Recording: The GGS New Music Ensemble

Artist: The GGS New Music Ensemble

Songs: Behind the Sound of Music [edited fragments] (composer: Nicole Lizée) + 3 Movements for Chamber Orchestra [2nd movement] (composer: Scott Good)

Recorded at the Conservatory Theatre, April 10, 2014.

The GGS New Music Ensemble - Behind the Sound of Music [edited fragments]

The GGS New Music Ensemble - 3 Movements for Chamber Orchestra [2nd mvt]

As I've said before, Brian Current is leading the New Music Ensemble at the Royal Conservatory's Glenn Gould School down some very interesting roads. The chance to present the World Premiere of this new Nicole Lizée piece was used as a springboard to present a couple other pieces that were based in sound and vision, including Martin Matalon's Les siete vidas se un gato (a new score to Buñuel's Un Chien Andalou) and Louis Andriessen's The New Math(s) (a soundtrack to an arthouse kung-fu slapstick flick). But it was Lizée's work that captivated the most.

Following on her Hitchcock Etudes, Behind the Sound of Music applies glitchy cut-and-paste techniques to the beloved musical to create a slightly hallucinatory trip. Known for playing off pop culture tropes, this piece could be a true crossover hit — someone just needs to get it in front of the cult film/midnite movie/420 crowd.

With the composer on hand to conduct, the night also saw a performance of Scott Good's piece, which had been commissioned by the Glenn Gould School. Starting from a strictly defined set of musical tools, the piece aims to employ those ingredients in different ways — ranging here from lithe and melodic to dirge-y drones. A work in progress, there are more movements yet to be added.