarinet and harpsichord, such unusual instrumentation informs the timbre of this version, for alto saxophone and piano. The first movement is vigorously aggressive from the outset. A middle section provides some stillness with elegant melodic lines exchanged between the saxophone and piano. A brief return to the opening material soon resolves into an explosive coda, which is an unnerving marriage of violence and comedy. The second movement is a short, uncertain movement, with a gently oscillating tempo and repeated melodic fragments. The third and final movement is a tour de force for saxophone and piano, employing substantial metrical variation and rhythmic displacement. The piece was written for Harry Sparnaay and Annelie de Man who recorded the bass clarinet and harpsichord version of this piece in 2007.