Instrumental - John Palmer

Accordion

Drang
for accordion or bayan
1999 10'

Drang was originally written for Margit Kern. It is a highly virtuoso piece requiring enormous technique and stamina for the performance. The German word Drang (drive, impulse, urge, strong desire) depicts exactly the nature of the music I wanted to write. This music is to be played with much Sturm und Drang character: impetuous, yearning, passionate, gestural, directional and always virtuoso-like. Like in other works of mine, breath is here the driving force of the music.

Commissioned by Margit Kern and first performed by her at the Pur oder Plus Festival, Hamburg, 30th November 2000.

Instrumentation: Accordion

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Cello

Somewhere
for cello
2018 6'

Somewhere was written for a cellist singing and speaking a text I wrote in August 2018 about the search for a place in the paradox of inner and outer exile.

Somewhere was commissioned by Delphine Henriet. The world premiere took place in the Bacchussaal of the Ludwigsburg Castle, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, on 16th September 2018 and was performed by Delphine Henriet.

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Trans-solo 4
for cello
2010 3'

The four original Trans-solos derive from the quartet Transitions, for violin, clarinet, cello and piano, written in 2000 following a commission by pianist Margie Wu and the “eppur si muove” Foundation in Zürich.

Initially written as four separate cadenzas of Transitions, I have extracted and re-visited the four solos as single musical moments written for the virtuosity of a distinct performer. As the word ‘Trans’ may suggest, I have considered virtuosity as a search for ever-changing perceptions of the ineffable.

First performed by Matias De Olivera Pinto at BKA, Berlin 15th February 2010.

Instrumentation: Violoncello

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almost
for cello
2005 200512'

Almost was commissioned by the Modern Art Ensemble. The world premiere took place at the BKA in Berlin on 27th December 2005 and was performed by Matias de Oliveira Pinto.

Instrumentation: Violoncello

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now (3)
for 2 celli & electronics
2003 12'

First performed by Peter Schuback (cello), John Palmer (cello), Dirk Veulemans (electronics) at Godelieve Kapel, Ghent, 4th December 2003.

Commissioned by the KunstArbeiders Gezelschap V. Z. W. The electronics consists of a tape part.

Instrumentation: Electronics, 2 Violoncellos

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epitaph
for amplified cello and electronics
1998 12' 50"

I wrote epitaph as I heard that a friend of mine had taken her life as a result of personal circumstances that she ultimately could no longer cope with. The loss of a close person is always a moment of inner silence and introspection as we are directly confronted with fundamental questions about such as separation and the meaning of our existence on this planet. Yet, letting a train smash your body is a tragic decision deriving from a total loss of faith in life and a final, irrevocable statement of ultimate negation and despair. The horror of losing a friend in such a way and the painful awareness of our impotence towards tragedies of this kind urged me to give voice to my uncompromising feelings of anger and pain while questioning those social conditions that lead so many people to such decisions.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Violoncello

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now (2)
for cello & live-electronics
1998 8' - 10'

First performed by John Palmer (cello), Lawrence Casserley (IWSP live-electronics) at the 1998 Sonic Arts Conference, University of Birmingham, 9th January 1998.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Violoncello

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now (1)
for cello, piano & live-electronics
1997 8' - 10'

First performed by Neil Heyde (cello), John Palmer (piano & electronics) at May Fest, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK, 29th May 1997.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Violoncello, Piano

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Beyond the Bridge
for cello and electronics
1993 13' 10"

‘Beyond the bridge’ was written in 1993 for Zoe Martlew and was awarded second prize at the 1994 Bourges International Electroacoustic Competition, France. It was also selected by SEAMUS (the American Society of Electroacoustic Music) in 1996. The world premiere took place at the Wartegg Schlössli in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 22nd January 1994. The performers were Zoe Martlew (cello) and John Palmer (electronics).

Instrumentation: Electronics, Violoncello

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Clarinet

Trans-solo 2
for Bb clarinet
2010 3'

The four original Trans-solos derive from the quartet Transitions, for violin, clarinet, cello and piano, written in 2000 following a commission by pianist Margie Wu and the “eppur si muove” Foundation in Zürich.

Initially written as four separate cadenzas of Transitions, I have extracted and re-visited the four solos as single musical moments written for the virtuosity of a distinct performer. As the word ‘Trans’ may suggest, I have considered virtuosity as a search for ever-changing perceptions of the ineffable.

First performed by Federico Paci at Settembre in Musica Festival, Ascoli Piceno, Italy, 16th September 2010.

Instrumentation: Clarinet in Bb

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Flute

trans-solo 5
for C flute
2013 3' 50"

Trans-solo 5 was written for Klaus Schöpp as a part of the trans- project for the Modern Art Ensemble of Berlin. This flute cadenza derives from the quintet transference, for violin, flute, clarinet, cello and piano, written in 2010. It is yet another musical moment focussed on the virtuosity of a distinct performer. As in all the previous trans solos, I have considered virtuosity as a search for ever-changing perceptions of the ineffable hopefully leading to a higher state of consciousness.

Instrumentation: C Flute

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inwards
for bass flute and electronics
2005 15'

Inwards was conceived as a musical Gestalt deriving form, and always referring to, the very act of breathing. Therefore this music should be played “inwardly”, i.e. with a strongly “centred” attitude as in Za-Zen or Yoga meditation, always emphasising breathing as a dialectic and indeed musical force. Inwards was commissioned by the Landesmuseum Stuttgart for flautist Antje Langkafel.

Commissioned by the Landesmuseum Stuttgart. Electronics: max-msp patch including Ambisonics and a Lexicon PCM-80.

First performed by Antje Langkafel (bass flute), John Palmer & Marlon Schumacher (live electronics) at Siegle-Haus, Stuttgart, 19th February 2005.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Bass Flute

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Guitar

Yahari
for solo guitar
2017 ca. 6'

In the Japanese language the word yahari means: in spite of, also (too), still (as before), even so (nonetheless), as expected (of course). Such apparent contradictions of meaning remind me of the challenging nature of Zen postulates such as the koan. With Yahari I wanted to explore states of consciousness resulting from the resonance of an “intangible”, almost “transparent” sonic dimension.

The world premiere of Yahari took place on 13th November 2017 in the Chamber Music Hall of the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Stuttgart, and was performed by Johannes Monno.

Instrumentation: Guitar

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Harp

Boann’s song
for Celtic harp
2012 3'

Commissioned by Heloise Ph. Palmer and first performed by her at Pulsnitz Castle, Pulsnitz, Germany, 22th September 2012.

Instrumentation: Harp

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Harpsichord

Vajra
for harpsichord
2018 9' 45"

In Sanskrit, Vajra means both thunderbolt and diamond. It symbolizes irresistible force and energy (the thunderbolt) and indestructibility (the diamond, also as an image of firmness and purity). In the tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism the vajra is also a small club with two ribbed spherical heads representing spiritual power and endless creativity; in the early Rigveda writings it is used by the deity Indra as a weapon to destroy evil and unhappiness with lightning, thunders and storms.

Written for Kristian Nyquist.

Instrumentation: Harpsichord

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Satori
for harpsichord
1999 8' 52"

When the acquisition of a new viewpoint begins to take shape, intuition becomes the tool for exploring other states of mind located beyond logical understanding. I have interpreted the experience of satori as the unfolding of a deeper insight into the truth of reality, an enlightened consciousness flashing into a new spiritual actuality.

Instrumentation: Harpsichord

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Mosaic
for harpsichord
1998 ca. 14' - 45'

As in a mosaic, where the design of the complete picture results from the arrangement of small and differently coloured pieces of stone, this music is based on seven variously shaped musical units, each unit containing seven fragments deriving from a central note, G-sharp. The musical mosaic consists of the arrangement of such musical fragments in different and changeable orders determined by specific relations of performance categories given by the composer and selected by the harpsichordist. The performance of mosaic will therefore vary in structure and duration according to the configurations arranged by the harpsichordist.

Commissioned by Jane Chapman and first performed by Marco Bidin at University of Music, Stuttgart 11th November 2013.

Instrumentation: Harpsichord

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Vision
for harpsichord and electronics
1994 11'

This music was inspired by the life of the medieval Swiss mystic Brother Klaus, who after spending many years as a soldier, farmer and politician, decided to dedicate the rest of his life to reclusion and meditation. According to the historical records of the time, he spent his life in solitude, experiencing sensorial and spiritual visions. I was attracted by the radical contrasts of such circumstances and by the flavour of a stirring significance to be found in the apparent diversity of the physical and metaphysical dimension of life.

Commissioned by the Bruder Klaus Museum, Sachseln, Switzerland. Selected by Sonic Arts Network (the British Society for Electroacoustic Music) in 1997. The original electronics consisted of a tape part and live-electronics (1). A max/msp version is available.

First performed by John Palmer (harpsichord), Hubert Podstransky (electronics) at Bruder Klaus Museum, Sachseln, 24th September 1994.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Harpsichord

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Oboe

hinayana
for oboe
1999 ca. 13'

Written for Claudia Mauti and first performed by Piet Van Bockstal at Hall Nadine, Brussels, 18th February 2001.

Instrumentation: Oboe

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Organ

thereafter
for organ and electronics
2011 12' 35"

Thereafter was inspired by the sacred trinity of ancient Egypt consisting of Ausar, Auset and Heru, and the related symbolism of Egypt’s mystical triangle as described by Plutarch in volume V of his work Moralia. The Ancient Egyptians believed in an animated universe where all things are permeated by energetic forces containing a soul. Moreover, numbers did not only express quantities but also principles of nature and their related energy. Like every other component of the universe, numbers were also male and female.

Commissioned by the ALEA Association, Italy, and first performed by Marco Bidin at University of Music, Stuttgart, 20th February 2013.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Organ

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Percussion

Hypothesis
for solo percussion
2017 ca. 5'

Hypothesis belongs to a set of three works conceived in June 2008 including Antithesis and Blurring Definitions, its position in the trilogy being deliberately equivocal. As the triggering postulate of a multi-layered debate, Hypothesis also provides, by a reverse logic, a more understated antiphon to Antithesis. This twofold reasoning is hinted at in the dialogue taking place between the vibraphone and the other percussion instruments. The world premiere of Hypothesis took place at ‘The Listening Hour’ concert at the University of Music and Performing Arts of Stuttgart on 31st May 2017 and was performed by Se-Mi Hwang.

Required percussion: vibraphone, bass drum, 3 tom-toms, conga, 2 bongos, 2 temple blocks, 2 woodblocks, cowbell, tam-tam, 2 cymbals.

Instrumentation: Percussion

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Piano (four hands)

Three imaginary dialogues
for 4-hands piano
2013 6'

Commissioned from and dedicated to the Piano Duo Hayashizaki – Hagemann and first performed by the duo at Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany, Zehntscheuer, 29th November 2013.

Instrumentation: Four-Hands Piano

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Fado
for 4-hands piano
2007 ca. 11'

Longing, nostalgia, sadness, pain and much more to it: the Portuguese fado resembles a formidable stage for feelings of all sorts, including love and happiness. But it is the “saudade” – a yearning for another ‘place’ and elusive ‘otherness’ – that strikes me as being the most moving feature of this song genre. By extrapolating the fado from its traditional settings such as text, form and instrumentation, I have proposed an almost surreal musical rendering for two pianists where words have been replaced by fragments of melodies and traditional harmonic progressions often re-proposed and interspersed by the resonances of the piano. This music was written for Domingos Costa and Yseult Jost to whom is dedicated.

Commissioned by the Jost-Costa Duo and first performed by them at Chateau des Tourelles, Belfort, France, 9th November 2007.

Instrumentation: Four-Hands Piano

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double games
for piano (four hands)
1988 (rev. 2012) 10'

Ten short pieces of educational nature. Each piece may be performed separately.

Instrumentation: Four-Hands Piano

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Solo Piano

Woanders
for piano and electronics
2016 ca. 10'

I wrote woanders (en. elsewhere) having being inspired by a German poem written by Heloïse Ph. Palmer entitled La-Ura. The original poem appears below. The English version, written by the same author, reads: “although remote / yet present / here / for once, this very day / stirring appearance / no less whilst beholding / sans haste, / sans urge / to be”.

First performed by Heloïse Ph. Palmer (piano), Kaspar Kalnin (electronics) on 9th November 2016, Arena Festival, Riga, Latvia.

Electronics consisting of a stereo soundfile. The piano may be amplified.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Piano

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a-mors
for piano
2015 5'

In 2014 I was asked by Heloise Ph. Palmer to write a short piano piece, related to a love song I had written in 2012 that was entitled Being with you. I was certainly spellbound when I found out that the Latin word for love, amor, may be etymologically derived from the Latin a-mors, meaning ‘without death’. What more inspiring notion of such a powerful sentiment?

First performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 18th April 2015 at Stadthalle Bogenhaus, Löbejün, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Anagrams
for piano
2014 4' 20"

Words created by using the letters of other words in a different order. Musical phrases created by using notes of other phrases in a different order. Cyphers of the mind or oracles?

Instrumentation: Piano

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Eulogy
for piano
2013 5'

Written in memory of Jonathan Harvey and first performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 19th February 2014 on Sparkasse, Rathausstrasse, Halle, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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remembering
for piano
2013 4'

Improvised composition / composed improvisation.

Instrumentation: Piano

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shaft
for piano
2013 5'

Composed improvisation.

Instrumentation: Piano

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sketches (2)
for piano
2013 ca. 4'

Improvised composition / composed improvisation.

Instrumentation: Piano

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sketches (3)
for piano
2013 ca. 4'

Improvised composition / composed improvisation.

Instrumentation: Piano

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three girls
for piano
2013 8'

Three short pieces written in 1994, 1996 and 2003. The titles are: 1. Grace, 2. Iris, 3. Helen.

First private performances by John Palmer. First public performance by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 29th June 2013, Hock am Turm Festival, Stuttgart, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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en avant
for piano
2011 1' 30"

En avant was commissioned by the Sound Ways Festival in St. Petersburg for the celebration of the Dimitri Shostakovich’s Centenary.

The perception of Shostakovich’s work has never been an easy one for me. How far can political events affect our artistic stance? My own feeling is one of wanting to commemorate uninhibited artistic work while celebrating vitality and enthusiasm as an incentive for new inventiveness and a more promising future.

The world premiere of en avant took place at the 18th International Sound Ways Festival in St. Petersburg on 25th November 2006 and was performed by Alexander Machnev.

Instrumentation: Piano

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se potessi
for piano
2011 4' 30"

I wrote se potessi having being inspired by a short poem written by the Italian poet Leopoldo Verona in 1985. The original poem appears below. The English translation reads: if I could / speak of you / I would / multiply / my voice / I would be hundred / and more people / I would / have many / and many hearts / and thousand arms / and hands / like feathers / help / if I could / speak of you.

Commissioned by the Biblioteca Statale di Cremona, Italy. First performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 11th September 2011. Gollma Church, Tag des Offenen Denkmals, Gollma, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Trans-solo 1
for piano
2010 3'

The four original Trans-solos derive from the quartet Transitions, for violin, clarinet, cello and piano, written in 2000 following a commission by pianist Margie Wu and the “eppur si muove” Foundation in Zürich.

Initially written as four separate cadenzas of Transitions, I have extracted and re-visited the four solos as single musical moments written for the virtuosity of a distinct performer. As the word ‘Trans’ may suggest, I have considered virtuosity as a search for ever-changing perceptions of the ineffable.

First performed by Yoriko Ikeya (Modern Art Ensemble) on 29th November 2014, Konzerthaus, Berlin, Germany.

A solo of the ‘trans’ cycle, extracted from ‘transitions’.

Instrumentation: Piano

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After Silence (1)
for piano and electronics
2005 17' 10"

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is Music” (Aldous Huxley). After silence is a cycle of works written for piano and electronics exploring the perception of resonance in relation to sound as a quest for silence. The preposition after indicates both a temporal condition and a search for deeper states of consciousness.

After silence (1) was inspired by a text I wrote in 2005: after silence / space mirrors / reflecting / invisible sound. / away from… / I stand motionless / listening / through the barely audible.

Electronics: ring modulation, reverberation and tape. May be also performed on a Fender Rhodes.

First performed by John Palmer (Fender Rhodes & electronics) on 24th November 2005 at Salon des Arts, London, UK.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Piano

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Renge-kyo
for piano & electronics
1993 11' 30"

I wrote Renge-Kyo having been inspired by the principle of causality. I was intrigued by the interaction of cause and effect taking place from the most tenuous occurrences in daily life to large-scale events that may shape the history of the world. In Japanese Buddhism Renge (the lotus flower) symbolises the simultaneousness of Cause and Effect (the flower and the seed pod) and the ability of self-purification (the blossoms in the muddy swamps). Kyo means Sutra (teaching) and Sound as vibration; it represents the continuity of all things. I associated the Cause with the piano and the Effect with the electronics. Throughout the piece the two instruments are interrelated in an asymmetric alternation of actions and reactions taking place on two superimposed and at times altered layers of time.

Renge-Kyo was commissioned by the Konzertzyklus La Calma in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1993 and selected by the SPNM in Great Britain in 1994. The world premiere was performed by John Palmer (piano & electronics) at the Wartegg Schlössli at Lucerne, on 21st January 1994.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Piano

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Glimpse
for piano
1992 ca. 2'

I wrote glimpse in Dartington, England, on 15th August 1992, the day John Cage passed away. The news reached all the musicians at the International Summer Course immediately and I still remember how the busy environment of the campus was suddenly transformed into a state of collective silence. A tribute concert was coordinated by Michael Finnissy and all the composers were invited to write a short piece in memory of Cage. I wrote glimpse on the same day and performed it on the tribute concert two days later. The music is based on the four letters of the name C-A-G-E whilst the title refers to the glimpse of consciousness in my life that was triggered by the work and thought of John Cage.

First performed by John Palmer on 17th August 1999 at Great Hall, Dartington, UK.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Three cadenzas on Mozart
for piano
1990-2008 6'

4^th April 1990: I play Mozart’s piano concerto in C-minor KV 491 in Lucerne including my own cadenza for the first movement. 18 years later I accidentally find an old manuscript with the cadenza I had forgotten about and decide to add two variations to it.

4^th April 2008: the three cadenzas now constitute a “self-contained” triptych unfolding in gradual tonal evolution and celebrating the joy of improvisation not only as an integral part of the old concerto performance, but also as a musical experience to be enjoyed beyond historical styles and as an independent and idiosyncratic practice. John Palmer, 4^th April 2008

The First Cadenza was premiered by John Palmer at the Conservatoire of Lucerne, Switzerland on April 4th, 1990. The First and Second Cadenzas were first performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 7th September 2011 at the Kunstforum in Halle, Germany.

The first cadenza was written in 1990; the second and third cadenzas were added in 2008.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Athena
for piano
1990 6'

In the pantheon of ancient religions, the myth of Athena is possibly the most intriguing and diversified of all the gods. Throughout the years her image has been persistent in my dreams and I finally wrote this music perhaps in a state of trance in 1990 at Elstree, Hertfordshire. For some logically inexplicable reason the score disappeared and the music was forgotten almost immediately. Yet, it surfaced again several years later, in 2013. I recorded the music in the same year.

The world premiere of Athena took place at the Stadtbibliothek “Walter Bauer” in Merseburg, Germany, on 21st October 2015 and was performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer.

Instrumentation: Piano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAxbdLmZ7Ag
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shambhala
for solo piano
1990 10'

In Tibetan Buddhism Shambhala is the name of the pure land. Although there are many literary references describing it as a physical place situated in central Asia, the Tibetan myth of Shambhala refers to an imaginary place of peace and happiness dwelt by enlightened people.

The world premiere took place at the Tempelgesellschaft in Stuttgart on 20th September 2014 and was performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Manhattan
for piano
1989 5'30"

I composed this music whilst walking along the streets of Manhattan, New York. Around me a multitude of sounds, colours and distractions of all sorts were getting my attention so strongly that I suddenly felt impelled to give voice to my sensations in music right on the spot. I wrote the score sitting on a bench in a park near Fifth Avenue.

The world premiere was performed by John Palmer at Trinity College of Music in London, on 22nd November 1990.

Instrumentation: Piano

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musica reservata
for piano
1989 ca. 50'

Musica reservata is a collection of 12 short pieces for solo piano composed from December 1988 to May 1989, mostly during the night. It may also be performed by two pianists on two pianos by playing two different pieces or indeed the same piece simultaneously. Each piece of musica reservata may also be performed alone, as an autonomous, self-contained piece.

First performed by Friederike Wild at Chamber Music Hall, University of Music of Stuttgart, Germany, 7th November 2012.

Instrumentation: Piano

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sketches (1)
for piano
1989 4' 20"

Improvised composition / composed improvisation.

Instrumentation: Piano

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stream
for piano
1989 ca. 5'

Improvised composition / composed improvisation.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Déjà vu
for piano
1988 5'

The intriguing phenomenon of the déjà-vu prompted me to write a music flowing on two dissimilar dimensions: on the one hand an explicit vicinity of sound unfolding in an almost pointillistic fashion; on the other hand a wider space obtained through the use of both the sustain and sostenuto pedals on which chords, short melodies and single resonances are projected.

Dedicated to John Cage.

First performed by John Palmer on 22th November, 1990 at Trinity College of Music, London.

Instrumentation: Piano

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alpha
for piano
1987 7' full details & preview Composer

song for you
for piano
1987 9'

Improvised composition / composed improvisation. First performed by John Palmer (piano), Christian Hartmann (double bass) on 8th July 1988, Rathaus, Sursee (version for piano and double bass).

Instrumentation: Piano

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Three Preludes
for piano
1987 6'

First performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 13th April 2013, Schloss Pulsnitz, Pulsnitz, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Hieroglyphs
for piano
1986 7'

Arcanum, the Suite it was. Twelve hieroglyphs speaking from the past. Symbols to the mind. The scarab and Carl Gustav Jung.

First performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 28th June 2014, Hock am Turm, Chamber Music Hall, University of Music, Stuttgart, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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children pieces
10 easy pieces for piano of an educational nature
1985 (rev. 2011) 10'

First performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 29th June 2013 at Hock am Turm Festival, Stuttgart, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Poem for the Absurd
for piano
1985 ca. 7'

Poem for the Absurd was written between 1985 and 1987 at a time when I was strongly involved with the thought of Carl Gustav Jung. A personal reflection on the absurdities of contemporary life is reflected by the confrontation of two contrasting forces stated at the beginning of the composition: a loud and fast melodic statement opposed by a soft chord played at a slow tempo. The confrontation is soon intensified by a third dimension as the two axioms are projected on to an inward space illustrated by the resonances of the piano. In the early 1980s I also wrote a short text by the same title inspired by Jung’s cryptic writing Septem Sermones ad Mortuos. Such text may be read by a speaker before the performance.

A text written by the composer may be read before the performance.

First performed by John Palmer on 25th March, 1988, Conservatory of Music, Lucerne, Switzerland.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Missing Rhymes
for piano
1984 5'

Written in 1984 at a time when I was listening to a lot of jazz, missing rhymes is my first piano piece. I was interested in exploring an imaginary poem that seems to be impossible to unfold due to its fragmentary nature and at the same time questioning whether it is possible to perceive a more subtle level of declamatory speech taking place between the fragments.

First performed by Heloise Ph. Palmer on 28th June 2014, Hock am Turm, University of Music, Stuttgart, Germany.

Instrumentation: Piano

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Shakuhachi

three haikus
for shakuhachi
2014 6'

Commissioned by Jim Franklin for the European Shakuhachi Society. First performed by Jean-François Lagrost 19th June 2014, Weltkloster, Radolfzell, Germany.

Instrumentation: Shakuhachi

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Synthesizer

phonai
for synthesizer & stereo tape (may be diffused as an acousmatic piece)
1992 (rev. 1997) 11'

First performed by John Palmer (synthesizer & electronics) at BMIC, London 23rd February 1993.

The electronics consists of a tape part. The synthesizer is a Yamaha SY-77 or SY-99.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Synthesiser

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Spirits
for synthesizer
1990 15' - 18'

Very often I dream I am able to fly due to an enormous concentration of the mind. This is a sensation I am unable to describe verbally. Also, I frequently hear music while I am dreaming: from familiar melodies to unknown sounds and harmonies. Spirits is the title I gave to a music I heard many times, but most intensively in August 1990, when I was living in a cottage at Elstree, Hertfordshire. This experience was so strong that I felt impelled to write down the music immediately. What struck me mostly was that, in my dreams, every time I heard this music I found myself suspended in the air. The sounds resembled human voices singing very short motives recurring over a very long – and almost everlasting – time span.

First performed by John Palmer at BMIC, London 23rd February 1993.

For Yamaha SY-77 or SY-99; also a Korg M1. The performance should take place at candlelight.

Instrumentation: Synthesiser
https://johnpalmer.org/
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Trombone

prelude to a dream
for tenor trombone
2013 full details & preview Composers Edition

prelude to a prelude
for tenor trombone
2013 full details & preview Composers Edition

transfiguration
for trombone and electronics
2006 16'

Transfiguration was conceived during the 1997 KlangArt Congress and Festival in Osnabruck, Germany, and written with two things in mind: the Balkan wars and the social upheavals that were going on in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and the personal grief regarding such a circumstance. Feelings of anger and incredulity continued to concern me strongly in connection with the cruel Kosovo war events a few years later. How can such atrocities still happen? How is it possible that we still cannot prevent to tame the ferocious beast that is hiding in us? The music of Transfiguration was inspired by the virtuosity of Vinko Globokar.

First performed on 16th June 2006, Elektronische Nacht, Stuttgart by Patrick Crossland (trombone) and John Palmer (electronics).

The electronics consist of a tape part on CD and live-electronics (1). Max/msp patch available.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Trombone

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Viola

nowhere to hide
for viola
2013 4'

“You cannot describe it; you cannot picture it;

You cannot admire it; don’t try to eat it raw.

Your true self has nowhere to hide;

When the world is destroyed, it is not destroyed.”

from ‘Mumonkan’, case 23, translated by Katsuki Sekida (Weatherhill)

The world premiere of nowhere to hide took place at the The Listening Hour, University of Music of Stuttgart, Germany, on 15th April 2016 and was performed by Anna-Lea Rebholz.

Instrumentation: Viola

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trans-solo 6
for viola
2013 3' 50"

Trans-solo 6 was written for Jean-Claude Velin as the concluding cadenza of the trans- cycle written for and dedicated to the Modern Art Ensemble of Berlin.

Unlike all the previous trans cadenzas, trans-solo 6 precedes and indeed determines the music of the final sextet written for the ensemble. It also represents the final solo focussed on the virtuosity of a distinct performer. As in all the previous “trans” solos, I have considered virtuosity as a search for ever-changing perceptions of the ineffable. Perceptions leading, at least in my mind, to a higher state of consciousness

First performed at Konzerthaus, Berlin, 29th November 2014 by Jean-Claude Velin.

Instrumentation: Viola

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verso l’alto
for viola
2013 9'

The world premiere of verso l’alto took place at the Voralberg Museum in Bregenz, Austria, on 3rd May 2015 and was performed by Andreas Ticozzi.

Instrumentation: Viola

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Violin

undying borders
for violin and electronics
2015 9'

Inspired by a Georgian folk song and Georgian history, I write this music for all those people and nations who have ever so often suffered persecution and military occupation. Could music pave the way for a long-term solution that might offer at the very least glimmers of hope and humanity?

undying borders was written for Georgian violinist Zizi Totiauri who premiered it with the composer (electronics) at the University of Music of Stuttgart on 1st December 2015.

Instrumentation: Electronics, Violin

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Trans-solo 3
for violin
2010 3'

The four original Trans-solos derive from the quartet Transitions, for violin, clarinet, cello and piano, written in 2000 following a commission by pianist Margie Wu and the “eppur si muove” Foundation in Zürich.

Initially written as four separate cadenzas of Transitions, I have extracted and re-visited the four solos as single musical moments written for the virtuosity of a distinct performer. As the word ‘Trans’ may suggest, I have considered virtuosity as a search for ever-changing perceptions of the ineffable.

First performed at Konzerthaus, Berlin, 29th November 2014 by Theodor Flindell.

Instrumentation: Violin

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Over
for violin
2007 10'

Over = At the other side of. Beyond. Extending directly upwards from. Higher than a specified amount, rate or norm. Above so as to cover or protect. Extending above (an area) from a vantage point. At a higher level or layer than. High in rank than. Higher in volume or pitch than. Expressing passage or trajectory across. Finished!

Commissioned by the Modern Art Sextet and first performed by Theodor Flindell at BKA, Berlin, 8th May 2007.

Instrumentation: Violin

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without
for violin
2006 13'

cherry blossom petals are falling

Beautiful like snowflakes.

The remaining rest do cling

Without knowing their destiny.

(traditional Zen saying)

Inspired by the Japanese ‘ma’, without explores silence as a dynamic force coming from and ending into sound.

Without was commissioned by Ensemble Omega and written for Utae Nakagawa. The world premiere took place at the Heidelberger Biennale für Neue Musik, in Germany, on 5th November 2006 and was performed by Utae Nakagawa.

Instrumentation: Violin

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