Leon Milo - Composer's Journal

Susanne Kessel Plays Messiaen, Milo, Takamitsu and others.

At the Schmill Center in Marburg, Germany.

In advance of her forthcoming CD.

Please visit Susanne's website to learn more about her vast repertoire and performances!

March 16th. 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Miss You

Dear Friends,
I would like to let you know of a new CD recorded by pianist Susanne Kessel which has just been released by OEHMS Classics.
This is a unique recording (and a wonderful musical project instigated by Susanne) of contemporary Icelandic piano music. A little known treasure! I have contributed one work to this record.

Susanne asked me to make an arrangement of a song by Bjork. So decided to use the tune "I Miss You" which I arranged for piano solo and electronics. The work was done entirely via correspondence. I sent her musical material (on paper), the melody line, chords to play at various speeds and dynamics, a bass line, etc. She recorded this material separately and sent these sound files back to me so that I could construct the piece.

It was a huge job, having to cut and paste, time stretch or condense little bits of the recordings. Hundreds of notes had to be pasted into place to create the proper rhythm or tempo. Then, I treated this as if it were a live performance using electronic music techniques to create something like a a second or imaginary pianist hovering around the main performance. This way of working was particularly fitting to the theme of this tune, "I Miss You".

Here is a link if you would like to listen to excerpts.

Last year, Susanne and I created a duo called PIANOWAVES . We have played numerous concerts since then, premiering new works for piano, percussion and electronics. Our next concert will be at the International Beethoven Festival in Bonn on September 6th. with organist Markus Karas at the Bonner Munsters Cathedral. Music by Debussy, Messiaen, Stockhausen with new works which I will write including soundscapes based on Olivier Messiaen's life and work as well as a new composition for organ, piano and electronics.

Hope that you can make it! :)

Until soon,

Best to all, Leon.

Leon Milo. A page from the score of " I Miss You".