Hans Tammen & Third Eye Orchestra: Clepsydra

About

Tammen’s compositions are inspired by Charles Ives’ polytonality, Steve Coleman’s rhythmic complexity and Karlheinz Stockhausen’s organization of sounds. Using textures, timbre and dynamics as primary elements, Tammen’s music shifts continuously, with different layers floating into the foreground while others disappear. Whether richly processed guitar sounds from his hybrid interactive guitar / software instrument Endangered Guitar, traditionally notated material for his Third Eye Chamber Orchestra, or graphically notated elements for the all-electronic Dark Circuits Orchestra, Tammen’s music “[transforms] a sequence of instrumental gestures into a wide territory of semi-hostile discontinuity; percussive, droning, intricately colorful, or simply blowing your socks off” (Touching Extremes).

The 13-17 piece ensemble includes string and wind quartets, voice, pianos, guitar, moog bass, percussion, plus electronic live sound processing. Founded in 2005, the ensemble regularly plays in New York City at Roulette, Czech Center, Brecht Forum, Galapagos, and others.

Clepsydra is supported by New Music USA, made possible by annual program support and/or endowment gifts from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Helen F. Whitaker Fund, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Carl Jacobs Foundation, and New York State Council on the Arts.

Shelley Hirsch – Voice
Dafna Naphtali – Live Sound Processing, Voice
Sarah Bernstein – Violin
Jason Hwang – Violin
Stephanie Griffin – Viola
Tomas Ullrich – Cello
Ned Rothenberg – Clarinets
Michael Lytle – Clarinets
Briggan Krauss – Saxophones
Josh Sinton – Contra Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone
Ursel Schlicht – Piano, Keyboard
Shoko Nagai – Keyboard, Moog
Nick Didkovsky – Guitar
Satoshi Takeishi – Percussion
Hans Tammen – Composition, Binary Conducting