Patrick Nunn
04/05/2016
rarescale's Artistic Director, Carla Rees, talks to Patrick Nunn ahead of performances of Gonk and Shadowplay on 11th May 2016
Who are your main influences?
Bartok, Schoenberg, Ligeti, Messiaen, Matthias Pintscher, Jonathan Harvey, Magnus Lindberg, Helmut Lachenmann, Unsuk Chin, Bill Viola, Philip Core, Jean Genet
What inspires you?
The cosmos, freshly cut grass, psychological phenomenon, spirituality, ambiguity, immersive experiences, the sea, soft sounds, transformation, random acts of kindness, the smell of leather.
What made you become a composer?
Since I was a young child, I have always had the urgent need to express myself through the sounds that I hear in my head.
If you could sum your music up in three words, what would they be?
coalescence fluidity immersion
If you could choose three pieces of music that have had a big impact on your life or musical development, what would they be and why?
Matthias Pintscher - Tenebrae (2001)
Jonathan Harvey - String Quartet No.4 (2003)
Jonathan Harvey - Cello Concerto (1990)
All these pieces transport me to another world for different reasons. In Pintscher’s Tenebrae, the vulnerability of the quieter material is often framed by silence and pronounced stabs of colour that are beautifully imaginative despite the minimal pitch content of the chord. In Harvey’s String Quartet No.4, the internal, microscopic world of sound created from the bow hair upon the string, is brought to the fore – dancing around the audience through the use of electronics as if spirits have been summoned into the performance. In Harvey’s Cello Concerto, the extremely high writing of the cello line (and it’s contrasting depths) creates, for me, a deeply moving experience that feels utterly connected to the human soul and completely free of earthly attachment.
Patrick's website
Facebook
Twitter
record label - Red Sock Records
YouTube links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BQPZK5fNcw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9POaKN6p6Hg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6aBgMNbuT0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOtDbzQNWqM
rarescale performs Gonk for bassoon and electronics and Shadowplay for bass clarinet at The Forge in Camden on 11 May 2016
Bartok, Schoenberg, Ligeti, Messiaen, Matthias Pintscher, Jonathan Harvey, Magnus Lindberg, Helmut Lachenmann, Unsuk Chin, Bill Viola, Philip Core, Jean Genet
What inspires you?
The cosmos, freshly cut grass, psychological phenomenon, spirituality, ambiguity, immersive experiences, the sea, soft sounds, transformation, random acts of kindness, the smell of leather.
What made you become a composer?
Since I was a young child, I have always had the urgent need to express myself through the sounds that I hear in my head.
If you could sum your music up in three words, what would they be?
coalescence fluidity immersion
If you could choose three pieces of music that have had a big impact on your life or musical development, what would they be and why?
Matthias Pintscher - Tenebrae (2001)
Jonathan Harvey - String Quartet No.4 (2003)
Jonathan Harvey - Cello Concerto (1990)
All these pieces transport me to another world for different reasons. In Pintscher’s Tenebrae, the vulnerability of the quieter material is often framed by silence and pronounced stabs of colour that are beautifully imaginative despite the minimal pitch content of the chord. In Harvey’s String Quartet No.4, the internal, microscopic world of sound created from the bow hair upon the string, is brought to the fore – dancing around the audience through the use of electronics as if spirits have been summoned into the performance. In Harvey’s Cello Concerto, the extremely high writing of the cello line (and it’s contrasting depths) creates, for me, a deeply moving experience that feels utterly connected to the human soul and completely free of earthly attachment.
Patrick's website
record label - Red Sock Records
YouTube links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BQPZK5fNcw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9POaKN6p6Hg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6aBgMNbuT0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOtDbzQNWqM
rarescale performs Gonk for bassoon and electronics and Shadowplay for bass clarinet at The Forge in Camden on 11 May 2016